DHET-SIPs Identifying skill needs for

planned projects and programmes …

By Adrienne Bird,

Special Projects Unit, DHET to

HSRC Policy Roundtable IV

Identifying Skill Needs in South Africa

STEP 1: Understand the projects / programmes

1. Collect list of Strategic Integrated Projects

2. Group projects into sectors e.g. energy, roads

3. Sub-divide sectors into sub-sectors e.g. energy generation (coal, gas, solar, nuclear …), transmission, distribution

4. Define skill needs for typical projects (each phase of each project) = prototypes

5. As technical specialists which skills are scarce

Typical skills prototype per sector

STEP 2: Estimate list & scale of SIP scarcity

1. Match skill prototypes to real projects;

2. Scale the prototype to match the projects (with expert help) to estimate skills needed;

3. Generate estimation of total skill requirement;

4. Use same process to determine estimation of scale of scarcity FOR OCCUPATIONS IN DEMAND FOR SIPS

Overall skills demand for all SIPs

5

Skills shortage for all SIPs

7

500

Materials Engineer

Surveyor (including land and eng. surveyors)

450

Grader Operator

450

Programme / Project Manager

350

Electronic Eng Technician

300

Welders

220

Top 6 scarce skills after first assessment (2013)

We need to train for more than the SIPs

Crane or hoist operators Electricians

Bui lding & construction 28%

Electricity, gas & water 17%

Equipment &

supplies 12%

Manufacturing16%

Mining & quarrying 15%

National, provincial &

loca l government 10%

Service provider 1%Transport & s torage 1%

STEP 3: Scarcity of occupations in context

• Estimate total demand for these occupations using LM-EM Forecasting Model – with modification of QLSF data (including SIP estimates);

• Estimate total supply = current stock (QLSF modified) then replacement projection and supply projection based on enrolment data for relevant (NCAP determined) qualifications mapped against projected demand;

• Determine gap to be addressed.

Developing capacity

Trades – how great is the demand? Shown as follows for each trade

Carpenters and Joiners (p. 189)

Occupational teams – harnessing those who care

Employersand unions

Trainingcenter

convener

Assessorconvener

Theoryconvener

Theoretical foundation

Practical training

Structured workplace

learning

Final assessment

Overall convener

The learning pipeline

School

• Career guidance and subject choices

• Quality of education and achieving grades required for occupation

Theory

• Funding, throughput – enhancing delivery

• Access, new qualifications

Practical

• Availability

• Equipment, simulators, instructors

Workplace

• Enough workplaces to offer meaningful, structured experience

• Coaching, mentoring, funding

Assessment

• Passing a trade test, professional registration, licensing, completing a learnership or QCTO Award etc

Expertise

• Immigration, secondment, retirees

• Specialisation

+ Employment and related issues

Professionals and associate professionals

Schooling

Common challenges High symbols in maths, science and literacy required

Limited pool from whom to chose and a challenge i.t.o. transformation

Limited awareness

Solutions Address Basic Education challenges

Work with National Career Advice Portal to improve information on careers, attend career days and give career talks on radio in all 11 languages

Professionals and associate professionals

Theory

Common challenges Low throughput and inadequate numbers entering industry

Inadequate numbers enrolling or inadequate number of institutions

New qualifications required

Solutions Modernise and increase amount of equipment and expand facilities

Reduce high student to lecturer ratios – attract, develop more lecturing staff by making scholarships available, funding Chairs, subvention, increasing salaries etc

Increase support staff

Increase tutoring, use of e-learning and range of student support

Increase number of bursaries available

Develop new qualifications where required

Greater % of DHET subsidy should reach the departments developing professionals

Professionals and associate professionals

Workplace-based learning

Common challenges Limited opportunities in the workplace

Poorly structured training

Solutions Develop structured programmes including mentorship and

coaching

Recognise candidate training as a learning pathway

SETAs to fund training during the candidacy phase

Encourage SETAs to work with VAs to manage programmes

Public sector to use Gazette 36760 to ensure their staff adequately training

Professionals and associate professionals Assessment Common challenges

Small Councils have insufficient capacity to establish robust review system

Costly to establish new professions Not all professions recognised on OFO RPL not in place in all Councils

Solutions Offer seed funding and subsidise review process to establish

new Councils and new professions Link Councils with the OFO committee to make

recommendations Fund the development of RPL systems where required

Professionals and associate professionals

Expertise

Common challenges Insufficient expert/experienced capacity

Solutions Companies to support CPD

Encourage postgraduate studies

Support secondments

Employ retired professionals

Harness international specialists where necessary

Professionals and associate professionals Employment and related issues Common challenges

Identification of Work Labour legislation Building a Capable State

Solutions Finalise Identification of Work and regulations for BEPs Ensure changes in legislation do not reduce training

opportunities Create an enabling environment in the public sector

recognising the value of professional judgement in all activities such as HR, supply chain, finance etc

Develop career pathing and grow own staff

Report can be viewed:

https://sip-skills.onlinecf.net

Way forward

Convey Occupational Team recommendations to those responsible for implementation i.e. Institutions SETAs for workplaces Other funding sources

Work with planning & funding cycles …

New ‘steering’ mechanisms being explored e.g. centres of specialisation to focus certain institutions on certain occupations or clusters of occupations etc.

Methodology is forward looking:

It can be used for any site of demand, not only construction e.g. government plans and services (grant payments, labour inspectors’ site visits etc) – government WSPs? Input into SSPs... Key to the developmental role of the state i.e. beyond market responsiveness. Private sector investment initiatives – especially where linked to state incentives…