Deputy minister of higher education hosts Heritage Career Expo at University of Mpumalanga

In order to showcase the various career opportunities aligned with our heritage, the deputy minister of higher education, science and technology, Buti Manamela, in collaboration with the Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority hosted the Heritage Career Expo on Tuesday July 26.

The expo was hosted at the University of Mpumalanga under the theme “Unlocking the Wealth in Our Heritage”. The expo theme aims to expose youth in the post-schooling education and training sector to the heritage industry, particularly those in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges and universities. It also seeks to empower stakeholders such as artists, chefs, crafters and poets, by creating opportunities for skills development and career awareness among young people.

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Visual arts was championed by Noria Mabasa, well-known for working with ceramics and wood sculpture, and the poet and cultural activist, Ntomhi ya Mutsonga.

Manamela has encouraged the youth to take up heritage careers as they are the key to restoring heritage and self-employment when he addressed the learners at the launch of the third edition of the Heritage Career Expo.

“The reason why we chose heritage when we launched the Heritage Career Expo is to focus on careers that are related to heritage and because many of the careers aligned with heritage, such as design, photography, music or sculpting, are seen as a side hustle. You do not think it is something you can go to school for to improve and enhance the natural talent you have,” he said.

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The deputy minister in the presidency, Thembi Seweya, encouraged the learners to use art as a skill and she called on them to refrain from bullying.

“Make sure that you grab the opportunity so that we can create jobs. Young people are frustrated on the streets, because they have talent but nobody is looking after it. We appreciate the work that the Sector Education and Training Authority is doing to make sure that the arts industry is really taken serious. We have a problem in our schools of bullying. Do not use your phones to record videos when you see violence. If you cannot stop the violence, call your teachers to intervene,” she said.