As the economy of KwaZulu-Natal recovers post Covid-19, the civil unrest and the flood disasters, Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube today unveiled an ambitious and bold plan for the province to emerge stronger and be recognised as an economic and technology powerhouse.
During the launch of the Mobile Digital Analytics Skills Laboratories at Orient Heights Primary School in Pietermaritzburg today, Premier Dube-Ncube said the province has a skilled population and massive potential to grow the digital economy which are key catalysts for a thriving province.
“To take advantage of this digital economy, young people must start working on these technology gadgets you see in this lab today which are linked to Robotics, Drone Technology, Mechatronics and other technologies. As we unveil this project, we want to expose our learners from a young age to a world of new horizons of work and careers which are broadened to include Space Technology, Data Analytics, Multimedia Production l and 9D Technology. This is one of the ways that the province of KwaZulu-Natal plans to position itself as a technology hub with youth and women at the centre. This ambitious project starts in earnest today, with the launch of the first Mobile Digital Analytics Skills Laboratory here at Orient Heights Primary School,” said Premier Dube-Ncube.
The mobile lab is completely off the grid as it is solar powered and has back-up generators. This will ensure that learning and teaching is not affected when there is a power outage.
Premier Dube-Ncube said that the main objective of the project is to expose school children from an early age as well as youth to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies so that they can have the skills set and entrepreneurial acumen to be part of the multitrillion dollar digital economy.
“In a world characterised by technological disruptions, which has resulted in the biggest companies globally coming from the ICT sector, we believe that we have to assist our children from primary school phase so that they are ready for careers of the future. And that future starts today, as we ready our youth and learners to enter what is conservatively estimated as being a multitrillion rand digital economy globally. This will give us the edge and ensure that we remain globally competitive as KwaZulu-Natal. The digitalisation of education in the province has been at the forefront of our agenda and the use of technology has been further spurred by Covid-19 which forced us to learn and engage virtually through online platforms,” said Premier Dube-Ncube.
The launch of the Mobile Digital Analytics Skills Laboratories is part of the broader Connected Smart Provinceproject anchored on the following pillars:
Broadband Connectivity;
4IR Skills Development;
Innovation Incubation;
Technology Production;
Commercialisation of Innovation; and,
Solving social issues with Smart business processes and technology.
“This is the launch of the Connected Smart Province Project, which marks the beginning of a long-term programme that will be rolled out to the rest of the province as part of the move towards the digitisation of our economy. Over the coming months we will launch similar labs in the rest of the province, district by district,” concluded Premier Dube-Ncube.
Ends
Issued by the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government on behalf of Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube
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