News on training: Extension of 'N' Courses and Review of Learnerships

The Department of Higher Education and Training has recently published amendment notices to the National Education Policy Act (27/1996) and the Further Education and Training Colleges Act (16/2006) governing the extension of offering of the National N certificates, N1 to N6 (Engineering Studies). Copies of Government Gazettes 33200 (N1 to N3) and 33201 (N4 to N6), both dated 17 May 2010, are available here.

An interesting requirement of GG33200 is that [paragraph (c)] “Students enrolled on the N1- N3 programmes must be indentured by industry prior to enrolment in the programmes listed”.

A copy of Government Gazette 33086 dated 9 April is also available here. This notice announces a directive by the Minister of Labour for an investigation by the Employment Conditions Commission with terms of reference:

• “To review the rates of allowances and conditions of employment in Sectoral Determination 5, Learnerships, South Africa as well as investigating conditions of employment and wages for internships”

Interested parties were given 60 days from the date of publication of the notice to make representations.