South African Business 2017 edition

SPECIAL FEATURE
institutions supporting this goal, including 29 universities
(some of which are universities of technology),
50 Technical and Vocational Education and
Training colleges (TVET) and 21 Sector Education
and Training Authorities (SETAs).
Particular skills have been identified and universities
and TVET colleges have been asked to
concentrate on 13 trade areas, including bricklayers,
millwrights, boilermakers and riggers. R16.5-
billion has been allocated by national government
to skills development and infrastructure over the
medium term.
SETAs collect dues from companies in a particular
industry (wholesale and retail, banking, construction,
chemical industries, for example) in order
to promote training in that industry. A percentage
of this money is returned to the company if that
company can show that they have a workplace
training plan. The rest of the money is used to offer
skills training.
TVET colleges exist to impart skills that are relevant
to the workplace. Every province has several of these
colleges, many of which are the successors to "technical
colleges" and they offer many of the courses
that were associated with those institutions. Although
many bursaries exist for students and enrolment at
colleges has risen steeply in recent years, the high
cost of some courses means that these colleges are
not accessible for unemployed people.
The College of Cape Town (CCT) has eight campuses
and its selection of courses gives a good illustration
of the range of studies available to students at
TVET colleges. Courses at CCT range from engineering
(electrical, civil and mechanical), through travel and
tourism, hospitality, hair care, beauty therapy and art
and design, to business studies, information technology
and education and training. The college has three
residences in different parts of the city. Career guidance
is offered and the college has a work placement
programme for graduates.
Private colleges such as MANCOSA (Management
College of Southern Africa) often specialise in particular
fields. In this case, a range of certificates, diplomas
and degrees in business, commerce and
administration is presented at five sites around South
Africa, including East London and Polokwane. The
MANCOSA Graduate School of Business in Durban
offers executive education and postgraduate management
programmes, including the Master of Business
Administration (MBA) degree.
The Southern African Wildlife College offers even
more specialised training. With facilities adjacent to the
Kruger National Park and the Timbavati Game Reserve,
students studying to be field staff or managers of
protected areas have the best possible environment
in which to learn. Among the certificates offered are
Nature Conservation Implementation and Leadership
and Trans-frontier Conservation Management.
The new university in Mpumalanga is incorporating
existing training institutions in the province
to enable it to give theoretical and practical courses
in agriculture and biodiversity, food security, resource
and wildlife management, nature conservation,
plant and animal sciences, and forestry and
wood sciences. Mpumalanga is one of the country's
most important provinces when it comes to flora
and fauna, game tourism and forestry so students
will be learning skills relevant to the job market.
Skills development is being promoted on a
broad front. Some examples include:
• The Sasol Inzalo Foundation (Saif), which supports
students in science and engineering:
105 black, mostly female students graduated
in 2015.
• The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope
project has so far supported 800 people
in training from artisan level to post-graduate
academic study.
• Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) is building
a marine training centre in Cape Town to
supplement the Transnet Academy. Transnet will
spend more than R1-billion on bursaries to 2023.
• A South African Renewable Technology
Centre (SARTEC) has been established by the
Department of Higher Education with the support
of the German government.
• AgriSETA is offering skills programmes and
mentorships to unemployed people together
with the Department of Rural Development
and Land Reform, the SA Sugar Association and
Grain SA.
• The Association for Skills Development in South
Africa (ASDSA) is a body that confers professional
"designations" on skills developers.
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SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS 2017