NUMSA,+Soft+skills+training+a+real+let+down,+Press+Release

NATIONAL UNION OF METALWORKERS OF SOUTH AFRICA
153 Bree Street (cnr. Becker), P.O. Box 260483 Newtown Excom 2023 Johannesburg, Tel: 011-689 1700 2001 Fax: 011-833 6330 Cell: 082 940 7116
 * e-mail:mziwakheh@numsa.org.za**

Press statement for immediate release, April 21, 2006
=“Soft skills” training a real let down- NUMSA=

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) is extremely perturbed by the continued provision of “soft skills”, including HIV/Aids, health and safety skills training by major metal, motor and engineering companies.

This takes place in the face of skills crisis gripping the country, with the labour resource survey predicting a possible increase in semi- skilled labour requirement by 20% a year. The demand for skilled artisans, meanwhile is approaching almost 25 000.

Most manufacturing companies, meanwhile choose to offer inconsequential “soft skills” in place of urgently required skills development while the critical skills pool cannot meet the industry growth needs.

And, in an angry response, the union shop stewards have withdrawn from participating in skills development committees in most affected companies.

The impact of this reality, says NUMSA training sector coordinator Malebo Mogopodi, is that several companies allow employees to undergo soft skills training just to be able recoup skills levy contributions from the government fund

“This basically means that the predominantly blacks and previously disadvantaged are never going to have access to further training. And, this defeats the whole purpose of skills development which is about affirming the previously disadvantaged and redressing the imbalances of the past,” Mogopodi said yesterday.

Some employers have been claiming that they could only not release employees to go on training on condition that the production line is not disrupted. It would appear companies are allowed in the process to look down upon learnerships programs since they (employers) peddled lies claiming that the deterioration of the apprenticeship system is the major reason for the skills shortages.

“We are also worried that the focus on training is shifting towards unemployed youths at the expense of the employed,” she said.

NUMSA supports the proposed skills gap turnaround through the Joint initiative for priority skills acquisition that ensured a pool of people who would be in a position to replace permanent employees should be considered for re-training when they go for training.

Other options should include retraining of retrenched workers and unemployed graduates, through sectoral education and training authority funding in order to help learners earn allowances before they were considered for full time employment.

NUMSA is vigorously engaging industry associations to ensure skills training offered were influenced by equity considerations and the pace of technological change, since employers often complained that employment equity targets set by companies were difficult to achieve due to skills shortages and lack of experienced candidates.


 * For further information contact**
 * Mziwakhe Hlangani, NUMSA national information officer**
 * Cell phone: 082 9407116**

467 words