ETHEKWINI Municipality is committed to equipping people with skills to help accelerate service delivery and grow the local economy.
In line with its commitment, Exco agreed this week to the launch of the Community Skills Audit Programme which sees a partnership between the Municipal Academy and the Communications Unit.
The purpose of the programme is to determine the existing and deficient skills in communities and to enlighten under-utilised human capital which can be re-invested into creating a viable local economy. The audit will also pinpoint areas in which training and education are needed so that suitable interventions can be developed and implemented.
The audit is being carried out in the South Durban Basin as a pilot and will be rolled out across the Municipality in September. The skills audit data collection component will be rolled out for a period of three months. Thereafter data will be analysed, packaged and populated into the EThekwini Municipal Database Information System, where it will be easily accessible to authorised users.
The event will officially be launched by the Mayor James Nxumalo in September at the Durban Exhibition Centre and will mark the official roll-out of the programme. The cost of the community event is R245 000 which includes the cost of the venue, parking, transport and catering.
Chairman of the Human Settlements and Infrastructure Committee Councillor Nigel Gumede said the launch of the programme would bring together people from different communities and inform them of relevant City programmes. He said they would return to their communities informed and would be able to disseminate the information.
“Everything we do as the Municipality is so that the people can benefit,” Gumede said.
Nondumiso Cele, chairwoman of the Governance and Human Resources Committee praised the programme saying there was a need to raise awareness of skills development in communities.
Fawzia Peer, chairwoman of the Finance and Procurement Committee agreed. “There are deficit skills in the Municipality. It is incumbent on this Municipality to do a skills audit in the community. We have to build the local economy and to do that, you have to invest. When you invest, it is important to invest in people,” said Peer.
