EHLANZENI DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY S FRAMEWORK FOR YOUTH SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

Transcription

1 EHLANZENI DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY S FRAMEWORK FOR YOUTH SKILLS DEVELOPMENT 23 NOVEMBER 2007

2 Introduction The Province of Mpumalanga in its entirety and the country as a whole is seriously challenged by the problem of lack of skills, this becomes a critical challenge at Ehlanzeni due to its high level of infrastructure development and other development programmes that requires specific skills i.e. Soccer World Cup 2010, Expansion of the road infrastructure, Water reticulation, Hospitality Tourism, Civil and Electrical engineering. Ehlanzeni District Municipality is constituted by Five Local Municipalities Umjindi, Nkomazi, Mbombela, Thaba Chweu and Bushbuckridge. Its landscape constitutes 27895km2 of the entire landscape of Mpumalanga Province. It is constituted by a population of 1, , which is largely young and female. The Ehlanzeni Skills development Framework will guide the district municipality and the local municipality into implementing programmes that will be identified within the implementation phase. It will moreover ensure integration and collaboration of currently disjointed skills development interventions in the district municipality. The EDM skills development framework will identify areas of intervention and stipulate measurable interventions and locate responsibility. It will also be important to locate the strategy within the ASGISA and JIPSA programme of the National government but critically it must be correctly defined in the context of the Mpumalanga Growth and Development Strategy and the big five flagship project relevant to the district municipality. The EDM Youth Policy Conference held in August 2006 at Ingwenyama lodge, White River resolved that a youth sector skills development summit should be convened in the context of formulating a sectoral development programme for the youth. It is however a fact that we should commonly acknowledge that Skills development is an all inclusive subjects and our approach at EDM should therefore be considerate of the August 2007 Youth Summit resolution but draw in all relevant bodies to build consensus and shared vision. 2

3 Problem Statement The following are key areas of concern and problems: 1. Fragmented and uncoordinated approach to training and education across district municipality, resulting in the absence of resources and accountability for ensuring that deserving citizens and workers are empowered to take on the challenges that confronts them i.e. lack of skills and jobs. 2. Inappropriate nature of the training and education that is provided by many in-service and training institution without accreditation. 3. Continuous spending of limited financial resources on skills that do not respond to the developmental and future needs of the municipality and inconsistent priorities. 4. Poor alignment between the different SETAs and organizations as far as the SAQA Act, Skills Development Act, and the specific functions of the ETQA, learnerships, RPL and workplace skills plans are concerned. 5. Higher percentage of unskilled young people and women in the vicinity of Ehlanzeni District municipality 6. Current levels of skills in the district municipality do not match the national targets and there is a threat of brain drain. 7. Inadequate levels of investment in training and development. Because some institutions see training and education are seen as marginal issues and not as priorities, especially because they target high level of profit and cost saving 8. Fragmented and uncoordinated approach to training and education across the district municipality, resulting in the absence of resources and accountability for ensuring that deserving citizens and workers are empowered to take on the challenges that confronts them i.e. lack of skills and jobs. 3

4 9. Inappropriate nature of the training and education that is provided by many in-service and training institution without accreditation. 10. Continuous spending of limited financial resources on skills that do not respond to the developmental and future needs of the municipality and inconsistent priorities. 11. Poor alignment between the different SETAs and organizations as far as the SAQA Act, Skills Development Act, and the specific functions of the ETQA, learnerships, RPL and workplace skills plans are concerned. 12. Higher percentage of unskilled young people and women in the vicinity of Ehlanzeni District municipality 13. Current levels of skills in the district municipality do not match the national targets and there is a threat of brain drain. 14. Inadequate levels of investment in training and development. Because some institutions see training and education are seen as marginal issues and not as priorities, especially because they target high level of profit and cost saving Principles of Ehlanzeni District municipality as informed by the National Skills Development Strategy of South Africa (a) Economic growth through sustainable employment (b) Poverty reduction and improvement of livelihoods (c) Support for designated groups i.e. disabled persons, women and youth (d) Promotion of Continuous Learning (e)excellence and skills (f) Economic empowerment and equal access to opportunities (g) Accelerated and shared growth (h) Creation of an equal society 4

5 (i) Social transformation to Social Development initiatives Goals of the framework The Ehlanzeni District Municipality skills development framework will guide the district municipality and other stakeholders as they implement their skills development programme as prescribed in the Skills Development act no 97 of It will ensure that measurable objectives are set and clear implementation programme are put in place. It will result in integration of activities and eliminate duplication and overproduction. Skills Development strategy objectives as informed by the National Skills Development Strategy Objectives (NSDS ) (i) Improving foundations for Human development. (ii) Improving the Supply of High Quality Skills. (iii) Increase employer participation in lifelong learning. (iv) Supporting employment increase through industrial policies, innovation and research development. Interventions (a) Establishment of EDM skills Forum Task 1: Monitor the implementation of the Skills development programme at EDM and render strategic advice and support to relevant bodies. 5

6 Task 2: Monitor and engage participating bodies on their workplace skills plan Government departments Task 3: Render support to Social development initiatives through collaborated action Task 4: Link national, provincial interventions (e.g. ASGISA briefing session and JIPSA working group) in a manner that harmonizes the environment. Targets (i) Enhancement of Training in the workplace Indicator 1: All employers at Ehlanzeni develop and submit Workplace skills Plan; full compliance by 01 st January 2009 (ii) Development of Human Capital for better life though Skill transfer and training Indicator 1: All Local Municipalities should enroll at least 100 young people in National youth Service programme per municipalities. June 2008 Indicator 2: Expansion of the Learnership programmes and clear exit plan in provincial government department, municipalities and the private sector. Indicator 3: 10% Increase in Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) enrollment and centres in the District Municipality. Indicator 4: Increased Private Sector investment in ABET programmes (iii)provide Support to Women, Youth and the Disabled 6

7 Indicator 1: Bursaries for Further Education and Training and Mentoring programmes put in place by January Indicator 2: Allocate funding for support of Special programmes Problems to be addressed The following are key areas of concern and problems: Applicable Legislation and Policies (i) Skills Development Act, 1998 The Skills Development Act, 1998, forms the core piece of legislation upon which the Ehlanzeni Skills Development Strategy should be based. The main purpose of the Skills Development Act (SDA) is to develop the skills or human resources of the South African workforce and to improve workers quality of life, their prospects of work and labour mobility. The Act also aims to improve the delivery of social services by providing employees with the opportunity to acquire new skills by encouraging employers to use the workplace as an active learning environment. The SDA therefore offers a concrete foundation for the strategy to develop skills. (ii) The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) Act The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) Act has initiated a new framework for education and training in South Africa by creating a single, unified system for education and training qualifications in the country; and creating the institutions to ensure that these qualifications are of a high quality. The SAQA Act provided ways of ensuring that training in South Africa is of a high quality and that it provides many different entry, exit and re-entry points. In order to achieve this, the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) was instituted. The NQF provides a framework within which the quality of all learning can be assured whether it takes place at school, at work or at home and whether the learners are young or mature. Education and training are recognized as different forms of learning with the same status. All learning now has to be recognized through national standards and qualifications. The recognition of prior learning (RPL) is an acknowledgement that skills acquired outside the context of a formal course equally deserve 7

8 recognition and goes some way to redressing the disregard of informal learning in the past. The SAQA Act looks towards a future where skills development extends throughout the entire working life of a person and endorses the concept of life-long learning for all citizens. (iii) Basic Conditions of Employment Act To give effect to the right to fair labour practices referred to in section 23(1) of the Constitution by establishing and making provision for the regulation of basic conditions of employment, and thereby to comply with the obligations of the Republic as a member of the International Labour Organization, and to provide for matters concerned therewith. (iv) HRD Strategy for SA To maximize the potential of the people of SA, through the acquisition of knowledge and skills, to work productively and competitively in order to achieve a rising quality of life for all, and to establish an operational plan, together with the necessary institutional arrangements, to achieve this. (v) Ehlanzeni district Municipality Draft Youth Policy and resolutions of the Youth Summit held in August 2006 (vi) National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS), Adopted by the Minister of Labour in February 2001, The policy commit s the EDM into putting in place programmes for Skills development and the youth summit resolved on the establishment of the Skills development forum. RESOLUTIONS OF THE YOUTH SKILLS DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT 1.Enhancing a high degree of entrepreneurial skills Noting: 8

9 - Lack of sustainability in the businesses of young people - Young entrepreneurs working in silos due to peer pressure and competition - Develop training programme for young entrepreneurs prior to appointment As a form of induction -Duplication of business - Allocate funding for entrepreneur training and support in conjunction with other social partners by 1 st July 2008 and ongoing. Therefore resolved: (i) Creation of Ehlanzeni Youth Development fund - To support young entrepreneurs - To establish cooperatives and support youth consortia - Allocation of commencing in the 2008/9 budget and ongoing as an annual municipal baseline investment - Establish clear youth development fund administration mechanism (ii) Zoning of EDM municipalities into developmental zones - To ensure central development programmes and streamlining investment initiatives within the economically viable activities per zone. - Identification of viable investment opportunities in all municipalities for the 5 year development period and beyond. (Immediately and ongoing) 9

10 - Clustering of Municipalities according to economic and trade potential (immediately and ongoing) (iii) Identification of economic activities that will be broad and inclusive for immediate investment: - Franchising - Food Processing due to the citrus farming etc - Allocate funding for developmental zones pilot projects - ensure the creation of cooperatives for the developmental zones projects (iv) Mentoring, support and skills transfer - All service providers dealing with capital projects should be credited or rated for mentoring, support and training of young entrepreneurs in business management. -Immediately re enact the skills transfer policy in the procurement of all capital projects of both the district and local municipality. (v) Creation of Youth Entrepreneurship and Investment forum - This forum will be central in negotiating and securing formal trade and investment opportunities for all the youth cooperatives in the district. Locate this task in the LED and tourism function 2.Improving the level of technical skills Noting: - The low percentage of suitable qualified human resource in the technical field 10

11 - Establishment of Colleges for further Education and training and the phasing out of old technical school. - Low levels of Private sector investment in technical skills training. - Higher cost of FET tuition fees. Therefore resolved: (i) Allocate funding for technical skills training - Bursaries, learnerships - Build partnerships with the private sector to ensure proper redress and informed investment on present and future needs. - Link FET technical training with Local industry for experiential learning and human capital development. -Establishment of the multi-stakeholder EDM s Skills Development Forum by June The incoming leadership of SAYC EDM and the district municipality should exhaustively engage the FET college, TUT and private Sector e.g. MONDI, SAPPI, ESKOM TSB, TRAC and BUSCOR etc about the skills development initiative. 3. Enhancing Scarce skills Noting: - High levels of unskilled young people and professionals in the district - Most skilled people are offered competitive remunerative packages outside the district and the broader province. 11

12 - The opportunities presented by massive infrastructure investment in the district towards 2010 and beyond. - The higher cost of post school education - The non existence of a fully fledged institution of higher learning in the Province. Therefore resolved: (i) Skills Audit -The incoming leadership wand the district municipality should work with the Department of Labour to: (a) (b) (ii) Conduct a skills audit process through voluntary registration as a district reach out programme in each municipality Compile a database for skilled young people in the scarce skills areas of ICT and broader professional work Graduates and Professionals support - Develop a graduate and student support strategy to ensure that qualified human resource from the province is retained for a minimum of three in the district municipal areas - Creation of mentoring and support programme for young professionals to ensure acquisition of minimal experience (iii) Bringing disabled young people into the skills development mainstream - Allocate a quota of skills development enrolment for people with disabilities. - Issue out Braille and sign language bursaries for 2009 enrolment (i) Enrolment of NYS Projects in the 5 Municipalities: - Each Local Municipality should enroll at least 100 young people into youth service programmes by June

13 - EDM should enroll 500 young into one district based youth service programme By 1 st July Engage all parastals within the district on youth service programme on an ongoing basis Recommended focal areas for the youth service programmes: (a) Bricklaying and Plumbing (b) Project management (c) Electrical work 4. Training and development Noting: - The discrepancies in the administration of Sectoral Education and Training Authorities (SETAs ) - Minimal impact of SETA in the district and Mpumalanga Province - Our employed and unemployed young people are not befitting from SETA - Private Sector institutions are not substantially offering learnership while subscribing to the skills development act of SA - National government has created strong regulatory environment for training and development with a weaker control and monitoring approach Therefore resolved: (i) Extend consultation and fact finding 13

14 - The newly elected leadership of SAYC EDM and the district municipality should embark on a fact finding mission on the extent and impact of SETA s in the district -Engage private sector business to enroll learners and make available skill Development programmes and training of employees. - Meeting the department of labour - Meeting Local business community Participants: 1. Civil Society/NGO s 2. All local Municipalities 3. Regional Administration of government departments 4. Department of labour 5. Department of education 6. National Youth Service 7. Umsobomvu Youth fund 8. South African Youth council 9. SETA s 10. Training Providers, FET colleges, Tshwane University of Technology, Wits, and Nelson Mandela Metro University 11. Business 12. SALGA 13. Department of Labour All the participating bodies should be represented by people with clear decision making powers to ensure organisational accountability. Conclusion The future of this country will be determined by our level of investment in the creation of human capital, there can be no work if people are not skilled in doing the work. The current levels of skills deficiency are posing a serious threat to our future. We must urgently begin to put in place programmes that will tilt the 14

15 balance of scale for a better future. Key to our success will be to set clear and defined objectives that will ensure production of tangible outcomes. We dare not fail. Let all of us who love their people and their country now say; for these freedoms we shall fight, side by side. 15

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