merSETA Strategic Plan Derrick Peo General Manager : Innovation, Research & Development

1.Background 2.Skills Development Priorities 3.Challenges in Current Environment 4.Cross-cutting Strategies 5.Programmes and Sub-Programmes Programme 1: Administration Programme 2: Skills Planning Programme 3: Occupationally Directed Programmes Programme 4: FETCs Programme 5: Language and Numeracy Skills Programme 6: Workplace Skills Development Programme 7: Co-operatives, Small enterprises, Worker initiated, NGO and community training initiatives Programme 8: Career Development 6.Budget allocation 7.Targets Structure of Presentation

1. Background

The merSETA has five skills development priorities: Priority 1 is to develop a sector labour market intelligence (LMI) system. Priority 2 is the continued and even increased focus on artisan development. Priority 3 is to establish and facilitate strategic partnerships that will impact on both the funding available for skills development and the improved quality of skills development. Priority 4 is to increase the flow of newly skilled workers into the sector, through increasing the skills available to the sector to meet its short-term needs and improving the base level of learning. Priority 5 is to develop the skills of the existing workforce as this is of primary importance for the development of the sector and for achieving outcomes that are consistent with decent work, equity, and sector economic growth and employment. 2. Sector Skills Development Priorities

3.1. Aligning industry needs with national development imperatives, policy directives, and DHET priorities Financial and Budgetary Constraints Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of skills development in the sector Co-funding training, with employers, provinces, the UIF and various state departments, including ‘cluster’ SETAs Improving employer buy-in through engaging industry associations on the challenges facing the industry. 3. Challenges in the Current Environment

4.1. Rural Development 4.2. Sustainable Green Skills Development 4.3. People with Disabilities 4.4. FET Strategy 4.5. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) 4. Cross-cutting Strategies

Nominated Governing Board/Audit/Remco structure in place Management structure in place – no vacant key positions Unqualified external audit reports Full compliance within the legislative framework that merSETA operates – PFMA/SDL/SDLA/National Treasury/AG/ SAQA Good internal audit reports – A tool to strengthen management Documented and implemented systems in place Clearly defined business processes Effective and documented monitoring and evaluation policies and processes Internal and External Customer Satisfaction Survey conducted. Credible data and reliable MIS system Accountability and transparency in all facets of business Programme 1: Administration (Effective & Efficient Governance)

Established research inventory hub. Capacitated merSETA internal/ external stakeholders Grants aligned to the SSP Strategic partnerships implemented for skills planning. merSETA sector awareness created with reference to the SSP. Programme 2: Skills Planning

Skills development initiatives. List of identified intermediate skills needs specific to merSETA sub-sectors. Plan to support artisan development. List of identified high level national scarce skills. Established research, development and innovation capacity. Programme 3: Increased access to occupationally directed programmes

FET participation in Development Quality Partnership (DQP) processes Input provided into the FET Curriculum Review Mechanisms established to address possible gaps between industry and academic provision Programme 4: Promoting the responsiveness of FETCs to the intermediate skills needs of the sector

Established partnerships with schools and relevant institutions. Increased entrance to higher education in merSETA sector. Increased entrance into additional training programmes. Programme 5: Addressing the low level of youth and adult language and numeracy skills to enable additional training

Grants allocation aligned to equity targets. Sector projects supported to address skills gaps and imbalances towards improved productivity. Cross-sectoral partnership projects supported to address skills gaps towards Local Economic Development (LED). Programme 6: To promote workplace skills development within the sector

List of identified intermediate skills needs Participation of SMEs in relevant learning programmes Business support implementation Established partnerships, programmes, grants and incentives List of functional and established sector NGOs, CBOs and Cooperatives Mechanisms and models for skills development support Meaningful linkages between cooperatives, NGOs, CBOs and business Programme 7: Encouraging and supporting Cooperatives, Small Enterprises, Worker-initiated, NGO and Community Training Initiatives

Integrated career and learner development strategy Alternative mechanisms including national and international partnerships to enable career-pathing and personal development. Established learning pathways to support career development. Enhanced awareness of workplace and post-school institutions for career development opportunities of workers. Enhanced profile of merSETA careers nationally Support initiatives of complementary entities including government, NGOs and institutions through regional partnerships. Programme 8: Career Development

Programme Performance Indicators, linked to annual targets, are negotiated with the Department of Higher Education and Training. This forms the basis of the SLA with DHET. Based on the promulgation of the new grant regulations, as well as the DHET’s own scorecard, this year significant increases have been negotiated on certain categories. Achievement of these sector targets depends on fully leveraging the PIVOTAL programmes, reducing budgets on non-essential projects, and negotiating partnership funding. The targets are broken down per region. See targets matrix (handout). 7. Targets

Thank You Derrick Peo General Manager : IRD