The Western Cape Government’s Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT) is committed to empowering women, not just in Women’s Month, but throughout the year.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the home delivery industry has taken off and the logistics sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in our economy.
To meet this demand and to ensure that we provide the sector with the skills pipeline it requires to grow, DEDAT supports the ‘Iron Women’ programme which trains and develops women from areas such as Delft, Atlantis, and Dunoon to become commercial truck and bus drivers.
In the last two years, DEDAT has supported 88 learners (28 in the last financial year and 60 in the current financial year) through this programme, by providing stipends to ensure that these women are able to get to and back home from training.
Last year, through various Skills Development programmes, DEDAT created approximately 4 500 experiential work opportunities, providing hope to many residents in our province. I am also very pleased to confirm that we have an 80% absorption rate as a result of these initiatives.
The fact that 80% of people who participate in our skills programmes go on to gain further employment shows that these programmes are working to provide the right skills for the rights markets and the right sectors.
Today, I had the pleasure of meeting with some of the ‘Iron Women’ of trucking at Ostrich Ranch.
What struck me was the pride these women had in their participation in the programme and how they said that they were role models to other women and young people in their communities.
Through targeted programmes that are responsive to the training needs of the private sector, and through collaborating to support learners in these programmes to fill these skills gaps, we can provide many more opportunities to women in the Western Cape.
