Education and key projects are important to employment in shipping and beyond
AS IT IS FUNDAMENTAL to the country’s economic welfare, the unemployment spectre demands more attention, and more urgent action than any land reform programme. Even if folks have land, they still need to buy food.
Where, ask many, does one start to reverse such a looming calamity? As Singapore found out, education is the key to development, development is the key to employment, and those folks in Singapore should know!
Very quickly, industry forums drew up BEE charters for their specific industries; with similar alacrity, purpose and enthusiasm, perhaps each industry body can develop and implement an educational programme specific to its activities. Although this is merely a drop in the ocean, it is one of the possible starting points to relieve the explosive pressure of unemployment. Therefore, I was interested to hear that the Gauteng Education Department will introduce aviation studies within its jurisdiction next year.
My interest in the aviation course was spurred by the fact that, to glean ideas to implement the proposed programme, a Gauteng delegation visited Lawhill Maritime Centre at Simon’s Town School last year where a maritime education programme was introduced 23 years ago.
Two fully-accredited subjects form part of the students’ National Senior Certificate examinations. One of those prepares the young people for shore-based careers in the maritime industry, while the other is designed for those wishing to pursue a sea-going career.
A third subject, Marine Science, a combination of oceanography and marine biology, is scheduled to be introduced next year, a useful third leg of the school’s maritime studies department.
It opens possibilities for successful students to embark on related careers – and provides all students, whether heading to sea or to shipping offices ashore, with the necessary environmental background to maritime activities. As plastics are a large, repulsive smudge on the oceans, no matter where they are dumped, such awareness is essential to all.
As the shipping industry has done so admirably in the case of Lawhill Maritime Centre, other industries should also put their money up front to fund teacher training in specific industries, and to provide career opportunities for youngsters who have passed through those industry-specific courses.
Unveiled with great enthusiasm a few years ago and giving promise of large-scale expansion to the maritime industry, Operation Phakisa has stalled, its expansive vision that included large-scale projects to promote employment has become a mere mirage.
‘’No money,” is the reason usually offered when its failure is questioned, but there might be some hope of resurrecting at least some part of it. Now that much of the theft from state coffers seems to have been reduced, perhaps more money will be available for several maritime-related projects that can be tackled within the medium term and create jobs.
The beneficiation of minerals such as the expansion of steel and pig iron production at Saldanha Bay is a prime example.
Another maritime-related and fairly inexpensive campaign that can begin immediately – if there is the will to launch it – is to encourage more bunker ships to call at local ports.
Excluding the cost of the fuel, we are told, every ship calling to bunker, will spend at least R1 million on stores, small repair jobs, port dues, tugs and pilotage, crew travel, and more.
Besides the obvious beneficiaries of a greater number of ships in port, the spin-off will extend to Philippi tomato farmers, chicken breeders at Klapmuts, taxi drivers, and even airlines when crew members fly home on leave.
Is there no source of enough money to build that large drydock that, to the chagrin of regular readers, I keep mentioning? But such a project will create umpteen jobs during its construction and, although many will choke on their morning toast when they read this, perhaps some of it could be dug by hand as the Chinese would do, thereby employing hundreds of unskilled workers!
Umpteen more would be employed once the drydock has been completed. I understand that, during a recent refit of a vessel in the Sturrock Drydock, several thousand people were employed, some for a short time, others for longer, but those folks had work, while foreign currency entered the country!
I shall repeat my call for the construction of the new salvage tug(s), a project that is not merely a nice-to-have, but that, like the large drydock, is an essential service on a rugged, rough coastline past which more than 22 000 ships steam each year.
Retooling and enlarging a shipyard in Durban or Cape Town to build the tug(s) will be costly, but will have so many positive spin-offs in terms of employment, retaining capital and taxes within the country, use of local raw materials, and up-skilling of local people.
President Ramaphosa, go on television to announce the commencement of such projects! Please!
The nation needs some good news – soon.