Dear Numsa News
I would like to echo the sentiments expressed by comrades Golden Magagula and Tshepo Mpshe on Numsa News no 3 June 2005 . Bravo! Also to Numsa for its efforts to accommodate our retrenched comrades on its skills development programmes.
I suggest our movement should go the extra mile to initiate programmes for self-reliance and self-sustenance. Encourage home-based industries and pledge with our communities to support such businesses.
That will be the beginning of the war to end poverty and counter-attack capitalists’ encroachment.
United we shall overcome!
Yingwana Mashaba, Brits
Lack of portability and linkages with other training has stifled Amic graduates wanting to further their training. But now there is light on the horizon. Xolani Tshayana , VWSA training and education representative, reports.
For the past ten years education and training in the auto sector has revolved around the Automobile Industry Certificate (AMIC), an in-house education and training programme.
Amic was a compromise reached between trade unions and employers during the 1990s. Ameo wanted more productivity and profit, Numsa wanted higher wages and training for its members.
At the time there was no National Qualifications Framework (NQF). This is a framework set up in terms of the Skills Development Act that requires training to be linked to it. If it is linked then a worker working in one industry can carry his/her skills to another industry if s/he leaves that industry.
However, because there was no NQF when Amic was set up, up until now Amic certificate holders have not been able to further their education and training. But merely doing away with Amic is not possible. It is a performance measuring tool, it ensures that workers perform according to a specific standard and it is linked with improvements in wages and benefits eg provident fund.
Merseta process But plans are underway in the Merseta to develop a learnership for a Manufacturing and Engineering Qualification from NQF level 2-4 in the auto sector. This will accommodate workers with Amic certificates and those with qualifications and doing work of a skill level beyond Amic. This will allow workers to continue with training in line with the principles of ‘l ife long learning’ .
Parties have agreed that Amic will continue as stand alone training but new types of learnerships will be introduced as well.