Speaking at the Inaugural Policy Dialogue on Entrepreneurship Education in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg, Gwarube stressed the need for a shift in how education is approached.

She pointed out that education must go beyond academics and include practical skills, adaptability, and an entrepreneurial mindset. “This is an urgent intervention,” she said. “SA is facing a youth unemployment crisis, with seven out of ten young people currently without work.”

According to Gwarube, the Department of Basic Education must reconsider its role in shaping future citizens. “We must ask ourselves: are we training job seekers, or are we developing innovators, problem-solvers, and job creators?” she said.

She added that entrepreneurial education should start early in a learner’s life, with greater emphasis on technical and vocational skills within the school system. “Many young people in SA do not have the luxury of spending years at university. We need to give them the tools to succeed and create opportunities for themselves straight out of school,” she explained.

The policy dialogue aims to improve access to inclusive, quality education while fostering the kind of entrepreneurial thinking that will allow SA’s youth to shape their own futures and contribute to the country’s economic development.

--ChannelAfrica--