Finance and Economic Opportunities

a]  What are the areas of skills demand in the province that have been identified so far in this financial year?

The area of skills demand for the Province is linked to the priority tradeable sectors of the Province which include Agri-processing, Oceans Economy, Business Process Outsourcing, Tourism, Transport and Logistics, ICT and digital related fields, artisan and technical trades related sectors including Manufacturing.

b]  How is her Department coordinating partnerships with stakeholders at different levels to address this demand?

To address the demand, the Skills Development, and Innovation Programme within Department of Economic Development and Tourism [DEDAT] drives the creation of an enabling environment by building partnerships towards a common objective to facilitate a better match between the supply and the industry demands for skills. This is primarily through support to the private sector by focusing on experiential learning programmes that respond to challenges associated with the lack of experience, skills, and qualifications. This focus has resulted in one of the most cost-effective youth employment creation programmes in the Province.

The partnerships established with both public and private sector over the past two years have crowded in funding to support the technical skills development and commitment from private sector to provide further employment for beneficiaries after the completion of the experiential learning. Partnerships have also been established with other Western Cape Government [WCG] Departments such the Western Cape Education Department, Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport as well as NGOs via projects such as the @homelearning project that provides experiential learning opportunities to unemployed youth to gain meaningful workplace experience and training while contributing to improving educational outcomes negatively impacted by the pandemic.

More than 6500 beneficiaries benefited from experiential learning programmes over the past two years, which provided a combination of structured, accredited or vendor skills programmes, experiential learning of up to 12 months and a departmental stipend support of up to R3 000 per month, which was further topped up by private sector.

The success of these partnerships and programmes is that 80% of those  who completed their respected contracted experiential learning opportunities, particularly in the Business Process Outsourcing [BPO] industry, secured further employment after completing DEDAT’s experiential learning programmes.

c]  How is her Department engaging with the national government on updating the National Scarce Skills List to align it closely with the skills needed in the Province?

DEDAT has a relationship with the national Department of Higher Education and Training, who is responsible for the updating of the Scarce Skills list and engages with various other Departments such as National Skills Authority and Quality Council for Trades & Occupations , which contributes to the Province’s inputs into this list.

In addition, DEDAT has established relationships with the National Human Resource Development Council [HRDC] to influence decision and policy makers who have the mandate in the education and post school space to drive systemic change that allows youth access to the current workforce and the relevant workplace skills to become employable. DEDAT is the Provincial secretariat for the Provincial HRDC that works closely with the National HRDC Council to drive human resource development aligned to the national priorities in the Human Resource Development Strategy 2030.

Quarterly reporting to the National HRDC executive council provides an update on the human resource development activities being implemented in the Province, and highlights where lobby and advocacy at a National level is required for skills challenges identified impacting the education system from basic to post-school level.

DEDAT also engages with the Sector Education and Training Authorities [SETAs] that report to the DHET on their Sector Skills Plans identifying the scarce and critical skills required by private sector. A SETA College forum as well as Provincial SETA Cluster forum is established in the Province to better understand the National scarce and critical skills required and try to ensure that the skills supply providers are more responsive to the industry needs in the Province. These platforms have resulted in positively contributing to the crowding in of funding from certain SETAs by DEDAT, to support skills interventions that have or are currently being implemented in the Province to address provincial skills needs.

d]  [i]  How many beneficiaries are currently being supported through skills interventions?

In the new financial year that started on 1 April 2022 to date, a total of 414 beneficiaries have been supported through DEDAT Skills Programmes and Projects. Further intakes of approximately 4 000 more learners are planned for the rest of the financial year.

[ii] What are the relevant details of these interventions?

The 414 beneficiaries have been recruited in the BPO sector during April 2022 and May 2022.  The planned intakes in the BPO sector for the rest of the year is 3 330, while a total of 500 beneficiaries will be recruited for the Work and Skills Programme and 170 beneficiaries for the Artisan Development Programme.  The intakes in the BPO sector are done in a staggered manner and the other two programmes are on a once off intake basis.