Phiwokuhle Mothemela
Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber CEO Denise van Huyssteen says they are excited about the opportunities for the Bay.
Van Huyssteen made this statement as she launched the Business Chamber Skills Development Desk in Gqeberha, on Tuesday.
She says the focus of this desk is developing skills for a new job and 50 youths will be trained and qualify as digital process technicians to work in the manufacturing industry.
Van Huyssteen says the desk will be funded by the Eastern Cape Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) and established in partnership with Harambee.
“The Desk is designed to take an industry demand-led approach, ensuring that it is responsive to the specific needs of employers and the jobs in demand. It will serve as the action arm in bringing the workstream’s strategy to life. Major existing manufacturers and incoming investors to the Bay are highlighting their technical skills requirements and to this end, all the stakeholders must work together to build a sufficient pool of skilled technical talent. This will also incorporate a match-making focus to ensure that displaced workers, with technical skills, are linked to companies that are being launched or are growing their operations,” she said.
She added the desk is designed to help reduce unemployment in Nelson Mandela Bay.
“The technical skills shortage has been identified as a key focus area and as such The Think Tank has a dedicated workstream that assesses the challenges, requirements, and the strategy that needs to be deployed to address this. This encompasses the rapid speed of change where new jobs are fast emerging, especially in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the digitalisation of manufacturing."
Ayanda Wakaba, CEO of the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC), emphasised the importance of the partnership in creating a sustainable talent pipeline for Nelson Mandela Bay.
“The collaboration between Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, the ECDC, and Harambee is crucial for ensuring that we have access to the right talent to address current and future skills gaps and employment demands in the automotive and manufacturing sectors. This initiative will not only provide immediate training solutions but will also help prepare the next generation of workers to contribute to the long-term sustainability of our local industries.”
