Skills focus for Gauteng students

She said the project would produce over five thousand students with vital skills annually.

"This strategy will be implemented by the Gauteng department of education and a number of private companies in 41 technical high schools across the province," she said in a statement delivered at John Orr Technical High School in Milpark.

"The strategy we are launching will deliver over five-and-a-half thousand matriculants annually, with appropriate skills and workplace experience," she claimed.

Creecy said in order to make a meaningful impact on skills creation, the country needed technically trained pupils who were ready to make a contribution to the economic growth of the country.

Through this strategy, Creecy hoped to raise the status of technical education in Gauteng, and to attract more high-performing pupils into "a field that can directly impact on the skills deficit in the industry".

"The transformation of our attitude to technical education and our decision to invest more in technical high schools, is the new thinking we need that will boost the economy's capacity for growth," she said.

Creecy said the 41 schools would be declared schools for focused learning and would actively recruit pupils who perform well in mathematics, science and technology from surrounding primary schools.

"We will actively work to dispel negative perceptions about technical high schools, and re-model technical education as a first choice for our best learners and their parents," she said.

"Secondly, we will improve physical facilities and resources for technical education. The plan over the next three years includes resourcing schools with specialised tools and equipment," she added.

Creecy said to date 83 workshops had been refurbished at a cost of R22m. The process would continue this year with a budget of R14m allocated for this year.

Source: Sapa via I-Net Bridge