Merseta discretionary grant window open.

The Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services SETA (merSETA) Governing Board wishes to announce the that 01 April 2010 to 30 April 2010 will be the first of two Discretionary Grant Funding Windows for the year.

Eligibility criteria:
- Only the companies registered with the merSETA or in the process of registering a SETA transfer for the merSETA, or that are exempt from paying levies, may make an application.
- Where a company has more than 50 employees, it is required that the company has been consulted.
- Applications fore more than 10 learners in any learning programme category will need to comply with a due diligence exercise to verify capacity to implement the planned training.
- All training applied for needs to commence within three months of the finalisation of the award.
- Companies that have not made sufficient progress with their DG1 and/or 2 applications are strongly urged to refrain from applying for the first funding window or 2010, until their prior obligations have been met.
- Hard copy exceptions will be accepted only by exception.
- Applications should be made on the dedicated portal, accessible from the merSETA website at:www.merSETA.org.za.
- merSETA regional offices will make computer facilities available by appointment to allow for companies to make electronic uploads.
- No late submissions will be accepted.
- The funding allocations and guidelines may be requested from the call centre on 0861 607 738 or can be downloaded from the website.
- Alignment to Scarce and Critical Skills is preferred. (The list, as well as the Sector Skills Plan, are available on our website.)

merSETA regional offices can be contacted on the following numbers:
Gauteng North – 0861 637 731
Gauteng South – (011) 551 5200
Eastern Cape – 0861 637 734
Free State & Northern Cape – 0861 637 733
KwaZulu-Natal – 0861 637 736
Mpumalanga & Limpopo – 0861 637 735
Western Cape – 0861 637 732

source 2bbusiness.co.za

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R6bn budget boost for higher education

The budged for higher education is set to grow progressively over the next three years, with Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande announcing that the amount is expected to grow from R15.3-billion in the 2008/9 financial year to R21.3-billion in 2011/12.

Speaking in Pretoria this week, Nzimande said the medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF) figures were tentative and subject to confirmation in the budget presentation.

He said the department has also earmarked allocations of R39-million for 2010/11 and R41-million for 2011/12 for the National Institutes for Higher Education in Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape, where exploratory work is being conducted on establishing new universities.

Nzimande also recommitted his department to reducing the percentage of students who are not subsidised as a consequence of over-enrolment by universities.

Teaching development grants

Meanwhile, a ministerial task team has recommended that the current policy on the calculation and distribution of teaching development grants be discontinued.

The main recommendations of the task team are that the minister should be able to set the annual amount available for teaching development as a fixed proportion of the total allocation for teaching outputs, and that all institutions should be eligible for teaching development funding, and not only those whose performance fell below national output norms.

"These and various other recommendations of the task team have been adapted to a new draft policy, which the minister wishes to implement in 2011/12," said the Department of Education in a statement this week. "The minister will seek the advice of the Council for Higher Education (CHE) before taking a final decision on the implementation of this new policy."

One of the features of the proposed new teaching development policy is that 80% of the MTEF budget for teaching outputs would be distributed on the basis of the actual teaching outputs or graduates produced by universities, while the balance of 20% would be used for teaching development grants.

Another feature is that the distribution of the funds available would be based on the share each institution has of the degree credit total of the higher education system. This is to ensure that all institutions are eligible for teaching development funds.

Improving graduation rates

It is envisaged that teaching development grants would continue to be earmarked funds which must be used for purposes designated by the minister.

"The minister's new requirement would be that these funds must be used in targeted ways to improve the success and graduation rates of disadvantaged students," the department said.

To gain access to the funds, institutions would have to do the following:

• They would have to identify those programmes in which the graduation rates of disadvantaged students are significantly lower than those of advantaged students. They would have also to identify the courses within those programmes which are failed by large proportions of disadvantaged students.
• They would have to submit plans indicating what interventions they could make to improve success rates in these courses. These plans would have to be accompanied by expenditure budgets.
• Annual progress reports would have to have to be submitted. These would have to describe the outcomes of the implementation of the plans, including indications of changes that have occurred in success rates.

Research development grants

With regard to research development grants, the ministerial task team has recommended that the current policy on the calculation and distribution of grants be discontinued from the 2011/12 financial year.

The main features of the proposed new research policy, on which the minister will also seek advice from the CHE, include that 80% of the MTEF budget for research outputs would be distributed on the basis of the actual research outputs produced by universities.

The balance of 20% would be used for research development grants. It is also proposed that all universities would be eligible for research development grants.

"Minister Nzimande is [also] committed to advancing transformation in higher education and therefore believes that a new funding framework is necessary to ensure higher access and success rates particularly for black African and disadvantaged students, and improved quality of teaching and research," the department added.

SAinfo reporter source southafrica.info

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Proposed changes to SETA's

I am joined today by Mr Edward Majadibodu, the new Chairperson of the National Skills Authority (NSA). The NSA is a body representing five NSA constituencies: labour, business, government, community and training providers. I value the role of the NSA and thank them for joining us.

In November last year, my department assumed responsibility for skills development from the Department of Labour. At the time, we acknowledged that there were negative perceptions about the performance, management and governance of the Sector Education and Training Authorities; that there was inadequate alignment of industry needs and provision of training and skills development and particularly relating to the supply of artisans and technicians and that when the industrial policy action plan was finalised we would align skills development efforts to support its implementation.

In November, I also announced the extension of the national skills development strategy (NSDS) II and current SETA licence by one year from March 2010 to March 2011 in order to allow us time assess the SETA landscape and design the architecture of the NSDS III in line with the new administration's strategic objectives. In my budget speech last month, I noted that 19 of the 23 SETAs received a clean bill of health from the Auditor-General and that we will take decisive action to deal with the non-performers.

Today we announce three major developments:

* The public release of the proposed new SETA landscape
* The release of the draft framework for the national skills development strategy 2011/12 to 2015/16
* Steps to deal with non-performing SETAs

Restructuring of the SETA landscape

After an extensive process of review and consultation, my department has submitted to me a proposed new SETA landscape which I am now releasing for public comment and which will be gazetted. The NSA will hold public hearings before finalising their recommendations to me. The new SETA landscape will be adopted by the third quarter of this year after consultation with the NSA.

The criteria guiding the proposed new landscape are to ensure coverage of all economic sectors, financial and operational viability and alignment with current government priorities.

The proposed new SETA landscape in summary features:

* The recertification of 15 SETAs with minor changes
* The "amalgamation" of several SETAs to secure greater efficiencies which will result in the establishment of six "new" SETAs
* Reduction from 23 to 21 (the sectors served by Forest Industries Sector Education and Training Authority (FIETA), Clothing, Textile, Footwear and Leather (CTFL), and Media, Advertising, Publishing, Printing and Packaging (MAPPP) SETAs are now located elsewhere)

The annexure has the full list of SETAs and proposed changes.

The national skills development strategy 2011/12 to 2014/15

The framework of the NSDSIII 2011/12 to 2015/16 is intended to guide the development of the sectoral skills plans (SSP) for adoption by September 2010. This framework should be read as a companion to the Human Resource Development South Africa (HRDSA) Draft strategy for discussion 2010 to 2030. SSPs are five years skills development reports prepared by SETAs aimed at identifying:

* The skills needs of industry or economic sectors (skills shortages, skills gaps and skills supply)
* Possibilities and constraints in the effective utilisation and development of skills in relation to government's priorities and the objectives of the HRDS, the NSDS, provincial growth and development strategies (including major projects) and relevant industry or economic strategies.

The NSDS is the overarching strategic instrument for skills development and guides sector planning. These processes will culminate in the launch of the revised strategy at the National Skills Conference in October 2010 which will be followed by the implementation of the next five years national skills development strategy. The NSDS is released for Consultation today. I intend to finalise the NSDS framework by the middle of June and invite comment on this framework.

Non-performing SETAs

I am reviewing the governance mechanisms for SETAs and intend to take legislative steps to improve their functioning. We are also looking into patterns of mismanagement and non-performance in the SETAs and will release details within the next two weeks about action to be taken.

The Skills Development Act permits the minister, after consultation with the National Skills Authority and the SETA in question, to direct the Director-General to appoint an administrator to take over the administration of a SETA or to perform the functions of a SETA if, inter alia, the SETA fails to perform its functions. This is one of the options open to me to deal with non-performers.

We invite response to the NDSS III and the proposed new SETA landscape. The NSA will conduct public hearings from 14 to 18 June 2010 in Pretoria. Any organised constituency and members of the public willing to make submissions are invited to register and confirm their intention with the executive manager of NSA secretariat on or before 12h00 on 31 May 2010.

All applicants will be contacted by no later than 16h00 on 9 June 2010 to confirm the venue, date and time for submissions. Written submissions can also be sent to the NSA. The contact details of the NSA Secretariat are as follows:

T Mashongoane
E-mail: Mashongoane.T@dhet.gov.za
Tel: 012 312 5420 or 5066
Fax: 012 321 4032

Proposed SETA landscape

SETA name and changes

* Agriculture, Food Beverage and Forestry SETA
Amalgamation of Agriculture SETA, Food and Beverage SETA and Forestry sub-sector of the Forest Industries SETA

* Bank SETA
No SETA change

* Local Government (LGSETA)
Transfer Water Distribution sector to Energy SETA

* Construction SETA (CETA)
Incorporate Electrical Contractors sub-sector form (ESETA)

* Culture, Sport, Tourism and Hospitality SETA
Amalgamate Arts and Crafts sub-sector from MAPPPSETA and strengthen Sport sub-sector focus within tourism

* Education Training and Skills Development SETA (ETSD-SETA)
Transfer non-governmental organisations (NGOs) trade unions and political parties out of the Education, Training and Development Practices SETA.
Increase participation by the three quality councils

* Finance, Accounting, Management Consulting and other Financial Services (FASSETSETA)
No SETA change

* Energy (ESETA)

Transfer Electrical Contractors subsector to CETA
Incorporate water distribution from LGSETA

* Manufacturing Engineering and Related Services (MERSETA)
Transfer Motor and Petrol retail sub-sectors out of MERSETA transferred to Wholesale and Retail SETA

* Health SETA
Separate Health and Welfare sub sectors SETA, and transfer Welfare sub sector to a new SETA: Social Security and Development SETA

* Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA)
No SETA change

* Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA)
No SETA change

* Wholesale and Retail (W and R SETA)
Transfer Motor and Petrol Retail sub-sectors from the MERSETA to WRSETA

* Insurance SETA (INSETA)
No SETA change

* Information and Communication Technology (ICTSETA)
Transfer Broadcasting from MAPPPSETA to ICTSETA

* Transport SETA (TETA)
No SETA change

* Manufacturing SETA
Requires new SETA establishment
Amalgamate Clothing Textile, Footwear and Leather SETA, FIETA subsectors Furniture, Timber Products and MAPPP subsectors Printing, Packaging and Publishing

* Safety and Security (SASSETA)
Transfer from LGSETA traffic law enforcement and metro policing to SASSETA

* Services SETA
Transfer of Advertising and Media sub-sectors from MAPPPSETA

* Social Security and Development SETA

Requires new SETA establishment
Separate Health and Welfare SETA and amalgamate sub-sectors from ETDP (NGOs, labour unions, community development) into a new Social Security and Development SETA

* Public Service (PSETA)
No SETA change

Contact:
Ranjeni Munusamy
Tel: 012 312 5555 or 021 465 5513
E-mail: munusamy.r@dhet.gov.za

Issued by: Department of Higher Education and Training
29 April 2010
Source info.gov.za

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National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS). South Africa

SETA's

SETA’s are an initiative of the National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS).

The National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) contributes to sustainable development of skills, growth and equity of skills development institutions by aligning their wok and resources to the Sills Development institutions by aligning their work and resources to the skills needs for effective delivery and implementation.

What is a SETA?

“SETA” stands for Sector Education and Training Authority. These organizations were re-established by the Minister of Labour, Membathisi Mdladlana, on 3 March 2005. They are concerned with education and training and their job is to help implement the National Skills Development Strategy and to increase the skills of people in their sector.

The SETAs have replaced the 33 Industry Training Boards but have greater powers and responsibilities. They cover every industry and occupation whereas the Industry Training Boards covered some sectors only and focused mainly on apprenticeships. SETAs are concerned with learnerships, the internships, learning programme type matrix and unit based skills programme.

There are millions of people who need to learn new skills. Some are already in jobs who need to improve their skills and to learn new ones. Each year there are thousands of young people who finish their education and are looking for jobs. More than 50% of Grade 12 learners leave school without basic skills to seek work. They need skills and training. There are nearly 4.3 million people who are unemployed. Most of them have few skills and little training. There is an estimated figure of between 6,000 and 7,000 unemployed graduates. There are those who want to run their own businesses; people with disabilities, and those whose current skills provide them with barely enough money to survive. All need and can benefit from skills development.

SETAs have been established to manage the many skills development needs. Each SETA coordinates skills development in its particular sector. For the purposes of planning and managing the delivery of training, the economy has been divided into 23 sectors, each of which has its own SETA.

A sector is made up of economic activities that are linked and related. So, for example, there is a SETA that deals with the banking sector: another is concerned with skills development in the information technology sector; another is responsible for the manufacturing sector and there is a SETA for agriculture. The SETAs cover both the public and private sectors.

The principles of the NSDS are the following:

• Support economic growth for the employment creation and poverty eradication.
• Promote productive citizenship for all by aligning skills development with national strategies for growth and development
• Accelerate broad based economic empowerment and employment equity, (85% Black, 54% women and 4% people with disabilities including youth in all categories). Learners with disabilities to be provided with reasonable accommodation such as assistive devices and access to participate in skills development
• Support, monitor and evaluate the delivery and quality assurance system necessary for the implementation of the NSDS
• Advance the culture of excellence in skills development and life-long learning

The role of SETAs

There are twenty-five (25) SETAs each classified according to economic sectors.

The functions and responsibilities of SETAs are set out in Chapter 3, section 10 of the Skills Development Act, 1998.

The Skills Development Act states that the functions and duties of a SETA are to:

• Develop a sector skills plan. This is a plan to describe the trends in each sector, the skills that are in demand and to identify priorities for skills development
• Implement the sector skills plan.
• Develop and administer Learnerships. Learnerships include the traditional apprenticeships of the past. Like apprenticeships, Learnerships combine practice and theory. The main difference is that Learnerships go beyond "blue-collar" trades - they also prepare people for jobs in the new services sector, and for higher para-professional occupations. Learnerships are a new way of training.
• Support the implementation of the National Qualifications Framework. The National Qualifications Framework (NQF) is the framework, based on eight levels, on which any qualification or learning outcome can be registered.
• Undertake Quality Assurance. In promoting quality provision, SETAs will:
• Accredit education and training providers.
• Monitor provision to ensure that programmes are being followed.
• Register Assessors.
• Collaborate with other Education and Training Quality assurers.
• Report to the South African Qualifications Authority on how they fulfil the ETQa role.
• Disburse levies collected from employers in their sector. Employers pays 1% of their salary payroll to SARS on a monthly basis. The SETA uses 10% of the money to cover administration costs. 70% can be claimed back by companies. The remaining 20% goes to the National Skills Fund.
• Report to the Minister and to the South African Qualifications Authority. SETAs are statutory bodies. This means that they are established by Act of Parliament and they are given clear responsibilities to be discharged in the public interest. The levy collected from employers is public money. The Director-General of the Department of Labour is the Accounting Officer. SETAs must therefore report to the Director-General on the efficient and effective use of funds. They are also governed by the Public Finance Management Act, the provisions of which are designed to ensure that public bodies operate in a manner that is not wasteful or irresponsible. In order that SETAs are publicly accountable, and to give them full responsibilities and scope to organize their work, each SETA is required to enter into a Service Level Agreement with the Department of Labour.

Developing the Sector Skills Plan

Each SETA must draw up a Sector Skills Plan (SSP).. SSPs are important in making decisions about the priorities for skills development. The SSP is important for the SETA since it provides the framework and the background for its actions.

Source careerplanet.co.za

List of SETA's in South Africa

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All at sea with Seta?

Skills development has been identified as a key requirement for economic growth in South Africa, and for the economic empowerment of the previously disadvantaged majority.

As a result, the Skills Development Act (1998) provides a framework for the development of skills in the workplace. Amongst other things, the Act makes provision for skills development by means of a levy-grant scheme, and the establishment of 27 sector-specific Sector Education and Training Authorities – or Setas – to administer the scheme's funds, and manage the skills development process.

What is a Seta?

The Setas were established in March 2000 and are responsible for the disbursement of training levies payable by all employers in the country. Setas replace and extend the work of the old industry training boards and are accredited by the South African Qualifications Authority.

Each separate economic sector has one Seta. There are 27 Setas which cover all work sectors in South Africa, including government sectors. The members of Setas include trade unions, government and bargaining councils from appropriate industries.

Within its own sector, a Seta must develop and implement a skills development plan, be responsible for quality control and pay out development grants. They are responsible for about R2.5-billion each year.

Part of the objective of the Setas is to ensure that the skills requirements of the various sectors are identified, and that the adequate and appropriate skills are readily available. They are required to ensure that training is of the appropriate quality, meets agreed standards as laid out by the national framework, and caters for the training needs of new entrants to the labour market as well as the currently employed work force.

The Setas are also responsible for a learnership programme and the implementation of strategic sector skills plans. They have discretionary funds, drawn from their levy income, that can be used for projects designed to assist in the achievement of sector priorities, including the design and implementation of learnerships.

The 27 Setas each renew an MoU with the Department of Labour on an annual basis.

What do I have to pay?

A compulsory skills-development levy was introduced on 1 April 2000, payable by employers who are registered with the South African Revenue Service (SARS) for employees' tax purposes, or by employers with an annual payroll in excess of R250 000. The levy rate is 1% of the total payroll, and the collection of the funds is administered by SARS.

How are the funds disbursed?

The levies paid to SARS are put in a special fund. 80% of the money from this fund is distributed to the different Setas and the other 20% is paid into the National Skills Fund. The Setas then pay grants to employers who appoint a Skills Development Facilitator. The National Skills Fund funds skills development projects that don't fall under the Setas.

How do I get my Seta to work for me?

Appointing a facilitator

In order to be eligible for grants, an employer must appoint a Skills Development Facilitator who can be a full-time or part-time employee or contracted consultant.

The facilitator is responsible for the development and planning of a company's skills development strategy. This will include the development and implementation of an annual workplace skills plan and the submission of an annual training report. He or she also serves as a resource to the employer with regard to the criteria required for accreditation of courses, skills programmes and learnership development.

Once a facilitator has been appointed, employers can develop the skills of their staff, and reclaim the funds for doing this in three ways:

Workplace skills plan

In the first year of the levy-grant scheme employers can recover in grants a minimum of 50% of the levy they have paid. The grants, referred to as grants A, B, C and D, have certain conditions that must be adhered to.

For the appointment and registration of a Skills Development Facilitator - Grant A – employers will be able to recover 15% of the levy they have paid. The appointment of a facilitator is necessary before applications for Grants B, C and D will be considered.
Grant B: An employer will be able to recover 10% of the total levy payment for preparing, submitting and obtaining approval from the appropriate Seta for a workplace skills plan.
Grant C: An employer will be able to recover a further 20% of the total levy payment by preparing and submitting an annual training report based on the approved workplace skills plan.
Grand D: Each Seta makes available grants to the equivalent of 5% of the total levy payment by the employer for specific sector skills initiatives. The criteria will be made available by the employer’s relevant Seta.
Learnerships

140 learnership programmes have been developed by the Setas, ranging from basic entry level to post professional levels. If employers agree to embark on learnership programmes they will be able to access a cash grant from their Seta as well as a tax incentive. Every time an employer signs up a learnership agreement they can claim R25 000 offset against taxable income. When the recognised phase of the learnership has been completed they can claim an additional R25 000 against taxable income.

Strategic grants

Setas are eligible to provide additional grants to companies for developmental or special skills training, for example, in the area of HIV/AIDS and adult basic education and training.

Tell me more about the National Skills Fund...

The National Skills Fund is administered by the department of labour. It is made up of 20% of the total skills levy paid by employers and is used to address significant national skills priorities.

Funds are allocated through a range of funding windows. The National Skills Authority provides advice on each window and the criteria to be used to determine the allocation of funds.

The principal funding windows deal with strategic projects, social development initiatives, innovation and research, and a bursary programme to support students to study in areas of scarce skills.

Nineteen strategic projects to the value of R1.3-billion were approved over a three-and-a-half-year period by the minister of labour in 2002.

Where can I find my Seta?

www.courses.co.za has a full listing of all the setas

Source southafrica.info

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Thousands of jobs at parastatals

There are thousands of vacancies at South Africa's cash-strapped state-owned enterprises, with Transnet alone looking to fill 4,459 posts, according to Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan.

Hogan said Eskom has 1,228 vacancies, South African Airways 607, South African Express 39 and Broadband Infraco 77.

Arms manufacturer Denel has 68 jobs to fill and the South African Forestry Company (Safcol) 135, she said in reply to a parliamentary question by the Freedom Front.

Alexkor has four vacancies.

Hogan said the parastatals have a recruitment policies system in place to fill their vacant posts.

SETA's

Source http://www.timeslive.co.za

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SA Education minister wants workplaces to be sites of training

Higher Education and Training Minister Dr Blade Nzimande appealed to business on Tuesday to provide artisans and learners with access to their facilities to gain "structured workplace experience", the lack of which he described as the main constraint to meeting South Africa's skills development objectives.

Speaking on the anniversary of the formation of his department, Nzimande told delegates to the annual Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of South Africa conference that the availability of quality, structured workplace experience, which was aligned with the theoretical and practical curricula, was the "real bottleneck".

A round table would be convened later in the year at which government would seek to debate ways of overcoming the problem with both business and labour.

Nzimande said that he had been impressed, during a recent visit to Germany, with that country's "dual system", whereby trainees worked for four days in a week and attended college classes on the fifth.

"I must therefore appeal to employers with a proven track record in engineering-related artisan development to open up their workplaces and take on additional learners in artisan and trade-related apprenticeships, learnerships and structured work-experience programmes to enable them to meet the requirements for trade testing and achieve artisan certificated status," he added.

Government's economic policy priority, he added, was the stimulation of investment into the productive sectors for the economy, supported by appropriate skills development.

The Department of Higher Education and Training was, therefore, prioritising the following:
- The expansion of artisan training.
- The creation of a credible third National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS3), as well as restructured Sector Education and Training Authorities.
- The strengthening of the Further Education and Training (FET) colleges.

The Minister promised to take a personal responsibility for the acceleration of artisan training, as well as for the creation of a national register for artisans.

The register would hold the names and details of all those who had qualified through the relevant trade test and were practising as artisans in the trade in which they had qualified.

However, Nzimande also expressed his disappointment with the fact that no mention had been made about the importance of skills development in a joint declaration signed a day earlier between three major trade union federations and a grouping of important South African manufacturers.

The declaration outlined several other interventions to improve the industrialisation prospects of the economy, including a strident call for intervention to weaken the South African currency.

"We welcome the initiative by labour and employers in the manufacturing industry seeking industrial and economic policy interventions to create decent jobs.

"However, I must express my disappointment that the joint declaration, signed by the country's three major trade union federations and a grouping of important South African manufacturers, failed to make any mention about the importance of skills development and the necessity for a skills development strategy to support those initiatives," Nzimande said.

"I also intend engaging organised labour on this matter as the creation of decent work and skills development are indivisible," the Minister said.

SETA's

Edited by: Creamer Media Reporter

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