TETA disburses grants worth R84m

Transport department salutes its success ANNA COX The Transport Education and Training Authority (TETA) recorded total revenue of R194,4 million and total expenditure of R148,66 million for the 2004/05 financial year, reinforcing its status as one of the most successful Sectoral Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) in the country. So said Department of Transport director-general, Mpumi Mpofu, speaking on behalf of transport minister Jeff Radebe at the TETA annual general meeting in Johannesburg recently. There are currently almost 12 000 registered, levy-paying companies in the transport sector representing about 460 000 employees. In the past year TETA supported the levy-paying companies in the transport sector by disbursing more than R87.4 million for mandatory grants. TETA further approved R78 million for discretionary grant projects across the eight TETA chambers where companies are going the extra mile to implement skills development programmes. TETA also approved R14 million of its own funds to implement learnership programmes for the unemployed or new entrants to the transport sector. A further R58 million was approved from the National Skills Fund to increase the number of skilled and employable individuals. gThe department is proud to pronounce that during the reconstitution and renewal of the SETAs, TETAfs status was recognised as being amongst the best-performing SETAs. This is evident in the fact that TETA has played a pivotal role in fast-tracking skills development across various sub-sectors of transport," said Mpofu. gIt has done this through the development of recognised qualifications and standard generation processes, as well through the support it has provided to levy payers, including SMMEs. It is critical to mention that through the number of learnerships implemented by TETA, a number of doors have been opened to our unemployed youth,h she said. Mpofu said it was important for TETA to address certain challenges which could enhance delivery of Governmentfs skills development mandate: œ The need to advise government at a strategic level on the transformational issues across various sub-sectors that would significantly impact on the economic development of our country; œ The need to align the TETA Sector Skills plan with the imperatives of Government to provide a clear direction on areas towards which resources should be channelled, and where investments were needed to grow the economy towards a 6% GDP target; œ The need to map out the sector profile resourcefully, clearly indicating areas of supply and demand across the sector, the impact of HIV/Aids on our skills base, and innovative ways of achieving our Millennium Development Goals by 2014. Addressing these challenges would assist government in making informed decisions on investment in education and training, in addressing scarce skills areas, identifying and addressing strategic projects and ensuring that a framework of continuous life-long learning was pursued in the critical areas of need, she said. Employers get serious about skills development ANNA COX SINCE THE inception of TETA, 363 126 learners have participated in structured learning interventions, an indication that increasing numbers of employers and employees are taking skills development seriously,h Dr Piet Bothma, chief executive of TETA, said at the AGM recently. gSome 174 480 learners registered for training programmes of whom 172 278 completed their programme during the 2004/05 financial year,h he said. TETA has also begun to see the benefits of the R20 million that it set aside for SMME development in the transport sector. Furthermore 20 671 informal learners and operators in the taxi and small boat fishing industries had also benefited from training. He said the assessment of TETAfs achievements against targets set by the Department of Labour had shown that TETA had exceeded targets. gTETA is ready to face the challenge at hand for the next five years and realise that what we achieved during the first five years is only the tip of the iceberg. We are committed to enhancing skills development and creating greater impact on the effectiveness, efficiency and safety of the transport sector through facilitating the delivery of high-quality education and training to our stakeholders,h he said.