South African Business 2018 edition

SPECIAL FEATURE
(MerSETA) plays an important
role in supporting skills
development in the automotive
and automotive parts
sector. The authority is involved
in the National Tooling
Initiative and artisan training,
especially with regard to creating
a skilled workforce for the
Coega Industrial Development
Zone. MerSETA helped establish
the Centre of Excellence
for Welding at the Eastcape
Midlands TVET College in
Uitenhage.
A national programme
of the Local Government
SETA (LGSETA) offers learnerships
in auditing to municipal
employees.
The National Skills Authority
(NSA) works with SETAs in
carrying out the National
Skills Development Strategy
(NSDS). The Human Resource
Development Council of South
Africa (HRDCSA) is an over-arching
body that aims to give guidance to the many
institutions working on skills development and
training. It is managed by the DHET.
A key element in delivering skills training are
Technical and Vocational Education and Training
(TVET) colleges, which are tasked with bridging the
skills gap in South Africa. TVET colleges are concentrating
on 13 trade areas, including bricklayers,
millwrights, boilermakers and riggers.
Large amounts of money are spent on basic
education at schools, but there has also been a
big increase in spending on TVET colleges, reflecting
the state’s concern to develop the skills
of the country’s workforce. R16.5-billion has been
allocated by national government to skills development
and infrastructure over the medium term.
The HRDCSA has identified five key areas
where the skills pipeline must be improved: access
to TVET colleges; intermediate skills (artisans
in particular) and professionals; production of
academics; collaboration between industry and
educational institutions in research and development;
worker education; foundational learning.
In KwaZulu-Natal, the Maritime School of
Excellence trains students for the Sharks Board,
Transnet Port Terminals (TPT), Transnet National
Ports Authority (TNPA) and for the wider field of
maritime and logistics employers. More than 250
students graduated in 2016 as cargo coordinators,
marine pilots, tug masters and operators of
lifting equipment.
The South African Maritime Safety Authority
(SAMSA) is investigating the feasibility of establishing
specialist maritime schools in South Africa’s
coastal provinces, including the Eastern Cape and
Western Cape.
Industry
Creative interventions from industry bodies such
as the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA)
are also creating new pathways for training. The
ECSA has started a programme whereby trainees
can earn certificates in specific disciplines
from a broader range of institutions. The qualifications
will be in line with the council’s Exit
Level outcomes.
Six of South Africa’s biggest construction companies
have established a R1.25-billion skills fund
which will be deployed to fund programmes that
will teach relevant skills.
The Jobs Fund (run by National Treasury)
supports several initiatives around the country.
Among them is a programme to put 135 unemployed
engineers to work, in partnership with the
Automotive Industry Development Centre Eastern
Cape (AIDC EC) and its members. Among the companies
supporting the programme are Lumotech,
Benteler, G.U.D Holdings and Johnson Contols.
In-house training is a vital component of the
sector. Training at Work is a consultancy that
specialises in offering exactly that: programmes
can be customised to suit the employer’s and the
employees’ needs. DaySeven Training is another
company that offers courses that include Business
Skills, Leadership and Workplace Readiness.
35 SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS 2018