Department of Infrastructure Masakh iSizwe Bursary & Training Programmes; NHBRC Training, Skills Development & Awareness Programmes

Meeting report

The Chairperson acknowledged the apology submitted by Minister Tertius Simmons and Member Peter de Villiers for not being able to attend the meeting in person. He joined online but was not allowed to participate in the engagement.

Western Cape DOI Presentation
Ms Jacqueline Gooch, Head of Department (HOD), said the Western Cape Government was incredibly proud of the team that was managing the MiS Bursary Programme and the Professional Development Programme under the leadership of Ms Rayi. Notwithstanding the approaches taken from a national level, the Department has been offering the programme since 2006. Adjustments were made over time and the programme had delivered exceptional results. The approach is to build a pipeline of young professionals that can be brought into the Department, trained and mentored, and eventually be appointed in senior positions over time to fill the scarce skills that exist in the built sector. She had been advocating for this type of programme at the national level to prove that the country was able to grow its own timber and did not need to recruit professionals and expertise from abroad.

Ms Fezeka Rayi, Director: Professional Development, stated that the training interventions provided by the Department accommodate students from CPUT, UCT and Stellenbosch University. The University of the Western Cape is excluded because it does not offer courses in technical fields. The purpose of the MiS Bursary Programme is to provide strategic skills development intervention to address the skills shortage in the built and engineering disciplines and other disciplines including transport and general skills. The key focus areas include assisting transformation, empowerment of young people, reducing unemployment, and establishing partnerships with the private sector to facilitate collective responsibility in addressing the skills shortage. A breakdown of the 176 bursaries that had been granted showed an uptake of 47% female and 53% male. People living with disabilities account for 3% of bursary uptake.

Ms Pat Jenneker, Director: Construction Industry Innovation and Empowerment, focused on the skills development programmes being offered by the Department which include:

Youth National Service (NYS); 12-month learnership accredited training to assist youth in gaining occupation skills to access work opportunities in targeted trades such as electrical wiring, construction carpentry and construction plumbing

Construction Apprenticeship Programme; 3-year accredited training to assist apprentices in following a career path in various artisanal trades and gaining occupational skills needed in the construction industry

Roads Artisans Programme; 4-year programme which has been assisting 55 learners since 2008
 
Human Settlements Skills Programmes; capacity building and economic empowerment in the construction sector aimed at persons over the age of 35 and young people, and
 
Contractor Development Programmes; rolled out in partnership with the NHBRC and key stakeholders within the built sector.

(See Presentation)

NHBRC Presentation
Ms Nurse Chabalala, Acting Executive: Corporate Services, said the NHBRC is in the home building industry to protect housing consumers, enable home builders to achieve industry standards, and regulate and enforce compliance to building standards. Service offerings include:

Engineering and Technical Drawing (ETD) accredited courses which carry credits towards a NQF Level 3 National Certificate in Building and Civil Construction;

Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) accredited courses offered by Home Builders, Military Veterans, Persons living with disabilities, women and youth, implemented by the NHBRC through TVET colleges; and

Social Transformation and Empowerment Programmes (STEP) and training to both internal and external technical professionals such as home inspectors and engineers.

(See Presentation)

Discussion
The Chairperson said the Committee had been trying for a long time to engage the NHBRC to find out about the work of the Council. She appreciated the presence of the Council as a commitment that was made during public hearings on the Housing Consumer Protection Bill and as a sign to restart the foundation of a working relationship with the Committee.

Ms Chabalala apologised for not being available for previous meetings. She undertook to make herself available for future meetings and to adhere to all requests from the Committee. The presentation on the visibility and accessibility of the NHBRC would be distributed to all Members as part of the awareness campaign.

The Chairperson said after the Housing Consumer Protection Bill public hearings there was a commitment to embark on roadshows to communicate with communities about what they can expect. The Committee needed in-depth information about how the NHBRC was going to engage with the communities. The Committee would be calling on the NHBRC for an engagement prior to the roadshows to understand the message and be able to amplify the message from the Committee’s perspective. Some communities are left behind and needed to be communicated with in laypersons’ language to simplify the messaging.

Ms C Murray (DA) referred to the DOI’s problem statement on skill shortages and the engagement on the matter with DEDAT and the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). It was important to have a holistic view of the problem and to identify those accountable for addressing the skills shortage. She enquired how the targeted trades covered in the 12-month learnership programme had been identified against the scarce skills, and if the significant shortage of graders had been taken into account. Learners are given a stipend for work integrated learning. She asked how the stipend was helping the learners with daily expenses.

Mr I Sileku (DA) appreciated all the statistics but said in most instances it was merely a matter of chasing targets. He wanted to hear how a person identified in 2006 had been taken through the initiative and ended up as a shareholder in a consortium in the building sector. The presentation lacked success stories about individuals and contractors in the Western Cape that were empowered with skills to prove that the initiative had been value for money. He wanted to know if the shortage of skills was scientifically determined and if municipalities were consulted about their particular needs. He asked if the Department has an agreement with municipalities as part of the programme to absorb individuals as employees.

The Chairperson asked if a needs analysis or a diagnostic tool was used to change the programme that started in 2006 into a training intervention in 2010. The concept of value for money is not to create a grant for training but to empower a group of people with skills so that they could be absorbed in the industry. She asked if the demand and supply in the construction industry is taken into account when individuals undergo the training. The Department should have access to the database of construction companies based on the MOU. She enquired about an agreement with the private sector to employee professionals in the industry. She asked the NHBRC to unpack the target to train 700 professionals against the outcome of 900 achieved. She sought clarity about the difference between the NHBRC targets compared to the Department’s targets.

Mr Sileku noted that the figures in terms of beneficiaries of the programme are skewed towards men. He asked what steps have been taken to ensure that females are not left behind. He enquired about the factors that are contributing to females not being part of the initiatives.

The Chairperson sought an explanation about the mathematics problem. The Department should have developed an interest in mathematics from grade seven and eight if it had been aware since 2006 that there was a shortage of mathematic students.

Ms Rayi replied to Ms Murray about the engagement with the WCED. An approval is needed from the WCED to do an assessment of schools. The Life Skills sessions are used to raise awareness about the MiS Bursary Programme.

The Chairperson asked Ms Rayi to be clearer in her responses by filling in the blanks for Members. The generic responses are leading to more questions of clarity. She asked Ms Rayi to, for example, explain what the engagement would entail and then build on the response in this manner.

Ms Rayi said the focus in the engagement with the WCED is on mathematics and physics. The majority of schools should be offering mathematics and physics. The Department needed approval to engage the school principals via their forums. The goal is to generate an interest in mathematics at the majority of the primary schools. This is being done with the Life Skills teachers through sessions with the learners. The engagement still needed to be formalised into a partnership with expected outcomes.

Ms Gooch explained that the programme and its contribution to the expected outcomes had developed over the years. The students that were initially given bursaries, struggled with certain subjects which resulted in the tutoring aspect of the programme. The buddy-buddy system was developed to assist students with their problems when they enter university. It was found that universities were not accepting students in the building sector due to the lack of mathematics and science subjects. The programmed morphed over time and needed intervention as the extent of the underlying problems was understood. NGOs are targeting schools with specific programmes. Bursary students are encouraged to return to their schools as tutors during summer and winter classes. Different organisations are offering support through partnerships. The Department is able to use opportunities as a point of connection with professional bodies to influence the approach of skills development as part of the contribution to jobs for growth (G4J) strategy.

Ms Rayi said she was part of Human Resources in 2006 when the Department started building a relationship with professional bodies. The Department was unable to compete with the salaries of occupation specific dispensation (OSD) engineers and as a result could not fill the posts. Professional Development came into existence because the Department did not have professional engineers. Three Senior Management Service (SMS) officials and one Chief Director had been appointed as beneficiaries of the bursary programme. An analysis of PERSAL showed the vacancy rate of engineers was high and the filled positions were male dominated. The situation had since changed. The Department appointed 34% and the private sector absorbed 57% of the students who have completed the programme in 2022. In terms of the bursary collaboration initiative, companies fund 50% of the bursaries and take the students they employ through the Development Programme. It was difficult to get a balance between male and females in technical fields because most females do not prefer engineering as a first option. The Department of Higher Education was best placed to identify the skills gap. All provinces are required to identify the skill shortage in their municipalities.

Ms Gooch said municipalities had been engaging the Department of Local Government. Although it is important to have engineers to maintain municipal infrastructure, most municipalities do not have professional engineers due to lack of funding. The hurdle in most municipalities is the lack of mentors to guide young graduates when they are first employed hence the need for the Development Programme. Private companies often employ students who are placed with them for training. The sector was under severe pressure due to budget cuts. Social spending is prioritised at the cost of infrastructure investment in comparison to other cities around the world where there is infrastructure led development. South African engineers are leaving the country to work in cities in other parts of the world but would hopefully return when the country is ready to focus on the development of infrastructure. Others move into the consulting business and other environments.

Ms Jenneker replied to Ms Murray that trades in the learnership programme are identified during the National Youth Science Programme which takes place within the regions. The training liaison officer at municipalities plans the training programme based on the needs in the area, e.g. brick laying or welding. In terms of an agreement with the municipality, the host employer would undertake to supervise learners and complete a log book of the learning outcomes. The log book is to be signed off before a certificate is issued. The Garden Route Municipality, for example, had a partnership to train plant operators which led to the successful training and appointment of female plant operators. The learners use the stipend for transport costs to and from the site. She shared a few success stories of learners who had completed the programme and who had been meaningfully employed. But learners do not always complete the three-year apprenticeship programme because host companies often offer them jobs before the course is completed. Companies have been requested not to poach the learners. A recruitment drive was held in June 2023 in Beaufort West. The programme was funded by the Department with the goal to equip learners with life skills in order to make them marketable. Some of the learners continue with further training.

Ms Chabalala stated the Department of Human Settlements is the shareholder of the NHBRC. The NHBRC reports directly to the Department on the Black Economic Empowerment statuses. The NHBRC is obligated in terms of section 3 of the Housing Consumer Act to train previously disadvantaged individuals. The NHBRC provides training to ensure compliance with all required standards by both the companies and the workers. A non-compliance certificate is issued on sites if the standards are not complied with. The NHBRC had partnered with GIBS Business School for a women empowerment programme. She explained that the targets are set by Council Members. The NHBRC has training officers in all nine provinces who engage with the Provincial Departments on the training needs and then consolidate the training programme. But during the year, the Department would adjust the needs hence most targets differ from what the NHBRC had set.

The Chairperson wanted to understand the outcome of 900 when the target was set for training of 700 professionals. The intake should align with the budget at the start of the year. She asked if the 200 students attended short-term courses or whether intake of students occur twice a year.

Ms Chabalala replied the programme starts with 700 but during the year, provinces would demand additional enrolments. The NHBRC has a MOU with TVET colleges for artisan training and mediates with the SETA for accredited modules, focusing on people living with disabilities. The Department would indicate the service provider who are able to provide the required training.

The Chairperson asked if the 900 professionals all qualified at the same time without any failures and if the qualification took three years. She wanted to understand what is being done differently from the Department of Education who has been reporting an increase in the dropout rate.

Ms Chabalala replied the 700 did not all advance in one financial year. The figure includes short course offerings of between three and six months and long-term courses not exceeding 12 months which are different from the three-year courses.

The Chairperson asked for assistance from the Department. She wanted to know if the MOU includes professional training and which programmes from the NHBRC are excluded.

Ms Gooch understood that different training programmes are run throughout the year. The NHBRC was reporting on the number of people that have undergone the three to six months training programmes during the year and not the number of technical professionals that train for a professional qualification. The short-term courses are meant to add to their knowledge, as a continuing professional development process hence the difference in the numbers being reported and the overachievement in some of the targets.

The Chairperson questioned the availability of surplus money to provide for ad hoc training. She asked why the budget did not initially include training for 900 people. The Committee would be engaging the Department on the surplus funds to pay for 200 additional students considering the budget cuts.

Ms Chabalala replied that all training programmes are funded and paid for by the NHBRC. The Department does not provide a budget to the NHBRC for the training programmes. She explained that the target for the women empowerment programmes was 100. All 100 students who were enrolled at GIBS in the beginning, completed the two-year programme. GIBS is the only institution that is offering women empowerment training. The NHBRC provides 100% funding for all short courses with no budget from the Department.

The Chairperson said in terms of the MOU, the NHBRC shall deposit the funds for payment of stipends to the NHBRC.

Mr Marlon Sobotker, Deputy Director, Economic Empowerment, DOI, explained that the agreement was drafted in 2019 for a five-year period and is valid until August 2024. The Department has been engaging with the NHBRC to establish a new agreement. He suggested that the agreement should be expanded to allow for professional development. The existing MOU is covering technical training and exclude professional development training. He replied to Ms Murray that the Department develops a training plan and link it to a stipend for the persons that embark on the training. A tranche payment is made to the NHBRC to fund the stipends. Attendance registers are signed by the learners, submitted to the Department for verification and forwarded to the Provincial NHBRC office which in turn would forward it to the National NHBRC office from where the disbursements are made directly into the bank accounts of the learners. Learners get the stipend within ten days. Youth learners get R170 per day which is in line with the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) stipend. An over 35-year programme was created post the pandemic which also accommodates Military Veterans.

The Chairperson said the problem with Military Veterans, is identifying beneficiaries of housing benefits. She asked if the Department has a formula to determine who qualifies for the benefits and where the Department got the list of beneficiaries from.

Mr Sobotker replied that the list was obtained from the Department of Military Veterans. The verification is done according to the updated list that is received from a colonel in Cape Town that the Department has been liaising with.

Mr Sileku noted that the programme for artisan development intervention accommodated 30 learners each from George and Swellendam. He asked if the learners came from the two towns and why the focus only on the two towns.

The Deputy Director replied that the learners are from the local area where the training is done. George learners were trained in George and the Swellendam learners were trained at the venue in Swellendam. Training was linked to projects in the local municipal areas and the learners were trained and placed on the two projects.

Mr Sileku sought assurance that rural areas would not be left behind in terms of the training programmes. On EPWP and in relation to the NYS which is reported to be based on regional selection, he asked for an explanation about the process followed to identify participants for the NYS programme. He sought confirmation that the process is transparent, does not involve political interference, and participants are not appointed from the office of the Mayor.

The Chairperson asked if the Department had access to the EPWP municipal database or if it was using its own database. She wanted to know if the Department had been engaging with municipalities as a partner and how it was monitoring political interference in selecting participants. She stated that the HOD is accountable for monitoring that the EPWP is not abused.

Ms Gooch replied that the EPWP is a broad programme and not limited to infrastructure development. She could not confirm if political interference was occurring. The coordination of the DOI is limited to obtaining reports on the work done and dealing with complaints to assess any misuse. The National Department was reviewing the EPWP policy, including the selection criteria. The policy is to include the Human Settlement portfolio and would be referred to Cabinet to make it applicable to the whole of government.

Ms Jenneker replied to Mr Sileku that recruitment advertisements for the NYS programme were placed on the SA Youth Mobi Harambee site for the whole of June 2023. Applications were data-free for the benefit of rural people. A physical CV was not required. Selections were made from the Harambee site. The interview process was conducted to identify participants who needed to do an aptitude test with the Department of Labour. Successful participants would be notified when the final class list is completed. The Department is involved in advocacy and oversight on the EPWP to prevent the reputation of the programme from being tarnished because it is quite beneficial. Complaints are referred to regional staff for investigation and escalated to the national office and leadership on the specific project.

The Chairperson asked if the NHBRC was committed to require papers for all training contractors. She wanted to know if other options could be considered for a bricklayer who did not attend school.

Ms Chabalala replied that certificates are issued for all training completed.

The Chairperson asked if tests are done orally for those that cannot write.

Ms Chabalala said certificates are issued based on practical training for people who cannot write. The certificate is awarded based on the questions and answers in the interview process.

The Chairperson referred to her experience as a councillor in the Cederberg where a person could not get promoted because he did not have any certificates. Although he had been working as an electrician for years, he failed the written test. She felt it was important for plumbers and electricians that are self-taught to have the option of a certificate based on their expertise and in order to train others.

Ms Chabalala noted the comments on the matter.

Ms Gooch welcomed the fact that the Committee was picking up on the nuances of the work of the Department and considering what was possible to achieve.

Ms Chabalala requested that future briefs should be more specific about what is expected from the NHBRC in order for her to prepare a more focused presentation that would be relevant to the Western Cape. She once again apologised for the NHBRC not coming on board in the past. She would be taking up the concerns with her principals about the oral tests for illiterate people.

The Chairperson appreciated the presence of the NHBRC. She would still be engaging the NHBRC on the Wolvedans case study which was of concern in Grootbrakrivier. The Committee needed to understand the loopholes and structural defects of the housing project that had been overlooked in the inception phase. She called on Ms Murray to thank the presenters on behalf of the Committee.

Ms Murray thanked the Department and the NHBRC for the detailed presentations and for responding to the questions from Members. Although the questions might be tough, the understanding is that it is done in the spirit of collegiality and cooperative governance. The work being done is to the betterment of the lives of all citizens in the province.

Resolutions and actions
The Chairperson proposed that the NHBRC investigate the option of implementing oral tests for skilled artisans that cannot write so that they are not excluded for certification irrespective of the type of skill that they have. The NHBRC would also be requested to send in writing the location of their offices in the Western Cape.

The meeting was adjourned.