- THE ACTING PERMANENT SECRETARY MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL SECURITY MR. ZACHARIAH LUHANGA
- THE ILO COUNTRY DIRECTOR FOR ZAMBIA, MALAWI & MOZAMBIQUE MR. WELLINGTON CHIBEBE
- THE SENIOR ECONOMIC PLANNER, MINISTRY OF MINES AND MINERAL DEVELOPMENT MR. EDWARD SHABANI
- SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
- THE DIRECTOR TRAINING & EDUCATION – ZCTU MR. LUKE MAKANISHI
- REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE UNITED NATIONS
- PRIVATE SECTOR REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE MINING SECTOR
- CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS IN THE MINING SECTOR
- DISTINGUISHED INVITED GUESTS
- LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
WE ARE THANKFUL TO THE ORGANISERS FOR ACCORDING US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SOME REMARKS AT THIS WORKSHOP WHICH SEEKS TO VALIDATE THE SKILLS STRATEGY FOR THE MINING SECTOR AND WHICH IS ALSO FACILITATING THE COMING TOGETHER OF THE SKILLS ADVISORY GROUP FOR THE MINING SECTOR.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE 1ST PART OF THE WORKSHOP WHICH IS THE VALIDATION OF THE SKILLS STRATEGY FOR THE MINING SECTOR AIMS AT ASSESSING WHETHER THE CONTENTS OF THE DRAFT SKILLS STRATEGY UNDER REVIEW ADEQUATELY ADDRESS THE PROJECT AND SECTOR NEEDS TO FACILITATE EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS AND SKILLS ANTICIPATION AMONG THE MINING PRIVATE SECTOR.
THIS IN OUR VIEW IS A BIG TASK AND EXERCISE WORTH UNDERTAKING AS ITS OUTCOME WILL BE ABLE TO INFORM US AS TO WHETHER THE DRAFT STRATEGY DEVELOPED SO FAR WILL PROVIDE A PROCESS THAT WILL DRIVE US IN ARRIVING TO THE POINT OF SKILLS ANTICIPATION THAT WILL HELP IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SECTOR DEMAND DRIVEN SKILLS.
WE ARE ALL AWARE THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS PLACED THE MINING SECTOR AS ONE OF THE PRIORITY SECTORS IN REGARDS TO EMPLOYMENT CREATION AND ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION AND GIVEN THE GOVERNMENT TARGET TO BOOST COPPER PRODUCTION UP TO 3 MILLION METRIC TONNES IN THE NEXT 8 YEARS SINCE ONE YEAR HAS PASSED FROM THE 2023 NATIONAL BUDGET ANNOUNCEMENT WHICH MADE THIS PROJECTION TO BE ACHIEVED IN A PERIOD OF 9 YEARS THEN.
DEVELOPING RELEVANT SKILLS IN THIS SECTOR WILL OBVIOUSLY CONTRIBUTE GREATLY TO ACHIEVING THE 3 MILLION METRIC TONNES IN THE NEXT 8 YEARS WHICH WILL AID THE COUNTRY TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION AND CREATION OF DECENT JOBS IN THE SECTOR AND THE COUNTRY AT LARGE.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN WE ARE AWARE THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS SO FAR GIVEN PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE MINING SECTOR AND HAS PROVIDED SOME TAX INCENTIVES BUT WITHOUT AVAILABILITY OF THE RELEVANT SKILLS IN THE SECTOR THE EXPECTED BOOST IN PRODUCTION MAY NOT BE ACHIEVED.
IT IS THEREFORE, IMPORTANT AND TIMELY THAT THROUGH THE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FOR INCREASED EMPLOYABILITY PROGRAMME THE MINING SECTOR SKILLS ADVISORY GROUP HAS MET TODAY TO BE INFORMED ABOUT THE ILO’S EXPERIENCES IN THE PROMOTION OF SECTOR SKILLS BODIES IN OTHER COUNTRIES AND REGIONS WHERE OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES AND LESSONS LEARNED IN TERMS OF FUNDING AND GOVERNANCE MECHANISMS WILL BE SHARED.
I THEREFORE CALL ON THE MINING SECTOR PLAYERS ATTENDING THIS WORKSHOP TO TAKE THIS WORKSHOP SERIOUSLY AND PROVIDE THE MUCH NEED FEEDBACK IN THE ASSESSMENT OF THE SECTOR DRAFT SKILLS STRATEGY AT THIS PARTICULAR WORKSHOP.
THE SECTOR SKILLS ANTICIPATION CAN ALSO BE ACHIEVED ONLY WHEN THE SECTOR PLAYERS AVAIL THE CURRENT SKILLS GAPS, THE AREAS OF SKILLS MISMATCH, THE UNDERSKILLING IN SOME CASES AND BE ABLE TO ANTICIPATE FUTURE SECTOR SKILLS NEEDS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND I WISH YOU A FRUITFUL WORKSHOP