Impumelelo Consulting took part in the Skills Development Summit 2019 both as a major Exhibitor and as Delegates to the Summit, which provided a much-needed discussion on the state of our rapidly changing world.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution promises to change the way that we conduct business and industry, especially in manufacturing and agriculture, but also threatens many jobs. The Skills Development Summit presented a vision of how skills development and jobs can be retained in this shifting world, especially in the context of rural and urban development. We all needed to stay ahead of the pack and the Skills Development Summit provided the workshops needed to understand the state of this new world.
In 2019, we need to focus on the fourth industrial revolution and how it threatens to shake the very fabric of development and industry. In this rapidly changing world, it is even more important to invest in skills development. The summit aimed to provide answers and solutions to the many new challenges facing South Africa.
The summit intensely focused on the key growth areas of agriculture and manufacturing, two industries that are facing intense disruption as technology and socio-political issues shake the industry. As automation and artificial intelligence improve, we face many potential job losses. The aim of the summit was to put forth a framework of how to address these job losses through skills development.
Within this framework, the summit highlighted the need to empower women. The economic empowerment of women has been strongly linked to economic growth and prosperity and addressing gender imbalances in the economy is necessary to achieve a growing and sustainable economy. Drives to empower women in various sectors such as science, technology and tourism, as well as encouraging women entrepreneurs, are already occurring and need to be supported.
Attention in the summit also focused on providing skills development for people with disabilities, so as to increase workplace equity.
The sole essence of the summit focused on how to leverage the fourth industrial revolution to the advantage of South Africans. We know that industries will be threatened by job losses, but we also know through the studying of the previous industrial revolutions, that where there is loss, there is opportunity.
Skills development should be focusing on new industries and advanced technological skills that will put South Africans in the lead of the new global economy.
The 2019 Skills Development Summit dealt with these pressing issues that affect all stakeholders in the economy. It was an event of tantamount importance for all people and institutions serious about paving the way for a better, more advanced and richer South Africa.
The Summit took place at the CSIR Convention Centre in Pretoria and was hosted by, global speaker, think tank and business strategist, a powerhouse, Thabang Mashigo.
Few of the speakers included;
- The honourable Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training (DHET), Buti Manamela
- CEO, SA Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP), Dr Predish Rampersadh
- Head of the Department of Transport and Supply Chain Management at the University of Johannesburg, Dr Noleen Pisa
- Industry Skills Development and Training Manager, William Rainy Mogale
- Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, Vice-Chancellor and Principal at the University of Johannesburg
- Mr Jeff Radebe, the Minister of Energy