Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Yusuf Cassim has called for stronger partnerships between the Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority (CATHSSETA), Community Education and Training colleges and Community Learning Centres to widen access to skills development.
Speaking at CATHSSETA’s Accounting Authority stakeholder engagement session in Cape Town on Thursday, Cassim said community-based training could help connect learners with economic opportunities in tourism, hospitality, cultural enterprises and small businesses.
He highlighted the importance of reaching rural communities where formal employment opportunities are limited and access to training can be affected by geographical and financial barriers.
Rural Learners Face Barriers to Training Opportunities
Cassim said skills development programmes needed to account for the different circumstances facing learners across South Africa.
He noted that access to transport, technology, infrastructure and nearby employers was not equal for everyone, making it necessary to design programmes that respond to local conditions.
“This is particularly important in rural communities and areas where formal employment opportunities are limited. Learners do not all have the same access to transport, technology, infrastructure, or proximity to employers. Our programmes must take these realities into account,” Cassim said.
He urged CATHSSETA to investigate practical ways of working with community education and training colleges and Community Learning Centres to extend the reach of its programmes.
Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence Change Skills Requirements
The Deputy Minister also called for training programmes to keep pace with changing workplace demands driven by digitalisation, artificial intelligence and evolving consumer expectations.
In tourism and hospitality, he said, digital marketing, online booking systems and data analytics were changing the way businesses operated.
Other sectors, including conservation, arts, culture and heritage, were also facing emerging skills requirements.
Gaming and Lotteries Need New Digital Capabilities
Cassim highlighted the changing skills demands within the gaming and lotteries sector, where data analytics, cybersecurity and compliance with digital platform requirements are becoming increasingly important.
He said sector skills planning should be continuous and informed by evidence and regular engagement with industry.
This approach, he said, would help ensure that training programmes remain relevant as technologies and business practices change.
Foundational Skills Remain Essential for Future Employment
While encouraging the development of technical and digital capabilities, Cassim stressed that traditional workplace skills would remain important.
He identified communication, critical thinking, leadership, problem-solving and customer service as essential capabilities that should continue to form part of skills development programmes.
“Being future-fit does not mean abandoning foundational capabilities,” he said. “It means combining these foundations with the technical and digital skills that emerging working environments demand.”
Cassim’s remarks were reported by SAnews.gov.za.
