Employment and training targets for the industry are being met, says the Information Systems, Electronics and Telecommunication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (Isett Seta).
However, more will be done to improve the performance of the authority, it adds.
The Seta, which was cited as one of the better performing authorities by the Department of Labour, says it has met and exceeded most of the targets over the past two years.
Oupa Mopaki, CEO of Isett Seta, says the authority has lived up to its mission and continued to provide learning and employment opportunities for the sector.
Mopaki adds that although the Seta worked with municipalities to address the issue of e-government, it struggled to meet the requirement to place 70% of unemployed learners who had received training in employment.
“This has affected perceptions around the authority's performance. To address this, a balance has to be struck between the requirement to train learners for employment and the requirement to train in order to build a critical mass,” says Mopaki.
strategy.
All Setas were recently relocated from the Department of Labour to the Department of Higher Education. The department proposes to cut them down to 12, from the current 23. Details of which Setas will be affected will only be available in 2010, when the department introduces final changes.
Funding available
Over R5 billion has been set aside to fund initiatives dealing with the economic crisis. The Setas will receive the bulk of this money, which is yet to be allocated. The funding will be sourced from resources in the National Skills Fund and the Unemployment Insurance Fund.
The Department of Labour also plans to introduce further changes, which will include a review of the National Skills Authority, the Seta landscape and the National Skills Development Strategy, and would only be completed after 2010.
Higher education minister Blade Nzimande has stated government needs time to “apply its mind” to what changes need to be made and ensure the right results are reached.
Isett Seta states that while the changes are implemented, training programmes will continue. The Seta has also moved towards employer-led skills development initiatives. Employers had been asked to submit proposals to train learners in learnerships and graduate internship programmes.
Over R60 million was allocated to the initiative for the 2008/09 financial year, but this money was under-spent.
Mopaki says proposals from companies were only received halfway through the financial year and it had become difficult to spend the money. The initiative would continue and funding would be made available, he adds.
Rural provinces had also proved challenging to the Seta. While training providers were accredited, training was still poor. The absence of ICT companies in rural provinces also made it difficult for the Seta to carry out its employer-led training initiatives, says Mopaki. End-user computer training for unemployed youth on a municipal level would be increased in rural areas, he notes.
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