SA, Emirates in skills exchange
23 February 2006
The government has called on South African women to help fast-track skills development in the country by taking part in a placement and exchange programme between South Africa and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The programme, part of the government's strategy to boost the country's economic growth rate and reduce unemployment, aims to help meet South Africa's need for scarce skills, particularly in infrastructure development and tourism.
The programme is modelled on the South African Advanced Education Programme, which successfully trained and mentored South Africans in various disciplines by placing them in top companies internationally in 1994.
Speaking to journalists in Pretoria on Wednesday, Public Works deputy-director general Lydia Bici said the United Arab Emirates had great strength in these areas, and that the programme would help transfer skills in areas South Africa needed - such as project management and project finance -
to speed up growth and development.
In its first phase, the programme targets previously disadvantaged women who
are either established or recently graduated unemployed professionals, as well as experienced women contractors and business owners, in the fields of infrastructure development, built environment, property development, project finance and tourism.
The programme will involve placing selected candidates in South African and United Arab Emirates companies working in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where participants will spend between six months and a year, depending on their experience and field of expertise.
"It is critical that skills acquisition be fast-tracked and that mentoring relationships between the older professionals and the younger entrants be cemented," Bici said.
A South African fact-finding mission made up of executives from women's organisations, women contractors, the departments of Public Works and Trade and Industry, as well as state
companies involved in infrastructure development and tourism, visited the UAE in February.
Bici said that at least 11 companies from both the UAE and South Africa, as well as several municipalities both in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, had agreed to absorb the first batch of participants.
Local participating companies include Murray and Roberts, which is involved in the Emirates as a construction consultancy, and the Bombela consortium, which has won the contract to build South Africa's Gautrain rapid rail link. Bici said that Bombela had pledged to place 120 women at its UAE operations.
The initial UAE company participating is South Africa House, a member company of Saudi Arabian financial conglomerate Al Tuwaijri Group. Under the patronage of HH Sheikh Juma Al Maktoum, South Africa House provides SA companies with a business set-up platform to gain direct access into the Gulf Cooperation Council market.
The deadline for applications for the first phase of the
programme - which will involve 100 women - is 24 February. Successful applicants will be informed by early March and will leave for the UAE at the end of March to start work on 1 April.
Bici said that arrangements were being made to ensure that participants had a smooth stay in the UAE. "Among the logistics arranged for successful participants, are accommodation, health insurance, an allowance and return fares," she said.
A second phase of the programme will start later in the year.
For more information on the programme, contact Lydia Bici on (012) 337-2400.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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