Alan Hammond's Blog (48)

If you know of any young people who are trying to find learnership, education or internship opportunities for this year please tell them about these opportunities on offer.

Its the time of year when hundreds of thousands of young people try to get a place on one of the tens of thousands of education and training opportunities available.

Our sister site, Careers Portal, lists all the latest opportunities. Please see the latest opportunities below and share the information with…

In his budget vote speech in April this year, the Minister announced that he would soon be establishing the Ministerial Oversight Committee on Transformation, whose mandate would be to monitor issues of transformation, discrimination based on race, gender and other prejudices, and advise the Minister on policy and other appropriate interventions. This was a recommendation of the Ministerial Committee on Transformation and Social Cohesion and Elimination of Discrimination in Public Higher…

Can you learn enough about labour law in a two-day course to be able to manage industrial relations in your company?

Bruno Bruniquel raises the issue this week in his article about industrial relations training in South Africa.  “The problem is that training specialists usually don’t know labour relations and most labour lawyers don’t know how to train. To make matters worse, unit standards relating to labour relations are poorly written and do not cover all the actual training…

By Jim Freeman

The Services Seta has won its second labour court case against the minister of higher education and training, Dr Blade Nzimande, and his department in less than a week.

This morning, judge David Gush, ruled that the minister had no reason to place the Seta under the administration of Dr Sihle Moon and have the contents of its bank accounts transferred to the National Skills Fund.…

The Higher Education and Training Ministry will appeal against the Labour Court ruling this week that declared their imposition of a new constitution and chairperson on the Services Setas to be unlawful.  In a statement the Ministry declared that, "there is no going back on the path we have undertaken to transform and strengthen the Seta system".

In a statement released to the media the Higher Education and Training Ministry announced, "It is the intention of the DHET to appeal this…

By JIM FREEMAN

At the time when all around him were celebrating, Services Seta chief executive Ivor Blumenthal simply shook his head. “It’s a Pyrrhic victory,” he said sadly.

In the end, there was little to distinguish winner from loser. Yes, the idealist Blumenthal triumphed over the ideologue Nzimande but, truth be told, it’s probably a good thing for all around him that he has already resigned the position to which Judge Annelie Basson yesterday restored…

NEWS FLASH –

By JIM FREEMAN

The labour court has granted an application by the Services Seta (sector education and training authority) to have a constitution and board imposed on it by higher education and training minister Blade Nzimande declared unlawful.

The application, which was upheld with costs, sets aside Dr Nzimande’s appointment of Dr Sihle Moon, Shakeel Ori and Nolwande Mantashe as independent chairperson and ministerial appointees to the Services Seta…

Minister Blade Nzimande promised that it wouldn't be 'business as usual' at the Setas under his watch and he has kept his word. In a major shake-up of Seta governance the Minister of Higher Education and Training has announced the names of the independent chairpersons of the Seta boards.

In an official communication regarding Seta governance issues, the Higher Education and Training Department has highlighted a number of changes to the way Setas are governed.…

Dear Jimmy,

Let us drop titles for the purpose of a necessary exchange. So let us forget for now that I am a cabinet minister and that you are a director-general equivalent, in the same government.

I want to address you simply as a compatriot South African.

I want to draw to your attention the fact that your statements about “an over-concentration of coloureds” are against the letter…

Minister in the Presidency Trevor Manuel has launched an unprecedented attack on government spokesman Jimmy Manyi, branding the Black Management Forum head as a racist in the mould of H F Verwoerd.

Manyi has never been far from controversy.  When we was head of the Employment Equity Commission he denied that there was a skills shortage in the country, blaming the problems on the reluctance of business leaders to hire black…

Statment by Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Blade Nzimande.

I would like to congratulate all the learners from the Class of 2010 who have passed the National Senior Certificate examinations. The National Senior Certificate is the culmination of one phase of education and an entry point to opportunities and options for the future. …

The Minister of Labour has released the four labour law amendments that were recently approved by the Cabinet.  The bills are open for public comment until te 17th of February 2011.

Labour Minister, Mildred Oliphant will be introducing laws aimed at regulating contract work and addressing the raging issue of labour broking.

The far-reaching amendments also aim to facilitate the unionisation of workers and conclusion of sectoral collective agreements to cover vulnerable workers.

Additional…

The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Blade Nzimande, has appointed the following 12 persons as members of the fifth board of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) to serve a five year term from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2016.

Mr Mfundiso Johnson Ntabankulu Njeke, Chairperson

Mr David Adler

Dr Clifford Freddie Barnes

Ms Chuene Thama Duba

Ms S Mosidi Maboye

Adv Kevin Sifiso Malunga

Mr Archie Mokonane

Ms…

The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr B E Nzimande, and the Director-General Prof Mary Metcalfe have agreed that the DG of DHET will leave the Department before the end of April 2011.

The DG was asked to establish the DHET and a solid foundation in this regard has been laid.…

Address to the Health & Safety Campaign by Cedric Gina,…

Senior management at the CCMA have been criticised in a report released by the Auditor General into allegations of mismanagement at the concililation body.

The report finds many occasions where contracts and tenders were awarded by the CCMA without following National Treasury Regulations or practice notes.

The report also found that the CCMA did not deduct PAYE from the remuneration received by part time commissioners from 2003 to 2006. This lead to the CCMA…