FACE TO FACE
ATI
Mandisa Nyathikazi , executive director of the Artisan Training Institute ( ATI ).
MANDISA NYATHIKAZI :
UPSKILLING THE YOUTH
With more than six million youths unemployed in South Africa , preparing the youth for an artisanal career is becoming increasingly important , writes Nicola Theunissen .
One of the major constraints of the South African economy is the high rate of unemployment , especially among the youth .
As job opportunities shrink , so do the skill levels required to transform the country into a global powerhouse . In the desperate attempts to acquire an education , students are often under the impression that a university degree is the holy grail that will ultimately lead to a better life . This couldn ’ t be further from the truth . A country dominated by a workforce equipped with only university degrees , is not always the solution to build a viable and solid economic foundation . Artisanal skills , instead , should be the bedrock on which the workforce finds its feet .
The mining , quarrying , and construction sectors abound with opportunities in which young artisanal workers , armed with a technical trade qualification , can flourish . By developing these skills , such operations can contribute in a meaningful way towards the growth and development of people and the country as a whole .
Improving young people ’ s prospects for the future through their overall development , especially of technical skills , is close to the heart of Mandisa Nyathikazi , executive director of the Artisan Training Institute ( ATI ). She spoke to Quarry Southern Africa about this passion in a recent interview .
10 _ QUARRY SA | JULY / AUGUST 2018