As part of the recent Skills and Education Dialogue held in Cape Town, Emeris gathered experts from the education and industry sectors to examine a pressing question: can artificial intelligence contribute to increasing access to opportunities in South Africa?
As AI continues to transform the labor market, discussion participants focused on what the technology means for the real world of education, skills, and jobs, as well as how South Africa can create an education system that aligns with the changing world.
The discussion went beyond the mere hype surrounding AI, touching upon the necessity of rethinking teaching and learning methods to forge stronger pathways from education to meaningful opportunities.
Chehare Pillay, Head of Partnerships and Technology at CAPACITI, noted: 'When creation becomes easy, the hardest thing becomes choice. Therefore, the role of higher education must evolve beyond simply transmitting knowledge. It must help people think critically, create, adapt, and stand out. Technology can transform education, but people remain at its core.'
This dialogue also marked the first anniversary of Emeris, an educational brand of the Independent Institute of Education registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a private higher education institution. It allowed for reflection on the role of education in preparing youth not only to navigate a changing world of work but also to live meaningfully within it.