Future-Proofing the Western Cape’s Economic Growth and Skills Ecosystem

With just under a week to go until the inaugural Western Cape Investment Summit (WCIS), the latest Premier’s Council on Skills (PCS), held today, 31 October 2025, at the Cape Teaching and Leadership Institute in Cape Town, set its sights on the critical importance of enhancing skills development partnerships across the province with the future needs of the Western Cape economy top of mind. This to ensure the region’s workforce and economy are future-fit and better prepared for the demands of a rapidly evolving employment landscape.

The WCIS is a deal-making platform designed to link local, national, and international investors with high-impact, transformative projects. It will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 5-7 November.

“Initiatives such as PCS are, therefore, instrumental in further developing and preparing the Western Cape’s workforce for the investments that will be facilitated and sealed at the summit,” remarked Premier Alan Winde, who chairs the PCS programme.

The PCS is a consultative forum that coordinates skills development through partnerships between the Western Cape Government, the private sector, and academic institutions.

Previous PCS gatherings have focused on innovative skills development programmes which have been launched in the Western Cape, including:

• A new Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) qualification pilot project; and
• A dual vocational and occupational system.

The overall aim of the latest PCS was to:

• Ensure that skills planning and development support and enable initiatives that spur economic growth, such as major Infrastructure development projects, the digital economy, and the green economy, among others.

• Improve integration and coordination across the provincial economy so that the relevant skills are consistently available province-wide.
• Establish a mechanism to address blockages that arise in this process through ongoing engagement.

In his keynote address at the PCS, the Premier stated, “We all need to strive to keep training and learning, whether it is in our schools, training and vocational colleges, or at facilities like the Cape Teaching and Leadership Institute, to keep pace with rapid developments in technology and innovation as well as the province’s economy. Our apex priority is to grow the province’s economy and advance our job creation efforts while equipping our residents with the skills and opportunities they need to get those jobs. Skills development is a cornerstone of this priority.”

“The future is faster than we think. We must keep developing and building the skills base our region needs to become future-fit. The PCS is built on forging and solidifying partnerships to expand access to education and skills development,” he continued.

In a presentation at the PCS, Prof. Andre Roux, Head of the Future Studies Programme at the University of Stellenbosch Business School, explained, “Education needs a facelift. The entire education environment, from pre-school to post-graduate education, needs to be reimagined and aligned with emerging skills requirements. Life-long learning must become an imperative, not simply a ‘nice-to-have’.”

Delegates at the PCS resolved that education is the foundation of a productive, inclusive, and future-ready workforce. In South Africa, and particularly in the Western Cape, the economy is rapidly evolving, and the alignment between education and labour market needs is critical and must be constantly developed.