sector skills plan for the health sector in south africa

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
The Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA) prepared this Sector Skills
Plan (SSP) in accordance with the requirements set out by the Department of Higher Education and
Training (DHET) in the Draft National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) III framework document. In
anticipation of the proposed restructuring of the HWSETA into two SETAs, one for health and a separate
welfare SETA, this document deals only with the health sector.
Various data sources were used to prepare the health sector analysis and to construct a profile of the
sector. Data from the workplace skills plans (WSPs) submitted by private sector employers to the
HWSETA were combined with data extracted from such plans submitted by public sector employers to
the PSETA. Information on employment by the national and provincial health departments was
obtained from the PERSAL system. Data extracted from the registers of health professionals and paraprofessionals
maintained by the statutory councils were analysed. Information from the Education
Management Information System (EMIS) and the Higher Education Management Information System
(HEMIS) kept by the Department of Basic Education and DHET respectively was also used in the
preparation of the SSP. MEDpages, a private database of health service providers in the private sector,
was combined with the other employment databases in order to obtain a comprehensive picture of
employment in the private healthcare sector. Extensive desktop research was conducted on various
aspects of the South African health sector and incorporated into the SSP. The HWSETA also invited
inputs to the SSP via an electronic survey. This feedback, together with inputs made at seven
stakeholder workshops and contributions from interviews held with five key role-players in the health
sector, was also used in the preparation of the SSP.
During the preparation of this SSP, the HWSETA encountered significant difficulties with the lack of data,
gaps in and quality of information, as well as inconsistencies in the data of the health sector’s human
resources. This hampers demand analysis, projections on future needs and planning. In the recent past,
several researchers have had similar experiences. It is vital that these information gaps be addressed
jointly by the major role-players, including the national and provincial health departments, professional
councils, higher education authorities, training institutions, the HWSETA and the private sector.
PROFILE OF THE HEALTH SECTOR
The sector served by the HWSETA forms part of the South African Health System, which spans the
economic sectors for human and animal health.
However, not all the entities in the South African Health System form part of the HWSETA sector and
there is considerable overlap with several other SETAs, the national and provincial departments of
health submit WSPs to the Public Service SETA (PSETA), for example. The economic activities that fall
within the scope of the health component of the HWSETA range from all healthcare facilities and
services, pharmaceutical services and the distribution of medicine, medical research, non-governmental
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