26
BUSINESS AND TRAINING
Artisan body without artisan representation ?
By
Rory Macnamara
The recent Government Gazette of 10 September 2021 , No . 45131 introduced the Dept of Higher Education ’ s ( DHET ) National Artisan Development Advisory Board ( NADAB ).
The board ’ s function is : “ a statutory advisory forum between government , organised business and organised labour that deliberates on national artisan development legislation , policy , advocacy programmes , curricula , research and knowledge management amongst other matters to advise the Minster of suitable solutions for the artisan development system .”
Just these latter two sentences indicate why this regulation is way off target with only one exception in the formation of the Governing Body .
Granted , the above grouping may well appreciate the demand and need for artisans , especially the shortage of skills such as plumbers , electricians , and the like , but their grass roots knowledge is sorely lacking if non-existent !
Great idea on paper , and we should have been practising this decades ago around the National Skills Development Plan , and yet not one artisan official body is represented on the composition of the NADAB !
Business Unity South Africa ( BUSA ), Black Business Council ( BBC ) and National Business Initiative ( NBI ) hold six seats between them , organised labour , and a fist full of government officials such as SETA forum , QCTO , SA College of Principals ( SACPO ), private providers of education , SA Youth Council and anyone appointed ex-officio by the Minister .
Not one artisan body at the main table . No prizes for guessing where this will end up ! It is inconceivable that artisans cannot be represented at the highest level .
Co-opt on sub committees is an insult as those at the main table are basically not on the ground floor , like artisans are .
Perhaps the Ministers believe that artisan groups are not organised . Nothing could be further from the truth . Plumbing , Electrical , Waterproofing , Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning and a whole bunch more are far more organised than most government bodies .
Let us look more closely at the Gazette : Section 8 . 1 ) the nomination of Co- Chairpersons , NADAB members and co-opted members must be undertaken in such a manner as to ensure , insofar as is practically possible , that a . The functions of NADAB in terms of this regulation are performed to the highest professional standards , b . The membership taken as a whole 1 . Is broadly representative of artisan development stakeholders across the country 2 . Has knowledge and understanding of , and is committed to artisan development
Minister , industry is way ahead of DHET , and no doubt whilst welcoming another body on top of all the other bodies , unless artisans are not placed within the Governing Body , common sense tells us that this will fail . The business bodies , the labour organisations ’ SETAs can be called to contribute , but let the artisans of this country decide their own path and particularly get rid of the unqualified people practising these trades .
We have nine years left to achieve the NDP goal regarding artisans . You , yourself Minister , issued a cabinet approved white paper on the 15 January 2014 entitled , ‘ Re-Establishing a good artisan training system is an urgent priority : the current target is for the country to produce 30 000 artisans by 2030 .’
The year 2014 was a long time ago , and in 2022 we still cannot or will not bring artisans to the main table ! Shameful .
In conclusion Minister , when at a formal handing over of professional status event to a number of bodies you stated , “ we have four times as many degreed people to one artisan – it should be the other way round .”
And this is what is presented to the artisans of this country as a fait accompli on the 20 September 2021 . Shameful again ! PA
“ It is inconceivable that the above group can decide on the state and future of artisans without having them on board .”
www . plumbingafrica . co . za @ plumbingonline @ plumbingonline @ PlumbingAfricaOnline January 2022 Volume 27 I Number 11