Teta disburses R200.8m for skills training

CLIVE EMDON THE TRANSPORT Education and Training Authority (Teta) disbursed R200 820 000 for skills training in the year ending March 2006, chief financial officer Dalpat Naran reported at the Tetafs AGM last month. He said the total income made available for grants had been disbursed. This included R165 062 000 that was made available for mandatory grants and R35 758 000 made available for discretionary grants. Teta CEO Piet Bothma reported that nearly 90% of big companies and 65% of medium companies had received skills development grants. In a strategic overview of the progress of the Teta, he said 1 600 small firms were supported through the Tetafs small, medium and micro enterprises (SMME) strategy while some 50 black economic empowerment (BEE) companies were supported through skills development initiatives. June Dube, chairman of the Teta Board, provided positive feedback on the achievements of the Teta in meeting Service Level Agreement (SLA) targets with the Department of Labour (DoL).These are aimed at dealing with challenges faced in the sector. œ 2076 learners have achieved adult basic education and training (Abet) level 4, while the target was 2 000 for the financial year. A spokesperson, Garry le Roux, told FTW last week that Level 4 was a programme equivalent to matric level; œ 12 965 learners completed their skills programmes (while the target was 1000) and another 9 138 were registered and in the process of completing their programmes (a target of 2000). Le Roux said there were currently 30 registered training learnerships in the transport sector, while about 800 learnerships now provide training throughout the whole economy through the sectoral education and training authority (Seta) system of training. In addition, the transport sector has 52 apprenticeships in different trades. Learnerships can be completed in 12 months to three years and are a practical in-service training method while apprenticeships generally take three years. He said the Seta system was intended to provide life-long training. Personnel working in the transport sector are able to take learnerships beyond the 30 specific to their sector.