With Numsa since the middle of this year, Malebo Mogopodi, has taken over the challenging position of training sector co-ordinator from Melanie Samson. She told Numsa Bulletin of the progress, her frustrations at lack of progress and her hopes for 2003.
What are you busy with now? What areas do you cover?
I am co-ordinating training nationally and I also have to oversee the Numsa regional training committees and assist with their establishment. I participate mainly in the Merseta given that it is where the majority of our companies are. With regard to most of the other Setas, we have one or two seats and those comrades give me a progress report.
Regional training committees are supposed to be there to see to the implementation of Merseta processes.
How many regional training committees are functioning?
There are none that are working. Some have been established but they are not functioning.
Why do you think they are not working?
Not everybody that is involved, is informed. So for example we have had a problem where our members are saying we are not party to the signing of the Workplace Skills Plan and yet the company has got a signature of one person who is the Numsa representative!
So even though we hear very few companies have submitted Workplace Skills Plans (WSP) what you are saying is that even the companies that have submitted in some cases the other shop stewards do not want to sign them. What plans do you have to get all these problems right?
The Merseta has agreed on a road show. This will take place at the beginning of October. It is not only for those comrades sitting on Merseta structures. It will also include our bargaining representatives, our sector co-ordinators and our regional educators.
We also need to continuously update workers as to processes. If you have submitted a WSP, then you must have a training committee so that workers begin to monitor the grant system to ensure that levies have been applied for and received.
Another problem is that our comrades are not able to interact and deliberate on issues with other stakeholders not because they are stupid but because they don't understand issues properly. Eg. we are given financial statements but we can't understand them.
What training issues are critical for Numsa?
I think a critical area for us is the recognition of prior learning (RPL) process. I believe through that process we will be able to recognise the skills that our members have acquired over the years through exposure to other work but also through informal set ups. Because once people have been assessed in terms of RPL, then you can identify their skills gap and then you can say they need so many modules. But it can't happen if people don't understand.
And if people who are supposed to know what is happening, don't know, then what about an ordinary member down there!
ABET is another critical project. Most of our members have qualifications below NQF2. For this reason they cannot access further training. So our strategic intervention must be ABET.
We need to motivate our members to attend classes and we need to lead them by example. This means shop stewards who are below NQF levels 2 need to go for ABET classes.
The other crucial thing is the issue of training during working hours. It must be a demand next year.
We have tried in the past to demand training during working hours, but have failed. What ideas do you have on this?
We need to look at the experience – it is not possible for any normal person to go to work and after that to expect that person to study.
Secondly, those workers have family responsibilities. Employers should be able to contribute to my development. The employers have to take responsibility for that.
We have the Skills Development Act and we need that to happen during working time. Companies are saying they are losing when someone goes to class. The Merseta should offset that cost to companies so that companies won't complain. Already this is taking place with ABET learners. For each ABET learner, the Merseta will pay employers R2500 and each learner R500 for each level of ABET completed. That will encourage learners to go to class and the company to provide the training.
What is your advice to a shop steward wanting to organise training for workers in his/her plant?
Once we have a training structure, the training committee should identify the training programme. Then investigations will have to be done – do we have a provider, who is going to be funding. My vision is that the regional educator (REO) should lead the RTC so that shop stewards can then approach a REO saying we need a particular training programme.
What do you want to try and achieve by the end of this year?
By the end of this year I want everybody to understand what the Merseta is, what is a Seta, what is a WSP and everybody must understand the benefits of training.
And next year?
In 2003 we need to start enjoying the benefits, we have been talking training for such a long time and people need to progress now. Learnerships have been launched, even though in Merseta all these processes are in a pilot phase, by the time pilots are being reviewed everybody should understand what we are talking about.
I would like our shop stewards to lead the process, I think our members want to see shop stewards participating so they can follow suit. So if our shop stewards attend ABET classes, members will go too. Some companies are not interested in ABET programme because members don't attend classes. But how are we going to progress to higher positions if we don't attend classes. And the Merseta has a bursary scheme for people to go to universities, technikons and technical colleges but how do they get there if they don't have the basic education?
Once we start the WSP process, it will identify the gaps in people's training. In terms of a particular job, it will analyse what can so and so do, if she can get credit for that, and then provide modules around those areas that she cannot do.
In auto and tyre this idea seems fine because a worker (up to level 4) is paid for 'skills acquired' but what about the engineering and motor sectors where you only get paid for the job that you do? You might get trained for a higher job but there might be no position for you there?
That is why we have engaged Naledi to look at the auto and tyre sectors to see how successful 'payment for skills acquired' has been. The research will look at the grading system as well and how it links to training.
Is all training useful given that some retrenched workers who were retrained have complained that they are still unable to find jobs?
That is what we have experienced. We need to make use of the funds that are available properly. A person should be able to say I want this particular course, we should also assist in identifying what skills are marketable. We have contracted some researchers to identify suitable projects for retrenched workers and those who are targeted for retrenchment.
Source
Numsa News