Girls Taught About Construction

The economic empowerment of women is high on the agenda of the South African government. Businesses from large corporates to the SME sector have been urged to provide a platform for this to happen.

My belief is that this must begin to happen at school level. Teaching entrepreneurship is great but it must be linked to educating learners about the various needs of the overall economy. They must be shown which sectors of the economy present the greatest challenges yet also the greatest opportunities.

On BuaNews I came across this article which is very encouraging in this regard. It is wonderful to see government beginning to act on this. Here is the article :

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North West points pupils to careers in construction
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By Lehuma Ntuane

Mafikeng - A construction industry expert has urged high school pupils, especially girls, to pursue careers in construction as the industry is booming and presenting rewarding opportunities.

Addressing a National Construction Week event organized by the North West Department of Public Works, Marianus De Jager said enrollments into the construction industry would also help address the skills shortage faced by the sector around the country.

More than 30 Grade 12 learners from Khayalethu High School, near Rustenburg, were taken to a project site visit to the R200 million Moses Kotane Hospital Wednesday.

"They should take advantage of the opportunities provided by government through bursaries, internships and learnerships. There are a lot of rewarding and attractive career opportunities in this sector," he said.

Mr De Jager said due to government's increased infrastructure spending as part of the Accelerated Skills Growth Initiative of South Africa (AsgiSA), the constructions sector has become one of the key beneficiaries but "there is a shortage of professional personnel."

He said the industry was already experiencing a need for more professionals to take part in major projects such as building stadia for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa and construction projects for the Gautrain.

North West Public Works spokesperson Matshube Mfoloe, said the campaign was aimed at encouraging learners to pursue careers in the construction sector and also present study in the field of construction as an attractive option to potential students.

"We are promoting the sector to young people. This is a way to promote the seemingly 'unattractive and uninspiring' image of the construction sector," he said.

National Construction Week is meant to give learners the opportunity to experience and learn about opportunities available in the sector, "and also to dispel the belief that the industry was the domain for men only."

A 16 year-old pupil Ivy Leshetla said she wanted to study architecture.

"Careers in these fields are very possible and we appreciate the opportunities that the department is providing to create an interest and an awareness about the rewards in the building industry,'' she said.

The department will be holding similar project site visits around the other three districts in the province.

The National Construction Week seeks to showcase the meaning and the value of construction as a powerful institution in the reconstruction and development of the country.- BuaNews

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I would love to see SME's and entrepreneurs beginning to engage with this issue at lot more intentionally. As good as this initiative in the North West is, I believe that we cannot leave it up to government entirely.

Statistics Show More South Africans Entering The Job Market

A report released yesterday by Statistics South Africa shows a decline in the category described as "not economically active" - from 13,6 million in July 2005 to less than 13,2 million last July. This implies that more people have entered the labour force.

The General Household Survey showed that 348 000 jobs were added to the economy in the same time period. It would be interesting to discover how many of these were in the formal sector and how many in the informal sector. A drive around many of South Africa's cities shows how many ordinary South Africans have been self-employed. Roadside "shopping malls" are becoming the norm and at every building site in Johannesburg some enterprising entrepreneur from the informal sector has set up a small shop to provide snacks and lunch for the workers.

The provision of jobs in our country is not solely the work of government. Our education system must teach entrepreneurship, financial intellegience, critical thinking and basic marketing skills to ensure that every young person leaving school can begin to add value not only to his/her life, but to the broader economy as well. Almost 5 million South Africans are unemployed adding to the burden on social grants, family units and society in general. As more and more young people are added to the working population each year the need for entrepreneurial skills development is increasingly important.

It has become a national imperative to increase South Africa's job market through entrepreneurial development and support to the informal sector. Is this the government's responsibility? Perhaps. But isn't there also validity in looking to the formal sector, corporate South Africa, to assist in this process? I believe so. Ordinary South Africans can also assist by giving time, resources and expertise to those who need it to set up their own enterprise.

There is an old proverb that says that if you give a man a fish you feed him for a day, but if you teach him how to fish you feed him for a lifetime. This may be an old proverb but it certainly rings true for us in South Africa today. We need to be very intentional about how we are teaching the people around us "to fish". It is everyone's best interest that this happens and happens soon.

The World Is Ruled By "C" Students

Let me start by saying that I am a great believer in education. I believe that essential skills such as critical and strategic thinking are borne out of further education. Sometimes it is not so much the content of the courses but the journey towards the diploma, certificate or degree that is significant.

That said I was fascinated to read a great blog post written by Scott Bradley, a young Boston-based entrepreneur. His assertion is that those who sit as average "C" students have a far better chance at succeeding in entrepreneurial ventures than those who consistently top the "A" student list. His arguments are sound and seem to make good sense. However I would still not want this argument to be an excuse for steering clear of furthering your education.

What I do think is that as small business owners looking to increase staff complement, we should be careful of falling into the trap of hiring based on the number of letters behind an applicant's name. Our hiring of staff should also be taking into consideration issues such as competence, chemistry with the existing team, character and so forth.

Take a look at Scott's post and leave your comments for others to consider.