BY EPN
MBABANE – Minister of Labour & Social Security Phila Buthelezi says the data presented by the new Eswatini National Skills Audit Report will help Eswatini undertake “efficient human resource planning that will address the problems of skills shortages & mismatches.” Minister Buthelezi was speaking at the presentation of the Report today.
“The results presented in this audit provide data and information on the skills supplied by higher education institutions and the skills demanded by industry and, therefore, will assist with efficient human resource planning that will address the problems of skills shortages and mismatches.” said Minister Buthelezi.
The Minister added that the importance of human capital & skills development for the country’s sustainable growth underscores human resource as the foundational pillar for driving social and economic development in Eswatini.
The minister added that “skills Development is a continuous process, given that the economy is dynamic and so labour has to make sure that it remains relevant and ready to meet industry demand. To achieve this, we need to continuously assess the labour market by conducting annual tracer surveys, and skills audits at least every three to five years.”
According to Minister Buthelezi, the report also helps to identify and efficiently highlight skills in the priority growth sectors (agriculture and agro-processing, manufacturing, ICT and education, mining and energy, and tourism) as mentioned in the Strategic Roadmap 2019-2022 & this will help create employment and generate wealth for emaSwati.”
Some of the key recommendations of the Report include: Provide grants/scholarships for youth in STEM related fields and specialists or professional skills; Establish a National Apprenticeship & Internship Programme; and Upscale support & investment in Technical & Vocational Education & Training (TVET).
The National Skills Audit exercise was launched by the Ministry of Labour in November 2020 and was implemented in partnership with the Eswatini Economic Policy Analysis & Research Centre (ESEPARC). The full report can be downloaded here.
