Question NW209 to the Minister of Home Affairs
24 February 2022 - NW209
van der Merwe, Ms LL to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
In light of the publication by his department of the critical skills list in the Government Gazette 44164 on 18 February 2021 that was last updated in 2014, and considering the staggering unemployment rate in the Republic, what (a) factors were taken into account by his department in determining what skills can be regarded as critical in the Republic and (b) are the details of the investigations and findings that were undertaken by his department since 2014 to enable it to draft the specified list?
Reply:
(a) In 2019 the Department engaged with subject matter experts and the drafters of the Occupations in High Demand (OIHD) list published by the DHET. The purpose of the engagement was to request assistance with methodologies and best practice in drafting a credible critical skills list. The DHET officials agreed to the request and requested that a memorandum of agreement be concluded between DHET and DHA to that effect.
In August 2019 an official request to the Minister of DHET requesting authorization for the collaboration was concluded. The Minister of DHET responded positively and indicated that DHET welcomes and supports the collaboration between the two departments. An MOA was signed between the two departments. The agreement was that the DHET will use its subject matter experts and resources, at no cost to the DHA, to draft the Critical Skills List on behalf of the Department of Home Affairs.
(b) The details of the investigations and findings that were undertaken by the DHET researchers in the drafting of the Critical Skills List are captured in the Technical Report on the Critical Skills List available at the Department of Higher Education and Training.
END