World Skills South Africa is an agency affiliated to World Skills, a competition for artisans in more than 50 countries.
The competition, considered the Olympics of artisans, is where young people vie for the top honours in different skills sectors such construction and building technology and transportation and logistics.
Speaking to Sowetan after the launch last week, Services Seta chief executive Dr Sihle Moon likened the World Skills competition to the World Cup in the sector education and training field, adding that World Skills South Africa is like the South African Football Association or South African Rugby Union.
Moonsaid: "We want World Skills South Africa to generate excitement in the youth in vocational training and make them see the value of practical skills.
"We want to expose them to the competition not only to compete, but to enhance their skills in their chosen trades."
Moon said they have immediately started to look for talented young people between the ages of 16 and 20 in further education and training colleges, to prepare them for next year's competition.
This year, 16 trainers and observers are being sent to the competition in July.
"It will take a huge mindset shift to get young people into FET colleges. It has been ingrained in the minds of young people, parents and teachers, too, that you need a university degree to be successful," he said.
"It is a hard mountain to climb, but the number of people who are enrolling in colleges is a move in the right direction."
Source: Sowetan via I-Net Bridge
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