One of the main responsibilities of the Department of Labour is to promote skills development among South African workers and the unemployed.
Young people are encouraged to get training in scarce and critical skills as this can help our economy to grow. For example, there is a shortage of trained artisans. An artisan is a skilled worker who practices a specialised trade. Artisans include people like electricians, welders, mechanics, toolmakers, fitters and turners and millwrights. Their skills are mainly used in fields like manufacturing, construction and engineering production.