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Some time ago 2011 to be exact I posed the question on Skills Universe – What should Dr., Nzimande change at the SETAS?
To stimulate thought I quoted the following from an article posted on Skills Portal - Nzimande fights University and Seta corruption. Below is a brief extract.
“Meanwhile, Nzimande said his department is working on a plan to review the work of all Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) to make them more effective.
SETAs are an important partner in the higher education sector and thousands of people use SETAs to gain skills, that later help them secure employment. He hinted at plans to reduce the number of SETAs thus getting rid of some”. I went on to pose the question
As training providers, who have first hand knowledge of the SETA’s, what advice would you offer Dr Blade Nzimande regarding the review of the work of the SETA’s? What is it, you feel, needs to change?
Personally I believe we have lost direction completely.
If we look at the activities of some of the SETA's over the past 15 years it is obvious there was a case of "one up-man-ship" and a total loss of direction.
Addressing the skills shortage as identified in the NSDS was no longer the objective and it became a case of "every man/woman for himself. This was permitted to happen and while there were many good things happening at some of the SETA's others were on their own mission. (Take FASSETT as an example of real success and an ability to stick to the plan and the strategey).
This is one of the reasons, if we are honest, that so many companies fail to become involved. As the main stakeholders in the Skill Development arena they became the second class citizens and their needs were no longer relevant.
Is it any wonder the skills development effort started to move away from those who were funding it (by means of company levies) and started to move in an entirely different direction - NCV - that was no longer workplace based. Once again the efforts were doomed to failure and now we have all this money available and Dr Nzimande seems to want to get his hands on it to fund higher education initiatives.
When skills development levies were first introduced, despite the critics saying it was “Just another tax”, it was seen by some to be a good thing. The benefits to be gained by contributing companies were potentially great.
In order to administer and control the monies involved which we all know amounted to billions of rand the SETAS were given control and control they took. Initially companies who were funding the initiative were consulted. Then the rot set in.
Many SETAS took advantage of a glorious opportunity to look after their friends, families and acquaintances. Millions of rand were stolen, embezzled, channeled into the coffers of friends or used to structure business interests of a minority. Those who should have benefited lost out and no one seemed to care – many had joined the gravy train.
We then saw recent developments and resulting changes to legislation in order to place the SETAS, Skills Development as a whole and the Skills Development Levies in particular under the control of the Department of Education as opposed to the DOL.
In addition we now have the proposed Skills Development Amendment Bill of 2011 that is obviously intended to give greater control to the DOE and Dr Nzimande in particular. The introduction of this Bill will lead to a deviation away from Skills Development as originally intended and will ensure the DOE takes on the role of a dictator.
Proposed changes to section 2 will give the minister a right to dictate employment issues to employers – the DOE will in effect become an employment agency (2.H – “to provide and regulate employment services”)
When a SETA is closed by the minister the funds of that SETA will vest in the minister (9c closure of a SETA).
The minister must appoint chairpersons of SETAS and all 14 members of the respective boards (Section 11 establishment and composition of SETA boards)
The minister must also approve the constitution of the SETAS
The minister may well be seeking to fight corruption at the SETAS and Universities but all he appears to be doing is changing how the monies involved are channeled. He seems to have lost sight of what the Skills Development initiative is all about and has become blinded by greed.
It is time companies lobbied Government in order to ensure the original objectives of the skills Development Act and Skills Development Levies Acts are adhered to and enforced. During this period companies who fund skills development should withhold all further levy payments.
I now ask - has anything changed?
