Question NW4166 to the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
28 November 2022 - NW4166
Graham, Ms SJ to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
Whether sector education and training authorities (SETAs) pay the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) on behalf of learners who participate in their programmes; if not, why not; if so, (a) which of the SETAs do this as a matter of course and (b) is there a threshold in terms of the duration of the course that determines the payment of UIF?
Reply:
In terms of the Unemployment Insurance Act (No 63 of 2001), payment of the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) on behalf of learners who participate in the workplace-based learning programmes is the responsibility of the levy paying employers who employ learners not the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs). Since SETAs are not employers, they only allocate / disburse discretionary grants to levy paying employers who in turn must comply with the provisions of the Unemployment Insurance Act. Therefore:
(a) There is no SETA which pays UIF on behalf of learners participating in the SETA funded learning programmes.
(b) The threshold in terms of the duration of the course that determines the payment of UIF is regulated by the Unemployment Insurance Act for implementation by employers who receive funding from the SETAs for implementation of workplace-based learning programmes.