At the beginning of June 2017, a stakeholder meeting was hosted by Mpumalanga Training Trust (MRTT) to discuss Mpumalanga’s proposed Skills and Innovation Hub. This is a provincial government initiative, and the plan is to establish this Skills Hub in Emalahleni. Anna-Marth Ott represented the Middelburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) at that meeting.
MRTT has been appointed as the coordinator and enabler to bridge the gap between skills availability (supply) and the labour market (demands) of Mpumalanga. They plan to synchronize processes and efforts existent, avoid duplication and enable flexibility in delivering required skills. MRTT wants to facilitate in providing the right skills and has targeted interventions needed by private – and public sector.
Ott commented that the Skills Hub should not try and solve all the skills problems at once, but focus on immediate skills requirements. Most of the representatives at the meeting was from the mining and public sectors. Other economic sectors in the province also require skills, such as manufacturing and power generation. A clear deliverable target will make it easier for the business community to participate. Should the Skills Hub get involved in entrepreneur development but ignore burning issues such as the literacy levels, both reading, and mathematics, or skills required by the business sector, there is a risk that the Hub will be a white elephant.
The Mpumalanga Government has granted several million rands for the establishment of the Skills Hub, and the Services Seta has also sponsored a substantial amount through their discretionary grant allocation. It is a pity that the levies imposed on the businesses in the services sector could not be spent on that sector’s skills requirements.
MCCI urges MRTT and its partners to do due diligence on skills requirement and competency levels needed to prevent false expectations by the students. The paradigm has to shift within the student body and the unemployed sector so that the students understand companies’ need for skilled employees. The Skills Hub has the potential to meet both employer and employee requirements.