Bay Chamber’s skills development desk to address skills gaps, boost employment

The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber officially launched its much-anticipated Skills Development Desk, a progressive initiative to foster collaboration among key stakeholders to address the critical technical skills shortage in the metro, particularly within the manufacturing sector.

The Skills Development Desk, which will be funded by the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) and established in partnership with Harambee, is poised to become a vital catalyst in helping to bridge the skills divide, understanding where employment opportunities exist and what is required to be done to unlock them, and fostering the retention and attraction of investment in Nelson Mandela Bay.

The launch of the Desk is aligned to the work of the Chamber’s Local Economy Reinvention Think Tank. This collaborative forum brings together engineers, out-of-the-box thinkers from our member companies, and diverse stakeholders to reinvent the local economy as the key manufacturing base on the African continent. 

“The technical skills shortage has been identified as a key focus area. The Think Tank has a dedicated workstream that assesses the challenges, requirements, and strategies that must be deployed to address this. This encompasses the rapid speed of change where new jobs are fast emerging, especially in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the digitilisation of manufacturing,” says Denise van Huyssteen, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber.

“The Desk is designed to take an industry demand-led approach, ensuring that it is responsive to the specific needs of employers and the jobs in demand. It will serve as the action arm in bringing the workstream’s strategy to life.

“Major existing manufacturers and incoming investors to the Bay are highlighting their technical skill requirements. To this end, it is vital that all the stakeholders work together to build a sufficient pool of skilled technical talent. This will also incorporate a match-making focus to ensure that displaced workers with technical skills are linked to companies being launched or growing their operations,” she said.

Van Huyssteen added, “This initiative is thus designed to help reduce youth unemployment in Nelson Mandela Bay by promoting the technical fields as a career opportunity while meeting the needs of existing and future investors.

“The targeted nature of this programme ensures that the training is not just theoretical but is responsive to the speed of change and aligned with the actual needs of local businesses, making it a win-win for both employers and job seekers. It is also vital that underpinning these efforts more scholars become proficient in mathematics core at a matric level and that there is greater awareness of the job opportunities available in the technical fields.”

Ayanda Wakaba, CEO of the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC), emphasised the importance of the partnership in creating a sustainable talent pipeline for Nelson Mandela Bay.

“The collaboration between Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, the ECDC, and Harambee is crucial for ensuring we have access to the right talent to address current and future skills gaps and employment demands in the automotive and manufacturing sectors. This initiative will provide immediate training solutions and help prepare the next generation of workers to contribute to the long-term sustainability of our local industries,” Wakaba said.

Harambee’s Chief Opportunity Development Officer, Stephen Shields, said, “This partnership aligns with Harambee’s broader mission to transform the South African labour market by working with partners to reduce the barriers that young people face to enter the labour market. We are working to promote inclusive hiring with employers, increase access to earning opportunities, provide demand-led skilling and ultimately contribute to local economic development.”

This partnership is a critical step in addressing the region’s skills development and youth employment strategies and further strengthening Nelson Mandela Bay’s manufacturing sector. The Desk will be pivotal in building a stronger, more resilient local economy.