22 Aug 2024

Graduates from the Poverty Eradication and Ipelegeng Skills Development Component (ISDC) have been urged to participate in the National Transformation Agenda.  

Speaking during graduation ceremony in Letlhakeng on Monday,  Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Ms Tshepo Kebakile, emphasised the importance of the skills acquired by the graduates.

She stated that the skills were central to the government’s aspirations of transforming the nation’s economy into a knowledge-based system, marking what she described as a “new dawn” for the country.

Ms Kebakile also urged the graduates to become agents of change, highlighting that a shift in mindset was a crucial ingredient for success.

Adding to the discourse, Mr Jeffery Matswa, a representative from the Construction Industry Trust Fund (CITF), encouraged graduates to develop their personal brands by pursuing further studies in areas such as project management and business management.

“A lifelong learning should be your life style” he said imploring them to take advantage of digitisation.

He appealed to them to shun drug and alcohol abuse.

Mr Matswa appealed to the council to give graduates special dispensation when awarding tenders so that they could nurture the acquired skills.

A representative of the International Shoe Manufacturing Center (ISHMAC), Mr Pelotsweu Baeng said the company trained beneficiaries of poverty eradication as part of ploughing back to the community.

He pledged that ISHMAC would give technical support to graduates of beneficiaries of poverty eradication for a period of 12 months.

Further, Mr Baeng said through council, the company was offering to train five more people to make hand bags.

For his part, incubator manager at Local Enterprise Authority (LEA), Mr Ernest Somolekae advised graduates that continuous retooling of their skills would help them to be relevant and reputable.

In his welcome remarks Kgosi Itsoseng Gaoonwe of Letlhakeng expressed gratitude towards Letlhakeng district for imparting skills to the community.

These skills, he said would help the country to achieve its aspirations and grow the economy.

ISDC graduates who were overseen by CITF, completed or delivered two LA2 houses in Letlhakeng district.

ISHMAC trained poverty eradication beneficiaries on shoe making and other products of leather. ENDS