Hon member, it is a very relevant question. I must say that all of us, in order to make a meaningful impact in talking this country forward and in growing our economy, expanding the economy to allow for employment of new entrants, must insist on education, our young people must be at school.
The unemployment rate in any country correlates exactly with the levels of education. If the levels of education are low, the unemployment rate will be high. If the levels of training are low, unemployment will be high. So, we must train our people more and more. All of our young people that have dropped out of the formal schooling system must be given a skill.
We must insist on artisan training. They can be plumbers, carpenters, they can be boilermakers. Let us give them a skill. They must go to a college somewhere to get a skill. Those who are in
education must formally acquire a profession. Once you have a skill or profession, chances of you getting employment become higher and chances of you starting your own business become higher.
We have started the Human Resource Development Council nationally that pulls in labour, government, civil society and universities, from time to time. All our universities with their respective strengths and offerings participate in our Human Resources Development Council, so that we mark progress. We must know what we are doing. We must know if we are succeeding in terms of training. Universities are giving training and some of the training is given to our TVET colleges.
The Human Resource Development Council makes a match between a TVET college and a business, so that students have the opportunity to do their practical at a company out there. When I joined, I found that to be a good thing. They call that programme Adopt-a-TVET College. That means that businesses are encouraged to adopt a TVET college, so that these students can work. When they study, they are afforded an opportunity to be in a work environment and to do their practical there. I found that encouraging.
However, the Department of Higher Education is tracking all the training that we are doing. They know all our TVET colleges and all the kinds of training, because you cannot train anywhere in the country, if you have not been accredited by the Department of Higher Education. You must be accredited in order to train. So, we are able to track exactly what is happening and who is doing what where. Thank you. [Applause.]