NSA presentation to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee (MHET)

1. NSA presentation to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee (MHET) 13 April 2011

2. Introduction • The National Skills Authority(NSA) is established in terms of Chapter 2, section (5) of the Skills Development Act (SDA) 97 of 1998, as amended (Act 37 of 2008), • It is appointed to serve as an Advisory Body to the Minister for a period of five years • The NSA is led by a Chairperson who is appointed by the Minister and supported by an Executive Officer who is an employee of the Department. • The NSA is supported by the NSA Secretariat which is located in the DHET

3. Composition and structure • Chairperson (Appointed by the Minister) • 5 members each nominated through NEDLAC from: • Organised Labour, • Organised Business • Community (women, youth, people with disabilities, urban and rural: civic). • 5 State (DoL, DTI, DHET, DPSA and DCOGTA) • 5 Education & Skills Development providers • Public • Private • SACPO • HESA • ABET • 5 Ministerial discretionary appointments (SAQA, QCTO, 2 Employment Services & 2 People with special knowledge)

4. Structure

5. NSA Functions Advice Liaison (SETAs) Consultation Other • Advise the Minister on: • National Skills Development Policy • National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) • NSDS Implementation Guidelines • NSF Funding Allocation Strategic Framework and Criteria • SDA Regulations (excl QCTO regulations) • Liaise with SETAs on: • The National Skills Development Policy • The National Skills Development Strategy • Sector Skills Plans • Consult with the Minister on: • SETA Changes, Amalgamations, Dissolutions and Administration • SETA SLA Regulations and Contents • SETA Plans and DG Reporting requirements • SETA Grants • SETA Powers • Employee / Union Skills Development Rights • NSF Administration and Operations • Provincial Skills Development Forums • SDA Performance • Skills Development Levies Act Regulations • The Authority must: • Perform its functions in accordance with this Act and its constitution • Conduct investigations on any matter arising out of the application of this Act • Exercise any other powers and perform any other duties conferred or imposed on the Authority by this Act • Receive, from the Department, information on skills • Perform any function of the National Training Board functions • The Authority has: • The prescribed powers of entry and to question and inspect Liaison (QCTO) • Liaise with the QCTO on: • occupational standards and qualifications • the suitability and adequacy of occupational standards and qualifications • the quality of learning in and for the workplace • The NSA EO must be a QCTO board member Reporting • Report to the Minister on the: • NSDS implementation progress Comment • The Authority must: • Comment on the NSF annual financial statements Summary of functions

6. NSA Secretariat • The NSA Secretariat is responsible for supporting the work of the committees and managing the day to day operations of the NSA including: • Assisting the NSA to perform its roles and functions; • Ensuring the implementation of NSA decisions; • Preparing NSA reports for the Minister; • Ensuring that reports on the NSDS implementation are prepared and submitted to the NSA; • Establishing and maintaining links between the NSA and other relevant bodies including the HRD Council, QCTO and SAQA; • Dealing with NSA members’ queries to enable them to fulfill their functions; • Dealing with public enquiries on the functions and activities of the NSA; and • Liaising, in an agreed manner, with the Research agency working with the HRD component of the DHET

7. NSA Repositioning • The NSA Draft Repositioning report (December 2009) seeks to expand on these functions by establishing new areas of focus and by strengthening existing NSA functions. These include: • Working to improve the NSA’s: • status as an advisory body, and • Its relationship with other advisory bodies in the areas of human resources • Capacitating the NSA’s: • Secretariat • Establishing, under the auspices of the Secretariat: • a structural and functional relationship with the DHET’s skills branch

8. NSA Budget • NSA receives budget allocation from the DHET through voted funds and in the main these funds are for the administration activities such as: • Personnel expenses for Secretariat staff • Administration and logistics (printing, travelling, venues, subsistence, etc) • The NSA Secretariat directorate that is housed in the Skills Development branch of the DHET is responsible for the allocation • Other NSA activities such as the Skills conference were traditionally funded from the special NSF window as and when needed. • Discussions to make standing annual allocation to the NSA are underway and awaiting the finalisation of the repositioning project

9. NSA Budget estimates

10. 2011 in Focus The following NSA 5 key areas of advice to the Minister over the next five years were presented for noting and further inputs: • Review Skills development legislative framework to support integration of education and training and the national priorities of government (inclusive of the NSF framework) • Develop Framework on the mobilisation of business, government, community and labour to take full ownership of the NSDS III • Post school education and training that encourages society to support and build a developmental state • Strengthen the monitoring and evaluation functions particularly on the NSDSIII performance and governance. • Research, development and innovation to promote beneficiation and business enterprise development opportunities.

11. Conclusion • Once the repositioning is concluded, the NSA will be appropriately capacitated to optimally execute its advisory mandate Thank you