Education and skills development are an essential part of a growing economy. The idea behind the process goes much further than simple personal development (which brings its own set of advantages), but also has a major role to play in fostering growth, sustainability and development in the country as a whole. Unfortunately for the South African context, there is a stark shortage of adequately skilled individuals to fill the many essential roles associated with building a strong economy, which has been the result of an expensive and inadequate skills delivery system in our country. Higher education is largely reserved for the advantaged few who would otherwise still be presented with opportunities thanks to their lot in life; while the majority of South African citizens are missing out due to their economic and social conditions in life. So where do we start addressing this issue so that we can move towards a stronger, more educated and highly skilled workforce and entrepreneur base in our beautiful country, so full with possibilities?
Extending Education to the Deserving
Many individuals in our country are rife with potential that simply needs to be tapped to develop into greatness, but without the proper provisions of training and education, these people who could become doctors, lawyers, teachers and businessmen/women are going under the radar. A vast majority of these people are financially unable to take part in training programmes that could develop their skills to build a brighter future for them and our country. We need bursary programmes that concentrate on educating these people in such a way that they could completely change their lives, as well as the future of our country.
Creating Employment Opportunities
As time goes on, the South African job market is becoming more saturated with both skilled and unskilled labourers, which is driving up the need for tertiary credentials across all industries. Specialised skills are often also needed to take part in the South African job market, and many of the training programmes that offer these benefits are out of the financial reach of large sects of the South African population. Therefore, for future employment to be considered for many people in the country, there needs to be an adequate and affordable system of skill delivery to build a stronger future for us all.
Empowering Potential Entrepreneurs
Not all plans for building a brighter future have to do with creating employment opportunities, those who are driven by the need for success also need the tools to be able to start and run businesses of their own. By being provided with these tools, disadvantaged individuals can make something new of their lives by starting their own businesses, essentially creating more jobs for others while raising their own standards of living… but once more, the delivery of this type of training costs money, money that is often not in the possession of those who need the training the most.
Contact the Tiso Foundation to Learn More
In order to meet these challenges within a South African context, the Tiso Foundation has been established to pay it forward and pass life-changing opportunities on to those who need them the most through bursaries and training programmes. Contact us today or visit our website for further details on our educational programmes.