Simpler process of accessing the money
ALAN PEAT
A SCHEME has been devised by the Forwarding & Clearing Chamber of the Transport Education and Training Authority (TETA) which will make it easier for small and medium sized companies in the industry to take advantage of the various training grants available.
This, said Edward Little, adviser to the SA Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF), has always been an area of some difficulty for smaller companies - and large numbers have shied away from the complicated application procedure.
“The larger members of SAAFF have been able to take advantage of the grants made available through the TETA,” he told FTW. “But, in terms of the Skills Development Act, the members who are classified as small and medium sized entities (SMMEs) have found the process difficult to comply with, and have therefore tended to stay away.”
The government has sought to use the Skills Development Act as a means of creating jobs - by promoting education and training for the unemployed.
But, Little added, the concern of the management committee of the F&C Chamber has been the upliftment of people already employed in the industry.
“I regard this as being essential if we are to retain our worldwide competitiveness by keeping up with international trends,” he said, “offering new services and better ways of doing things.
“Size is not everything in this industry - rather, a well-informed, first-class service is the criterion.”
The chamber, therefore, has managed to convince the authorities of the need for SMMEs to have a less complicated process of accessing the money contributed in terms of the Skills Development Levies Act.
Now, not only is there a relatively simple coupon system in place for skills programmes, but this has now been extended to “Learnerships” for people already employed.
“This does not preclude unemployed learners in respect of whom the SMME will, in addition, qualify for the monthly allowance of R800,” said Little. “This will, however, be restricted to two unemployed learners per SMME.”
Meantime, the F&C Chamber’s Tsepo Mlangeni joined Little in urging all SMMEs in the f&c and ships agents’ industries to participate in this new initiative.
“In our respective industries approximately 60% to 70% are SMMEs who contribute their levies to the TETA but do not participate in the National Skills Development Strategy,” he said, “and hence do not claim incentives in the form of mandatory grants for developing their staff.”
However, he stressed, the TETA Council has now made some
R10-million in funds available to allow SMMEs to participate much more effectively in skills development.
And Mlangeni expressed the chamber’s willingness to assist SMMEs.
For further information or application forms, e-mail Tshepo Mlangeni at tshepo@teta26.co.za
