Consultative Conference on Education and Training, Cape Town 19-21 June 1996: workbook and discussion documents

Ladies and Gentleman, the Honorable Minister and fellow working comrades, I take this opportunity of welcoming all of you to this Consultative Conference on Education, Training and Development. Many of you have travelled from far, having left many responsibilities behind to attend to this issue of ETD for workers and industry. I wish to immediately thank you for this sacrifice made, the dividends of which I believe will be reaped for a very long time yet. But what does ETD mean for workers and industry? Let me venture an opinion. I think at my age I am occasionally allowed the liberty to issue opinion. We think for workers and we speak as workers, ETD means an opportunity to break free from the shackles "of low skilled -low paid -low satisfaction jobs - jobs which provide neither security, preferment nor progression- jobs that neither builds the economy nor their families and communities. As a worker I know of these frustrations - as a trade unionist I have committed myself to overcoming these deprivations. For industry, ETD, I think has come to mean as much for employers as for workers - in numerous discussions FAWU has had with employers we have come to understand the close linkages employers are drawing between Education, training and development (ETD) and increased productivity. We all know that increased productivity means improved performance and improved performance strengthens a company's ability to survive and grow. And a company that stabilises or grows can only add value to the economy and all its peoples' lives. Thus the presence of employers here tonight seems to affirm this common belief in ETD