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Johannesburg - Gauteng aims to fight youth unemployment through a skills strategy turn-around programme at technical high schools, Education MEC Barbara Creecy said on Wednesday.
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 today will deliver over 5 500 matriculants annually, with appropriate skills and workplace experience."
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 turnaround 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."
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 of our best learners and [of] 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 said to date 83 workshops had been refurbished at a total of R22m. The process would continue this year with a budget of R14 allocated in this financial year, said Creecy.
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 today will deliver over 5 500 matriculants annually, with appropriate skills and workplace experience."
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 turnaround 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."
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 of our best learners and [of] 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 said to date 83 workshops had been refurbished at a total of R22m. The process would continue this year with a budget of R14 allocated in this financial year, said Creecy.
