Skills Development Strategy; Social Plan Project: briefing

Meeting report

LABOUR & PUBLIC ENTERPRISES SELECT COMMITTEE
26 October 1999
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY; SOCIAL PLAN APPROACH: BRIEFING

Slide presentations
Social Plan Approach
Skills Development Strategy

SUMMARY
The Employment and Skills Development Services Directorate of the Labour Department gave a briefing on their plans to monitor skills development as well as the time frames in terms of skills development strategy.

The Social Plan Project has been put in place to discorage retrenchments in the first place and then minimise the effects thereof. The Retrenchment Response Team is there to give retrenched workers support and to ameliorate the effects of retrenchments on individulas and local economies.

MINUTES
The Chairperson's opening remarks
The Skills Development Act (SDA), which seeks to develop the skills of South Africa's labour sector, is important for significantly improving the quality of life of workers, as well as their productivity and competitiveness. This will enable them to cope with the harsh realities embedded in globalisation.

Since 1994, South Africa has rejoined the family of nations, by acquiring membership of the WTO, SADC, and the EU through the Trade Development and Co-operation Agreement. This indicates that our labour and financial markets have been opened up for robust and vigorous competition with global players.

Educating our workforce has never been more important. Democracy cannot be sustained if the workforce is not appropriately skilled to help us experience a rapid and sustainable economic growth. Economic growth in itself is not adequate. What this country needs is a comprehensive social and development plan, which is one of the most important instruments to sustain democracy and improve the quality of life of the broader South African citizens.

Ms A. Bird, Chief Director of the Employment and Skills Development Services gave a slide presentation on the Skills Development Strategy

Ms N. Marumo, Director of Employment Services gave a slide presentation on the Social Plan Project.

Queries raised by members:
The Chairperson, Mr S Fenyane (ANC, Northern Province) asked where the SETA offices are to be situated?
Ms Bird replied that in terms of the law, they must have one in each province. This is to ensure that local communities benefit from this. SETAs will work with provincial and local government.

Mr Kolweni (ANC, North West Province) said that the SETAs should not be divorced from the establishment of small business centres, and should work together. He wished this programme success.