News on training: Trade Test issues

A report in the October 2008 edition of this e-Bulletin provided details of the final stages of the Department of Labour (DoL) project `to create a trade test that will be of a standard that would produce electrical artisans of such qualities that the artisan would be pliable to all the various sectors/industries and will require no further assessment by other institutions’.

Since then it would appear that the process has been characterised by a lack of communication between the relevant SETAs and other stakeholders as well as a lack of support from affected industries. The result has been a decision by the DoL to implement a new trade test with effect from the 1st July 2010 that appears to be more suitable to the trade of millwright than electrical artisan. The impact of this change on training providers for the electrical industry will be significant as many of the electrical artisans will not be prepared for some aspects of the new test and training centres do not have the necessary equipment and trainers for these tasks. The cost implications to change to the new curriculum would also be large.

The LGSETA convened a workshop on 24 June 2010 attended by the training providers from a number of municipalities as well as Eskom and the DBSA. Those attending were of the opinion that the revised Trade Test proposal in its current form is not relevant and applicable to the industries represented and would involve considerable cost implications. This factor would mean possible further outsourcing and an increase in training costs per learner. A submission has thus been made to DoL by the LGSETA on behalf of the affected industries with a recommendation that a further workshop be convened to `objectively look at the requirements of the profession in general’ and ensure that the requirements of the affected industries are assessed to ensure ‘fit for purpose’.

Details of the proposed workshop will be provided to all AMEU members when available.

Queries should be directed to Mr Glen Becker of Ekurhuleni Technical Training Centre at Glenn.Becker@ekurhuleni.gov.za (Tel:011 999-7440) or Peter Fowles at pf15@mweb.co.za.