Amendments to the Skills Development (SDA) are the latest salvo meant to push Sector Education and Training Authorities (Setas) to deliver training. With delays in delivering the much-touted skills revolution, Setas have been in the firing line.
According to the Department of Labour “Setas are sitting on a R2, 8 billion surplusâ€. Not helping the situation is a widespread perception that the new training authorities are proving to be the gravy train's extra carriages.
Announced at the beginning of July, the new legislative changes will give the Minister of Labour powers to intervene if there are problems in Setas. They are also aimed at ensuring accountability on the part of Setas.
“The amendments are aimed at dealing with some problems with the management of certain Setas. These problems – limited to a few Setas – have resulted in the extremely good work of the majority being underminedâ€, said Minister Membathisi Mdladlana when announcing the new amendments.
The core of the amendments are legally-binding Service Level Agreements (SLAs) that Setas and the Department of Labour will have to enter into. These agreements will define performance targets for each Seta. Failure to deliver on set targets will lead to a ministerial instruction, a precursor to a total takeover of the Seta's administration.
The Minister also indicated his desire to influence the use of Seta administrative funds. Regulations published in November 2000 stipulate that Setas can only use a maximum of 10% of their levy income for administration costs such as rent, salaries, allowances, travel and general running of the training authorities.
The proposed amendments come right on the heels of an agreement reached at the Growth and Development Summit (GDS) to strengthen Setas. The summit agreed that:
performance indicators be developed for Setas the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) should monitor and evaluate Seta performance a code of best practice be devised for Setas labour to ensure that national office bearers and/or national organisers represent trade unions on Seta boards.
Whether the proposed measures will break the logjam that has characterised the new training dispensation, is something to be seen. Also watch the space as the amendments make their way through Nedlac on their way to parliament.
Source
Numsa News