/ 1 September 1999

SKILLS BODIES ON FASTTRACK

LABOUR Minister Membathisi Mdladlana said on Tuesday that training bodies for each economic sector will be up and running by November. Mdladlana said that this is the first step towards putting into effect the government’s skills development strategy. He proposed the creation of 27 sector education and training authorities, or Setas, covering every area of economic activity in the country. The Setas will comprise employers, trade unionists and government departments and will be responsible for defining the skills needs in its sector, and putting together a training plan. The Setas will be tasked with distributing grants to firms which invested in quality training for their workers. To this end, every employer will from April 1 pay a skills development levy. The 27 sectors to get Setas included accounting and financial services; chemical industries; clothing; defence; health and welfare, insurance; food; energy; local government, water and related services; media, publishing, printing and packaging; tourism and hospitality, and transport.