KTS plays role in skills development, learnerships

In 2000, Sector Education and Training Authorities were promulgated with the objective to work out and implement sector skills plans, promote learnerships in accordance with the Skills Development Act and funded by the Skills Development Levy. Twenty-three SETAs were created per economic sector identified within the economy.

The ISETT SETA (one of the SETAs) subsequently appointed KTS Technology Solutions to perform the project management of some of the training programmes in Gauteng, North-West and Limpopo.

KTS was selected (among other consulting firms) to manage the learnership programmes because of its high competency in programme/project management. There are other competencies within KTS' services offering, which gave KTS the best competitive edge to be awarded the opportunity of being the lead employer and project manager of these learnership programmes. KTS' recruitment and placing competencies also played an added advantage in this role.

Workplace employers were a key stakeholder to the learners because they provided the place for experiential training for the trainees. The training providers carry out the training as prescribed by the unit standards, which are set up by the South African Qualifications Authority. Assessors and moderators then carry out the quality assurance element of the programmes to ascertain that the training has indeed been carried out as expected or prescribed by the unit standards.

KTS was able to get an opportunity from the Media Information and Communication Technology Sector Education and Training Authority (MICT SETA) (previously known as ISETT SETA - Information Systems, Electronics and Telecommunications Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority) to select an accredited training provider for the programme. KTS was given the opportunity to recruit the learners from the school leavers, to implement both theoretical and practical phases of the programme. The graduates from the programmes were then placed with suitable companies if they were in a position to employ them. In cases where it is not possible to employ them, KTS was required to seek employment for the graduates within the broader economy.

In addition to the above tasks, KTS was responsible for project managing the whole Learnership Programme, including the distribution of funds to the training service provider as well as paying the stipends to the learners.

At the end of the programme, the youth were empowered with relevant ICT knowledge and skills. The result of which was to boost the level of confidence and assertiveness of its graduates and assisting in decreasing the level of the unemployment rate in the country.

To date, KTS has assisted 330 learners to obtain relevant IT qualifications through its involvement with the MICT SETA. Of these learners, 202 were employed by various public and private companies.

Workplace employers and training providers were a key to KTS' success. The MICT SETA provided the funding to KTS for the running of the project as a whole. Assessors and moderators were the ones who evaluate the effectiveness of the training from the training provider. The Department of Higher Education and Training made it a point that the SETA is carrying out its mandate as the main programme sponsor.

In addition, KTS' contribution to the skills development mandate for the MICT SETA was highly regarded in the industry. For example, the KTS report was presented to governmental departments and agencies as a template describing the standard that should be adopted by all SETAs.