Johannesburg -The newly inaugurated e-Skills Academy of South Africa will increase the country’s Information Communication Technology (ICT) systems and increase the public’s awareness in the area.

Speaking at the official inauguration of the academy on Thursday in Sandton, President Thabo Mbeki said the academy had an important role to play as it involved the young people of our country, upon whom the future of the country depended.

“This [academy] should also help in our on-going efforts to extend ICT access to all our people as a catalyst to lift the poor out of poverty,“ he said.

The e-Skills Academy is aimed at accelerating the development of professional qualifications and “job-ready” skills in the ICT sector.

It offers internationally accredited courses and certified qualifications that are designed to meet requirements defined by technology users throughout, both the private and public sectors of the South African economy.

In this regard, President Mbeki said he was inspired by the academy’s efforts to impart skills and its commitment to providing highly personalised services to students.

“The fact that this important programme of imparting skills to our people seeks to do so in a manner that recognises the importance of world-class quality and standards by ensuring that all students have access to internationally-recognised qualifications throughout their entire curriculum.”

On the services, the President said the facilitation of bursaries and study grants, development of personal skills in key areas such as business and leadership and programmes aimed at the placement of graduates in rewarding jobs will go a long way towards empowering students.

President Mbeki said ICT has been identified as an important contributor to the growth and development of the country's economy, adding that it is part of government's Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (ASGISA) aimed at realising higher economic growth.

ICT also provides for immense possibilities for education, training, skills development, job-creation, basic service delivery and broad-based black economic empowerment.

”It also has the ability to brighten the prospects for the youth and offer them opportunities that they would have never had access to before,” he said.

The academy opened its doors in January, four months after being announced at a Presidential International Advisory Council on the Information Society and Development in August last year.



The academy stood out as a confirmation of the possibility to build effective international partnerships, Mr Mbeki said.

"As South Africans, we are very proud indeed, that we have a possibility to be part of an important initiative, which communicates what, can and should be done, to respond to some of the challenges of globalisation."

Mr Mbeki said one of the challenges facing South Africa was that globalisation had brought about intense competition with regard to skilled workers.

"Accordingly, it is important to train as large a number of skilled workers as possible, so that, even in the event of migration of skills to developed countries, the developing countries will themselves be able to maintain a competitive edge." - BuaNews