One bit of good news on the horizon is the steady ingress of ammonia as a green energy source and the fact that we have plans afoot in South Africa to manufacture and supply green ammonia for export . I will be keeping you up to date on that front as it progresses . However , there are other concerns on the local scene regarding skills training which I would like to comment on as follows . I don ’ t know if you are aware , but the end of June 2024 brings about the last date of enrolment for all Seta legacy qualifications and unit standards . During the last few years , different bodies have been assisting service providers to move across to the new QCTO accreditation system for both learnerships and individual skills-based qualifications .
However , the move to QCTO has its challenges , some of which are related to limited QCTO qualification and skills programme options , lack of External Integrated Summative Assessments ( EISAs ) and accredited assessment centres with lengthy accreditation application turnaround times to name just a few . This has left many willing and able providers between two systems with nowhere to go . With these accreditation system changes taking place , many unit standards are no longer valid and there is nothing out there to replace them .
|
The imminent last date of June for enrolment leaves many service providers facing the harsh reality of having to close their doors . It also leaves learners and South African skills development in a very difficult position , the knock-on effect on corporate spending and training / skills levels is yet to be felt . The lack of skills in South Africa is reaching chronically poor levels , what we need is a more progressive approach – not more roadblocks and obstacles .
This doesn ’ t affect most of you directly , but our country is desperately short of skilled staff with adequate training , particularly in technical and engineering fields .
South African Revenue Service ( SARS ) places an obligatory 1 % skills development levy ( SDL ) fee monthly and now , all of a sudden , all new learnerships are no longer available , and will any special grants be paid out ? So , what ’ s happening to the money we are forced to pay ? Suppose you can apply for a rebate , let me know how that works out .
If you too share our concern about what will happen and how to solve this conundrum in the short term , you should study the petition mentioned below . An extension of this June deadline will allow the two systems to catch-up and business to go ahead in the meantime . So , let ’ s look at what this petition is all about .
|
Its theme is : ‘ Prevent the collapse of Skills Development : extend SETA legacy qualifications and unit standards ’.
The appeal is being directed to the minister Blade Nzimande , requesting the appropriate body to extend the Sector Education and Training Authority ( SETA ) Legacy ( historical ) qualifications and unit standards for three years , and to monitor the SETAs in aligning them to occupational qualifications and skills programmes with a streamlined approach .
The Minister is being requested to monitor all SETAs in their delays . Urgent action is required , to ensure those employed remain employed , those registered as businesses remain open , and learners can continue with educational programmes whereby they will not be disadvantaged . Please support this appeal and petition by completing and signing it .
It is a complex system , but this is a very quick short form to complete . We thought we ’ d pass that onto you – please do check it out . Let ’ s all do our bit to get South Africa back on track .
https :// docs . google . com / forms / d / e / 1FAIpQLSd _ qEtHb30pQo8ErUTPxzXt8amndtSarva89vkdzAcbrj2lJw / viewform ? vc = 0 & c = 0 & w = 1 & flr = 0
Stay safe until next month .
CLA
|
Andrew Perks is a subject expert in ammonia refrigeration . Since undertaking his apprenticeship in Glasgow in the 1960s he has held positions of contracts engineer , project engineer , refrigeration design engineer , company director for a refrigeration contracting company and eventually owning his own contracting company and low temperature cold store . He is now involved in adding skills to the ammonia industry , is merSETA accredited and has written a variety of unit standards for SAQA that define the levels to be achieved in training in our industry .
If you too share our
concern about what
will happen and how to
solve this conundrum
in the short term , you
should study the petition
mentioned below .
|
Millions of cartons of citrus will in coming weeks make their way to South Africa ’ s ports as citrus season starts to ramp up . But a serious obstacle stands in the way of getting a record volume of our high-quality citrus to overseas markets : underperforming ports . Citrus exports generate R30-billion in foreign revenue for South Africa every year , so it is essential that our ports ( and the logistics network that feeds into them ) function effectively to enable the citrus industry to make this significant contribution to the economy .
From November to February , backlogs and other logistical problems – especially at the Port of Cape Town – had a near disastrous effect on the deciduous fruit
|
industry . While the 2023 citrus season ( April to September ) saw a relative improvement in port logistics performance compared with 2022 ’ s , it is feared that citrus growers will face obstacles in getting their produce to foreign markets in 2024 – similar to those of growers in the deciduous fruit industry .
South Africa ’ s port container terminal efficiency is at a low base and has been since 2020 . It faces problems both landside ( handling containers from trucks or rail ) and waterside ( making sure there are berthing spaces and a smooth loading of cargo ).
The duration of ship movements across the South African port system provides an example . It is not uncommon for some ships to take more than 21 days on rotation at Cape Town , Gqeberha and Durban before
|
they move on to destinations in Europe or Asia . By global standards , this is an unacceptable period of time to complete loading , resulting in a substantial indirect tax on cargo owners through inefficiency surcharges and inflated base rates .
For fresh produce these delays are potentially ruinous . The less time spent on a ship , the better the quality of the produce . This is especially so when it is considered that producers face large financial penalties not only for delays but also for any quality loss .
Transnet has taken some strides in improving port efficiency since the height of the port backlogs a few months ago . Also , the positive work of the national logistics crisis committee must be acknowledged .
|
The committee has been rolling out operational excellence centres , involving the private sector directly in resolving equipment issues , and making leadership changes at ports .
However , there is still a lot of work to be done before there can be confidence in South Africa ’ s port performance . If one looks at data on hauler availability and shipto-shore cranes at the Port of Durban , the seriousness of the situation becomes clear . ( Haulers are mobile cargo transport vehicles , and cranes are used to move containers into or out of ships ).
It is calculated that the minimum required assets for Pier 1 and 2 collectively are 118 haulers and 22 cranes . But the operational average is only 85 haulers and 18 cranes .
|