Chairperson, efforts like the public-private partnership driven by Microsoft SA, the SA Local Government Association, the Local Government Sector Education and Training Authority and the Development Bank of Southern Africa are appreciated and welcomed.
It is initiatives like these that will ensure that the legacy of the skills shortage in local government is changed for the better.
We also need a broader, comprehensive definition when we talk about a skills shortage. It should not only be about the scarcity of a qualified and employable workforce, but must also be linked to productivity.
Clearly, the co-ordination was very poor between the Department of Labour and the Sector Education and Training Authorities, Setas, which is why we are still sitting with the problem of skills shortages.
However, the UCDP hopes that, with the Department of Higher Education and Training holding the reins, there would be desirable progress. I thank you.