South African Skills Conference Celebrates National Candour Community Spirit And A Refreshingly Human Tone

No doubt, the US reporters were mystified, not just by the response, but by our reporter’s comment, which I think was prefaced by a very Joburg ‘shoo!’ Can you imagine some serious, power suited journalist from the New York Times saying that? In fact, the New York Times reporter tried to rather create his own byline by referencing the struggle. The President did not take the bait.

Despite our serious problems, we maintain a sort of rag-tag team sprit down here. If the reader will forgive my Marvel nerdiness, it’s a Thunderbolts/Guardians of the Galaxy vibe. Perhaps, it is because we are too small for the billionaires to waste money dividing us, or maybe it is the legacy of our spiritual leaders:

Of course it is not always the case, but sometimes we South Africans do show the world a light-hearted, informal candour, and a genuine appreciation of diversity.

To give you a personal example, I recently attended the Premier’s Council on Skills in the Western Cape. I was at a similar event earlier this year in London, where the minister read from a teleprompter, the usual spiel about the value of education and the new challenges of the 21st Century etc. etc. (I can barely remember, but she did seem nice.) And then she was gone. She did not even stay for Stephen Fry, the very next panellist, world-renowned wit and friend of Marvin Minsky, the so-called Godfather of AI.

Alan Winde, by contrast, spoke mainly off the cuff and was present and involved in all the sessions. And we had representatives from every sector. Most encouraging and moving of all, were the young artisans from challenging backgrounds, who had won awards at the World Skills Competition, but just wanted to return to their communities and make a difference there.

Don’t get me wrong - the challenges are very real. STEM educational outcomes in South Africa are poor. Countries with fewer resources do much better than us. But there are some strategies, one of which is to incubate and support technical business in disadvantaged communities. Eighty percent of startups fail in their first year, so Government has a role in supporting young entrepreneurs through the difficult early period, not just financially, but also commercially.

Another strategy is to encourage private institutions to take a greater role in skills development, as they do in Gauteng. With this in mind, I would like to share our new short, “15 Seconds at Stadio.” Don’t blink, or you will miss it. Really, don’t blink. It is that fast.

15 Seconds at Stadio

For educational-related matters, philosophical or technical, please email me az.oc.trep@retep