BuaNews (Tshwane)
Bathandwa Mbola
18 July 2008
Nelspruit — Workers in the tourism industry are to get the opportunity to hone their skills at accredited service providers through the newly launched Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET)-Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Education and Training Authority (THETA ) Tourism Programme.
The programme aims to contribute to the improvement of skills and to bring skills to the unemployed, or those wanting to be employed, in their sector.
At least 28 000 tourism industry employees are to benefit from the programme, which is part of plans to boost the country's skills base in various sectors while trying to bridge the serious challenge of unemployment, particularly among the black youth and women.
Speaking at the launch of the programme at the Kruger National Park on Thursday, Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka hoped that the programme will go a long way in addressing the skills shortage and unemployment.
"South Africa simply cannot afford these high levels of unemployment, inequality and poverty and this is a main reason why government endorses this initiative of the ABET-THETA Programme, in particular and especially if we can show a direct link between skills and a job - where the industry drives training that should be possible and it is a must."
The potential for job creation in the tourism sector goes hand in hand with hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The event is to create numerous opportunities in the sector with millions expected to descend on the country to watch the matches and soak up the South African culture.
The tourism industry is seen as South Africa's biggest contributor to the economy as it contributes an estimated 8.1 percent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and accounts for about 940 000 direct and indirect jobs.
Further, the industry's contribution to the national economy grew by 22 billion resulting in an overall contribution of 8.1 percent to the GDP of South Africa last year.
Moreover, it is also estimated that the future potential of tourism's contribution to job creation and the country's GDP will be as follows by year 2015 will stand at a total of 712 000 and additional indirect jobs in the same year of 2015 will be 870 000 jobs.
With this in mind, Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka said tourism skills was placed among the nation's scarce skill categories and that it was for this reason that government had identified tourism as a priority sector for the first and second economies.
She said the programme will also go a long way to address the Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition (JIPSA) objective to deliver on the skills requirements of government's Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA) aimed at realising higher economic growth.
"It is a fact that this industry offers significant opportunities for young people and for women eking out a living in the second economy.
"As government, working with our social partners, we firmly believe that all provinces can and must benefit from the golden egg laid by tourism," Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka told the delegates.
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