15 Apr 2010 Fresh stock of food industry technical skills
More than 1 200 artisans are making their debut in the food and beverage manufacturing sectors, the culmination of a four-year apprenticeship project spearheaded by the FoodBev SETA.
The R79-million project, involving mainly previously unemployed people, was showcased at a function in Johannesburg this week attended by executives of the SETA and representatives of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET).
To date, three years into the project, 1 096 of the targeted 1 230 apprentices have been enrolled.
The initiative, started in 2007, supports the DHET’s drive for artisan training, in which Minister Blade Nzimande holds a special interest, and its quest to create a productive economy by aligning training and skills development to industry needs. We will increase the numbers and the quality of skilled artisans, particularly in priority trades, through a synergy of strengthening FET (further education and training) colleges, Seta’s work and business initiatives, he announced in his budget vote speech of 25 March. The department’s annual target is 12 500 artisans a year against the current average qualification rate of 5 600.
Having set out to increase the pool of competent artisans, particularly in fields identified as having scarce skills, such as millwrighting, fitting and electrical trades, FoodBev SETA entered into three strategic partnerships, with the Southern African Stainless Steel Associations (Sassda), Agriseta, and Coega Development Corporation. Placements for apprentices were secured with various companies in the food and beverages manufacturing sector with the candidates having to complete 85 weeks of practical training in preparation for a trade test at a Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Seta (Merseta)-accredited trade test centre. Most of the apprentices who have already completed training have been absorbed into the labour market by the companies with which they completed their training. The majority of these artisans hail from previously disadvantaged backgrounds.
FoodBev SETA CEO, Ravin Deonarain, explains that apprenticeships have enjoyed a revival of late, after declining over several years for reasons including economic recession and changes in the structure of the economy, technology and work organisations. “They are now reclaiming their place as effective skills development initiatives alongside the more modern concepts of learnerships and skills programmes,” he says. FoodBev SETA has long recognised the benefits of the traditional apprenticeship programme in providing learners with skills perfectly aligned to the needs of the workplace.
The SETA funds apprenticeships to the value of R72 000 per candidate over the two-year training period. Aside from funding, it is responsible for the quality assurance of apprentice training in the food and beverages manufacturing sector, with technical expertise being provided by FET colleges.
To ensure the suitability of candidates for the programme, the SETA worked closely with the FET colleges and the host employers to identify learners with relevant qualifications and the ability to make the transition from college lecture room to demanding work environment.
Says Deonarain: “Experience shows that the selection process must be thorough and uncompromising if a training project is to be successful. For this reason FoodBev SETA assisted host companies with the recruitment of suitable applicants from a pool of candidates obtained from FET colleges.”
Although FoodBev SETA still faces challenges, it has, year-on-year, exceeded its targets in terms of the National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) and is committed to continuing to do so.
”Apprenticeships will remain an integral part of our skills development efforts for their role in developing and enhancing employability of learners, specifically the previously unemployed, who are among the most important beneficiaries of the NSDS.”