sector skills plan for the health sector in south africa

The supply of skills to the health sector is not only determined by capacity at training institutions and
the scope of training activities. Health workers risk exposure to HIV and AIDS in the workplace and face
increased risks of contracting the disease compared with workers in other sectors. By 2002 the
prevalence rate of HIV and AIDS among health workers was 15.7%, much higher than the national
prevalence rate at the height of the pandemic in 2010. As a result of AIDS, skilled health workers leave
the sector prematurely, either because they fear infection, become ill themselves or need to care for
others who fall ill.
The supply-side analysis presented in Chapter 5 of this SSP shows that many of the government’s
positive strategies to improve the supply and retention of skills in the sector may be compromised by
budget constraints and various institutional problems such as weak management systems, subfunctional
working environments and poor human resources practices. The analysis also lead to the
conclusion that unless major improvements in the leadership and management of the health system at
all levels are made, migration of health professionals out of the public sector and emigration to other
countries are likely to drain the supply of skills for the considerable future.
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES OF THE HWSETA
Given the nature and magnitude of the skills development challenges in the health sector, a concerted
and integrated effort is required in partnership with the national DoH, DHET, the higher education
sector, private education and training providers, public and private health facilities and the HWSETA. As
one of several institutions tasked with funding and facilitating skills development for the health sector,
the HWSETA will focus its attention in a number of priority areas in the five-year period covered by NSDS
III.
The HWSETA’s contribution to Government’s objectives will centre around close cooperation with the
DoH, support for health strategies through skills development and, within mandate and budget
parameters, enabling the supply of larger numbers of health workers equipped with the skills necessary
to improve healthcare in South Africa. It must, however, be noted that these initiatives may be
hampered by a disjuncture between the different ministries involved in the planning of health services.
Current shortages of skills in the public health sector lead to massive inequalities in terms of access to
proper healthcare and the perpetuation, and even the intensification, of inequalities in the South
African society. Therefore, the HWSETA’s activities will aim to alleviate skills shortages and develop new
skills that can serve the poorest segments of the population and under-resourced areas. Skills
development support will give preference to historically disadvantaged individuals.
The HWSETA will, in collaboration with universities and FET colleges that offer health training, support
health-specific occupational programmes to facilitate access, success and progression. It intends to
develop or fund general bridging courses and specific bridging courses in mathematics and science, and
to work on a support strategy that will be aimed at increasing the pass rate of undergraduate students.
A structured career guidance strategy will be developed to reach out to school learners and create
awareness of the occupations in the health sector at all levels.
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