Skills Must Open Doors, Not Just Frame Certificates

Ideesweet · 2026-04-15T17:56:24.091330+01:00

A growing concern in South Africa’s skills development landscape is whether training programmes are truly solving unemployment or simply producing certificates that do not translate into real jobs. As highlighted by Deputy Minister Dr Mimmy Gondwe, the real measure of success should not be how many people are trained, but…

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A growing concern in South Africa’s skills development landscape is whether training programmes are truly solving unemployment or simply producing certificates that do not translate into real jobs. As highlighted by Deputy Minister Dr Mimmy Gondwe, the real measure of success should not be how many people are trained, but how many actually enter the workforce or create opportunities after training.

Too often, young people complete courses with hope, only to find themselves back in the same cycle of joblessness. This raises a critical question: are skills programmes aligned with labour market needs, or are they still too focused on ticking administrative boxes?

Gondwe has repeatedly emphasised that education must be demand-driven, linked to industries, and designed to produce entrepreneurs and job creators—not just job seekers.

If skills development is to truly change lives, it must evolve beyond classrooms and certificates. Stronger partnerships with industry, better tracking of graduate outcomes, and practical workplace exposure are essential.

Ultimately, a certificate should be more than paper—it should be a bridge to dignity, income, and independence. Without that link, skills programmes risk becoming well-intentioned systems that fail the very people they are meant to uplift.

The future of training must be measured in employment, not enrolment.

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Skills Must Open Doors, Not Just Frame Certificates

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