Remarks by HE JG Zuma to the opening ceremony of The Commonwealth Conference on Education and Training of Youth Workers, UNISA, Pretoria Main Campus

Your Excellency Mrs Masire Mwamba, The Commonwealth Deputy-Secretary General

Vice-Chancellor and the Principal of the University of South Africa, Professor Makhanya;

Hon. Ministers and Deputy Ministers

Members of the Diplomatic Corps;

Youth workers from across various sectors;

Students;

Esteemed delegates,

We are all present here today because young people hold the key to our future. We can only prosper if there are dedicated efforts to invest in the youth. 

We extend a warm welcome to all visiting delegates.

Our government, in partnership with the Commonwealth Youth Programme, the Commonwealth Regional Centre for Africa, the University of South Africa and the National Youth Development Agency, is honored to host this Commonwealth Conference on Education and Training of Youth Workers under the theme “Toward Professionalising Youth Work”.

Many agencies employ youth workers or youth development workers. These include churches, NGOs and government departments. They play a crucial role in many organisations, helping to provide a service to the youth.

I am pleased that three days will be spent discussing the professionalisation of youth work, with particular focus on education and training, given the importance of youth development in our respective countries in the Commonwealth.

The conference comes shortly after the week 10 to 17 March 2013 during which we celebrated Commonwealth Day in all member countries through numerous events and activities.   

In South Africa we used Commonwealth Day to recognise achievement in areas such as social entrepreneurship, green and sustainable industries, and technological innovation to name a few.

We have re-committed ourselves to promote youth development opportunities for those that will be the future leaders of our country. 

This is in line with the fact that the Perth Communiqué of CHOGM 2011 committed all nations that are members of the Commonwealth to provide a greater voice and a more effective role for youth in the Commonwealth. 

We undertook to do this by amongst others, enhancing communication with the youth, collecting and sharing good practices, and ensuring that the voice of the youth is represented in Commonwealth actions at national and international levels.

In this regard, the Commonwealth Secretary-General in his Commonwealth Day message rightly reminded us “of the need to build strong political, economic and social structures that support young people in realising their aspirations”.

This conference therefore enables an opportunity to support young people in their pursuits, and in particular, to appreciate the efforts of Youth Workers as they are the frontline providers of services to the youth, be it health care, education or developmental work. 

Ladies and gentlemen,

This conference follows many years of advocacy by the Commonwealth for the professionalisation of the youth work sector in order for practitioners to meet the minimum basic qualification to practice youth work.

As you would be aware, the Commonwealth Secretariat has partnered with many universities and institutions across the Commonwealth to deliver formal training in youth work as a professional course. Such formalization gives youth work a formal base and promotes this work in the mainstream of professions which is the desired effect.

I am however informed that while training has taken place for a lot of youth workers, youth work or youth development practice as a profession are still not recognized. Such work remains undefined and less exposed.

We trust therefore, that this conference will go a long way towards raising awareness of youth work so that practitioners can be recognised accordingly.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We are mindful of the fact that this Commonwealth Conference on Education and Training of Youth Workers also takes place against the backdrop of low global growth that began with the 2008 global financial crisis. 

The crisis brought on a global dilemma of rising joblessness, higher poverty and worsening income inequality, especially among the youth. 

Research undertaken by the OECD and the African Development Bank highlights the fact that youth have been disproportionately affected by low growth.  

In South Africa, more than 40 per cent of those who are economically active and under the age of 30 are unemployed. 

While this is worrying, there is also a positive angle. The OECD report highlights that countries which have higher numbers of youth in their population have better growth prospects than those with aging populations. 

This makes us very optimistic regarding growth prospects since South Africa’s Census 2011 report, released last year, revealed that our country is essentially a nation of young people. Just over a third of the population is under the age of 15. 

This makes us a nation with a future, and we must utilize all available resources to build that future. That future is our young people.

Therefore our focus on improving the quality of education is well-placed as we are investing our children and the youth to ensure sustainable development.  

It is important to note as well that more than 50% of the Commonwealth’s population is under the age of 30. Therefore, the future of the Commonwealth is tied inexorably to the future of young people.  

In this regard, we applaud the fact that the Commonwealth invests in the youth in the manner that it does, especially in education.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II signed the new Charter of the Commonwealth at Marlborough House in London on Monday, 11 March 2013, in her capacity as Head of the Commonwealth.  

Adopted by the Heads of Government of all our member states on 14 December 2012, the Charter sets out the core values and principles of the Commonwealth. 

It recognizes the necessity of access amongst others, to affordable education.  

We make our own humble contribution to the Commonwealth’s education drive, through the annual Voluntary Contribution to the Commonwealth of Learning of more than R2million.

Another area in which we are involved is the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan, an international programme under which member governments offer scholarships and fellowships to citizens of other Commonwealth countries. 

The Plan was established at the first Commonwealth Education Conference in 1959 and is reviewed by Education Ministers at their triennial meetings. Our Department of Higher Education is the designated national agency with respect to South Africa.

In this regard, South Africa offers scholarships for Master’s and Doctoral study through individual universities.

We are also fully supportive of the inclusion of education in the new Strategic Plan of the Commonwealth Secretariat.

We therefore support the ongoing training of young people including the mainstreaming of youth work as a discipline or a career.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Most of you are aware that in less than two weeks, the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) are converging on our shores to join me as our country hosts the 5th BRICS Summit in Durban on 26-27 March 2013 – the first one in Africa.

With a global GDP of 25%, a global land area of 30%, 43% of the global population and 4,4 trillion US dollar foreign reserves base, we are certain that BRICS will contribute immensely to satisfying the employment and development needs of our young population.

We are thus truly excited to be part of this grouping. Our membership of BRICS enhances our participation in other important groupings such as the Commonwealth.

We expect Durban to be a hive of activity and that many opportunities will be taken up by the business community of our country in particular, to promote investments into our beautiful country.

We offer opportunities in, amongst others, infrastructure development, manufacturing, tourism, the green economy, mining, agro-processing and other job drivers, energy and information and communication technologies.

Our BRIC partners do appreciate our youth employment and empowerment drive. 

This agenda remains central to our engagements and discussions with the grouping. 

I am raising this matter as we see strong synergies between this meeting of Commonwealth youth workers and the BRICS gathering. Both should assist us to further empower the youth in the developing world.

May your discussions be successful and fruitful, as you seek to further promote youth development.

I thank you.