KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Honourable Thamsanqa Ntuli, has urged members of the KwaZulu-Natal Human Resource Development Council to work together in addressing the skills deficit and skills mismatch that continue to contribute to unemployment in the province.

Premier Ntuli was speaking during the two-day orientation of new members of the third term KwaZulu-Natal Human Resource Development Council, held at Umhlanga Coastlands Hotel on Thursday, 09 July 2026.

The orientation was held under the theme, “One Country, One Strategy, One Plan”, and focused on strengthening coordination among key stakeholders in education, skills development, government and industry.

In his welcoming address, Premier Ntuli cautioned members of the Council against working in silos and fragmentation. He said a coordinated and integrated approach is required to ensure that skills development programmes respond directly to the needs of the economy.

The Premier emphasised that coordination, capacity building and accountability must serve as key pathways towards finding practical solutions to unemployment, particularly among young people.

Premier Ntuli also urged Vice-Chancellors of universities and Principals of TVET Colleges to attend Human Resource Development Council sessions so that they can share strategies being implemented at tertiary institutions to address skills mismatch and misalignment.

He said institutions of higher learning have a critical role to play in ensuring that graduates are equipped with the relevant skills required by employers and the broader economy.

“We need to urgently pay attention to the problem of skills deficit in the province. I once sat with a prospective employer who told me that he had advertised a position many times, but was unable to find suitable candidates who had requisite skills. It is for this reason that I plead with members of the Council to engage the captains of industry and the private sector to solve the problem of skills deficit,” said Premier Ntuli.

The Premier further called on members of the Council to strengthen partnerships with industry, the private sector and institutions of learning to ensure that skills development interventions are aligned with labour market demands.

He said the Council must play a decisive role in supporting efforts to reduce unemployment, improve employability and create meaningful opportunities for young people across KwaZulu-Natal.

The orientation reaffirmed the Provincial Government’s commitment to building a capable, skilled and responsive workforce that can contribute to inclusive economic growth and development in the province.