Minister of Higher Education & Training on National Skills Fund (NSF) and National Skills Authority Budget and Strategic Plans 2011: briefing
Meeting Summary
The National Skills Authority and the National Skills Fund presented their 2011/12 budgets and strategic plans to the Committee. The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Mr Blade Nzimande noted that these bodies should be seen as works-in-progress, and that a great many issues were still being reviewed.
Members of the Committee asked about the functioning of Sector Education and Training Authorities, legislation, previously disadvantaged institutions of learning, teacher training, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, the Further Education and Training Colleges and the overall functioning of the National Skills Authority and the National Skills Fund as advisory and funding bodies.
Meeting report
Opening Statement by the Minister
Minister for Higher Education and Training, Mr Blade Nzimande, addressed the Committee and gave an overall outline of the background to the National Skills Authority (NSA) and the National Skills Fund (NSF), stating that both bodies should be viewed as ‘works-in-progress’. The NSA and the Department had identified problems with the composition of the NSA because it had tended to be more constituency based, and sometimes lacked the independent advisory capacity needed.
Minister Nzimande reminded Members that the National Skills Development Strategy III (NSDS III) had been the Department’s priority He noted that the challenge existed to increase the NSA’s capacity and encouraged Members to contribute.
Minister Nzimande noted that as a result of the recent split of educational and training bodies there were significant legislative amendments that needed to be carried out.
Minister Nzimande addressed the NSF and noted that this fund was now responsible for the entire post-school education and training system.
Department of Higher Education and Training. National Skills Authority. Budget and strategy for 2011/12. Presentation
Ms Percy Moleke, Deputy Director-General: Skills, Department for Higher Education and Training (DoHET), briefed the Committee. The NSA was an advisory body to the Minister of Higher Education and Training. The NSA’s composition and structure was reviewed and a summary of the functions of the NSA, namely to advise and consult with the Minister, liaise with Sector Education and Training Authorities, as well as other tasks as delegated by the Skills Development Act. The NSA Secretariat was responsible for supporting the work of the committees and managing the day-to-day operations of the NSA.
Ms Moleke referred to the NSA Draft Repositioning Report which sought to expand and focus functions of the NSA, which included improving the NSA’s status as an advisory body and its relationship with other advisory bodies in the area of human resources, strengthening the capacity of the NSA and establishing a structural and functional relationship with the Department’s Skill’s branch.
Ms Moleke briefed the Committee on the NSA’s budget and noted that there was a current discussion about providing the NSA with a standing allocation from the Department, but that this was ongoing.
The NSA had identified five key areas of development:
1. A review of the skills development legislative framework to support integration of education and training.
2. Developing a framework on the mobilisation of business, government, community and labour to take full ownership of the NSDS III.
3. Post school education and training that encouraged society to support and build a developmental state.
4. Strengthening the monitoring and evaluation functions particularly on the NSDS III performance and governance.
5. Research development and innovation to promote beneficiation and business enterprise development opportunities.
Minister Nzimande added that the Department was in discussion with the NSA to help it get the budget that was required. He also raised the issue of creating an inspectorate body for higher education; another issue that was being discussed at all levels.
Department of Higher Education and Training. National Skills Fund. Budget and strategy for 2011/12
Mr Mvuyisi Macikama, Chief Director: National Skills Fund (NSF), briefed the Committee on the National Skills Fund budget and strategy. The NSF was seen as a part of the skills and training programme and not as a separate entity as was sometimes thought.
Mr Macikama outlined the strategic outcomes for the NSF which centred around the human resource capacity building initiatives of
Mr Macikama briefed the Committee on the relationships and engagements that the NSF had developed. These included partnerships with the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform by providing bursaries for 335 young people; a partnership with Artisan Development Technical Task Team; the Department of Public Enterprises specifically with relation to artisan training with State Owned Enterprises (SOEs); the Department of Public Works; Further Education and Training (FET) Colleges; and the Department of Basic Education where the NSF is funding the training of 1200 teachers.
Mr Macikama outlined the NSF’s funding priorities for 2011.
Mr Macikama commented that the NSF was currently redesigning its organogram and internal structure, which should be completed by August 2011. Provincial and rural development was also being assessed.
Mr Macikama briefed the Committee on the budget and finances of the NSF. The unspent funds for previous years were being allocated to current projects, boosting monitoring and evaluation, kick-starting infrastructure spending, and the expansion of the
Discussion
Ms N Vukuza (COPE) took issue with the composition of the NSA. Ms Vukuza hoped that due process was followed in finalising the composition and functions of these bodies. It was also noted that the system seemed to concentrate on ‘ensuring, preparing’ and needed to improve its actual performance and results.
Minister Nzimande commented that changes to legislation must take into account National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) negotiations, but that obviously Parliament had the final say.
Ms Vukuza requested that the 30 000 unqualified teachers currently in the education system be prioritised in their training and asked whether this plan was part of the teacher development plan or whether it was an isolated plan.
Mr Z Makhubele (ANC) asked whether NSA and NSF had the same structure and people at provincial level.
Mr Makhubele asked what the rationale was behind certain project numbers being envisioned.
Mr A Mpontshane (IFP) requested that the Committee be provided with more information, more concrete information, instead of pure financial information relating to what funds have been allocated where.
Minister Nzimande stated that this information would be provided.
Mr G Radebe (ANC) requested that previously disadvantaged universities be prioritized in terms of funding.
Minister Nzimande replied that this was a priority for the Department.
Mr Radebe commented that providers from outside various provinces were being used and requested that provincial competencies and skills in each province be used.
Minister Nzimande agreed with Mr Radebe and stated that consultants and service providers from outside provinces would not be used. He noted that a comprehensive review was being undertaken to look at where funds were being spent.
Dr J Lourens-Kloppers (DA) asked for clarity regarding the relationship between Funza Lushaka Bursary Scheme and the NSF bursaries for teachers.
Minister Nzimande replied that groups were working in partnership with one another to avoid creating parallel structures. He stated that the company Careerwise was engaged in providing services, but it was being reviewed with an aim to make National Student Financial Aid Scheme of South Africa (NSFAS) the premium bursary organisation in the country.
Dr Lourens-Kloppers asked in what provinces skills development forums had been established and what assistance was being provided to these forums, and what steps had been taken in terms of the legislation to address this issue.
Minister Nzimande answered that regional offices did not exist for the Department, which hampered the work of the Department in provinces, but that this was being looked into. He noted that he had had a meeting with the Premier of the
Dr Lourens-Kloppers asked whether the NSA had made any decision regarding any Service and Training Authorities that might have gone into administration.
Dr Lourens-Kloppers asked whether any investigations have been undertaken by the NSA regarding the application of the Skills Development Act.
Mr van der Westhuizen (DA) commented that he admired some of the Minister’s views on the NSA, especially the fact that it was not as independent as it should be. Mr Van der Westhuizen asked whether the Minister would agree that the NSA and NSF had not performed as they should in the recent past.
Mr Van der Westhuizen commented that, according to the minutes, the previous year’s presentation stated that the NSA was emphasising its research success, while this presentation noted the need to boost research capacity. This made him question the effectiveness of the NSA.
Mr Van der Westhuizen noted that it seemed as if there had been few calls for proposals in the past year.
Minister Nzimande replied that there needed to be a mix or projects, proposals and approaches directly from organisations.
Mr Van der Westhuizen asked the Minister whether the NSA has been advising the Minister on the recent changes to Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) and their boards, or whether another source of influence existed.
Minister Nzimande replied that the Services SETA was being investigated, and that the Construction SETA - Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) amongst others had been investigated in the past year. On the influence of the NSA, Minister Nzimande noted that very little was done without consulting the NSA. He also noted that in the previous year the NSA had done good work in involving the public with regard to SETAs.
Mr Makhubele emphasised that the restructuring of the NSA and NSF should focus on spending capacity.
Minister Nzimande noted that the relationships between bodies were not as they should be. He also noted that a large percentage of courses facilitated were short courses, and gave the example of domestic workers being trained for 16 days at a unit cost of R40 000 per course. Thus it was important to align public institutions with spending capacity, and move towards professional, occupational and trade programmes instead of short courses.
Dr Lourens-Kloppers asked for presentations to be provided to Members the day before to allow for proper preparation.
The Chairperson noted that there must be a tough stand against the proliferation of short courses and emphasised the need to concentrate on career development courses, diplomas, and degrees. He also stated that resources needed to be allocated to master's, doctoral and post-doctoral study because of
The meeting was adjourned.
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