Finally - the voice of reason! Well reason in theory that would be. The problem lies not in the Setas and what they can do, but in the red tape in claiming funds to pay for the training that is required or needed. For many years the SMME market had to pay into the fund for all employees and to get or claim money out of the fund to train those employees took more time and energy than the money was worth. So instead of assisting the SMME market to grow all that it did was strangle the very growth that they were trying to promote! Talk about a catch 22. As usual it was the medium to big companies that benefited as if they were training hundreds and/or thousands of employees, the red tape would take the same amount of time and effort as it would to claim back for one person. Doesn't make any kind of sense does it? If memory serves me correctly, there was also a time, when the Setas were instructed to spend the money in the coffers as there was so much of it - that in itself should tell us all that there is a problem in the administrating of the funds. As usual in Africa, what was initially set up to assist became what could potentially be the death of a SMME.
Nikki
29 November 2006 at 07h12
Underperforming Sector Training Authorities (Setas) should be identified and improved to maintain the Setas system to produce skills. Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said this on Tuesday after talks with the Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa). "It would be wrong to abandon this enormous potential for training and go back, or to recreate something else," he said.
"We have to recognise that is the shape of training and give it a shot". The issue of training featured in the talks, including concerns around the dearth of artisans, such as pipe welders who had to be brought in from other countries to work at Sasol. "We are worried that the training system is not delivering people," Manuel said.
Sapa
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