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Education & Skills Development News

Unemployment beneficiaries wait while Nedlac discussions progress

By: Donna Slater 7th April 2020 Many employers are waiting for greater clarity regarding unemployment benefits for their staff that have been temporarily laid off during the national lockdown, which is enforced from March 27 to April 16 to curb the spread of Covid-19, according to business law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH).... →

Wits produces face shields for hospital staff

By: Simone Liedtke 6th April 2020 Teams at the University of Witwatersrand’s (Wits’) Digital Incubator at the Tshimologong Precinct, the School of Mechanical, Industrial and Aeronautical Engineering (MIA) along with the Transnet Centre of Systems Engineering (TCSE) and the Transnet Matlafatšo Centre (TMC), have come together to... →

Digital tools emerge as key means to support rural teachers

By: Schalk Burger 3rd April 2020 Research has found that mobile messaging service WhatsApp can provide rural teachers with organisational support, serve as virtual communities of practice (VCoPs) and support skills and professional development, Stellenbosch University (SU) Life Sciences facilitator and SU Centre for Pedagogy... →

Schneider Electric academy develops smart energy management skills

By: Schalk Burger 3rd April 2020 As global power capacity is set to double by 2040, and with 80% more renewable sources than there are currently, Schnieder Electric is providing energy management training to meet the needs of heterogeneous and automated buildings and infrastructure, says Schneider Electric head of sustainability... →

Equipment supplier awarded contract to supply tool kits

3rd April 2020 The Colliery Training College (CTC) in Emalahleni has awarded industrial equipment supplier INDUSTRI Tools & Equipment the 2020 contract to supply tool kits, which are used during mining- and engineering-related skills training. “The CTC, initially established specifically for the mining sector,... →

Public servants wage deal on ice as unions move to declare dispute

By: News24Wire 2nd April 2020 An increase in the wages of public servants – originally due to kick in on April 1, in terms of a wage agreement reached in 2018 – is still on ice after Finance Minister Tito Mboweni announced an ambitious plan in his Budget address to save some R160-billion in the state's wage bill over three... →

UJ Makerspace 3D printing face shields for hospital staff

By: Donna Slater 2nd April 2020 The University of Johannesburg’s (UJ’s) three-dimensional (3D) innovation laboratory Makerspace has been mobilised to help in the fight against the spread of Covid-19 by producing face shields to be used by frontline hospital staff as cases of the virus continue to rise in South Africa, and... →

The face shields made by UJ Makerspace laboratory

South African school group develops, 3D prints face shields to protect healthcare workers

By: Donna Slater 2nd April 2020 JSE-listed independent education provider Curro Holdings is assisting several healthcare organisations around the country by offering the services of its three-dimensional printers, as well as its staff, to aid in the printing of protective face shields for medical workers currently fighting... →

Nxesi urges sector-level applications for National Disaster Covid-19 benefit

By: Simone Liedtke 31st March 2020 Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi announced on March 31 that applications for the National Disaster Covid-19 benefit, which had been put in place to mitigate the effects of lay-offs during the lockdown, would not be handled on an individual basis and would instead need to be submitted... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi

SA adds 16 000 net jobs in fourth quarter of 2019, as part-time work grows

By: News24Wire 31st March 2020 Total employment in South Africa's non-agricultural formal sector grew by 16 000 between September and December 2019, Statistics SA announced on Tuesday in its latest Quarterly Employment Statistics bulletin. This is below the increase of 87 000 in the fourth quarter of 2018. While full-time... →

Covid-19 may exacerbate the abuse of power – Corruption Watch

By: Sane Dhlamini 31st March 2020 Not-for-profit organisation Corruption Watch on Tuesday released its yearly corruption report with executive director David Lewis saying South Africans should not expect corruption to lessen during the coronavirus pandemic. This year’s report is themed “The Writing is on the Wall” and shows... →

Corruption Watch executive director, David Lewis

UCT welcomes R5m donation to help with Covid-19 crisis management

By: Donna Slater 30th March 2020 University of Cape Town (UCT) chancellor Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe has donated R5-million, on behalf of the Motsepe Foundation, to assist university students and staff with a multifaceted Covid-19 crisis management plan. To combat the virus, UCT ended the first term early on March 16, with five... →

UNTU calls for PPE for Transnet employees as iron ore line reopens

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 30th March 2020 The United National Transport Union (UNTU) has acknowledged the decision of Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe to reopen the iron ore rail line operated by State-owned Transnet. This will require Transnet employees from various divisions to be ready to report for duty from March... →

Transnet

Solidarity Fund sets aside R100m to procure protective equipment for frontline health workers

By: Terence Creamer 30th March 2020 The Solidarity Fund announced on March 30 that it would be using a portion of the R500-million raised during its first week of operations to facilitate the emergency procurement of the personal protective equipment – including five-million face masks – that was urgently required by public and... →

Staying home most effective way to contain Covid-19 – Ramaphosa

By: Sane Dhlamini 30th March 2020 President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday said it was clear that the most effective way for a society to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus is for the population to remain at home and physically isolated from each other for at least several weeks. As South Africa enters day 4 of its national... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

Seifsa encourages re-industrialisation, development of artisans

By: Donna Slater 30th March 2020 The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) says that while South Africa remains a dual economy with one of the highest levels of inequality in the world, part of addressing the unemployment challenge can be tackled through re-industrialisation of its economy.... →

KZN MEC says dept has adopted zero tolerance on price hiking amid lockdown

By: Sane Dhlamini 27th March 2020 KwaZulu-Natal economic development, tourism and environmental affairs MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube says her department is in communication with the management of Spar KZN with the view of terminating contracts of franchise owners who are involved in price hiking. This follows consumer complaints that... →

KZN MEC for EDTEA Nomusa Dube-Ncube

Company transforming amid difficulties

By: Mamaili Mamaila 27th March 2020 JSE-listed sugar producer Tongaat Hulett is striving to reconstruct its business to be innovative, resilient and cost effective. →

TRANSFORMATION IN SIGHT The three main shareholders in Uzinzo hold 65%

Automotive industry transformation focused on future of mobility

By: Schalk Burger 27th March 2020 Automotive industry transformation initiatives, as captured in the Automotive Masterplan 2035, are aimed at radically transforming the industry to meet the future demands of human mobility, in addition to sustaining and growing the industry’s economic outputs and associated socioeconomic... →

MIKE MABASA There is significant scope for cooperation on skills development, value-chain transformation and supplier development to ensure the sustainability of the automotive industry

Exports can support greater local automotive development

By: Schalk Burger 27th March 2020 Local economic headwinds may potentially be offset by increasing exports under the African Continental Free Trade Area, says industry body National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) CEO Mike Mabasa. The South African automotive industry currently exports to 155... →

Photo by Donna Slater
QUALITY WORK Ensuring that buyers gain sufficient value and quality of components and services from the value chain drive demand and local manufacturing

SA automotive manufacturing long-term planning, growth supported by policy

By: Schalk Burger 27th March 2020 The National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (NAACAM) has been part of the fabric of the South African automotive manufacturing landscape for over 40 years. In that time the sector has evolved from a highly protected, inward-focused production base that exclusively... →

UP professor seconded to Presidency to help track and fight Covid-19

By: Donna Slater 26th March 2020 A professor from the University of Pretoria (UP), Willem Fourie, has been seconded to the South African Presidency to support the government in its social and economic response to the Covid-19 pandemic. In partnership with the South African tech talent marketplace OfferZen, Fourie will assist... →

Motshekga says no date set yet for schools reopening

By: Marleny Arnoldi 26th March 2020 Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga on March 26 assured South Africans that pupils would catch up on all lost work once schools reopen. Learners had not been in school since the President declared an emergency shutdown of schools, effective March 18. →

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga

Saice encourages students to take up free online classes from Khan Academy during lockdown

By: Donna Slater 26th March 2020 The South African Institute of Civil Engineers (Saice) encourages students to take up free online lessons from nonprofit educational organisation the Khan Academy, in light of many students being homebound for at least 21 days under the national lockdown regulations aimed at impeding the spread... →

Working from home can be just as productive – professor

By: Marleny Arnoldi 26th March 2020 As South Africans face the reality of a 21-day lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, working from home has become the “new normal” overnight, and if its properly managed, people can be just as productive as being in the office. So says University of Stellenbosch Business School... →

Call for polymer, plastics industries to be declared essential as lockdown looms

By: Donna Slater 25th March 2020 South African plastics industry representative organisation Plastics SA has called on government to reclassify some sectors within the broader plastics industry as essential service providers owing to its contribution to packaging essential items during the upcoming 21-day national lockdown.... →

Department enacting labour support measures for Covid-19 lockdown

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 24th March 2020 Following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement that South Africa would enter a 21-day lockdown to help curb the spread of Covid-19, the Department of Employment and Labour is enacting several support measures for affected employers and employees. In a briefing on March 24, Minister Thulas... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
Thulas Nxesi

Clothing industry reaches agreement to safeguard industry, workers

By: Donna Slater 24th March 2020 South Africa's first Covid-19 lockdown national collective agreement for the clothing and textiles industry was expedited and ratified by the end of March 23. The agreement was formulated by the National Bargaining Council for the Clothing Manufacturing Industry in South Africa. →

ILO, Productivity SA collaborate on job creation, productivity

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 23rd March 2020 Social justice entity, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and public entity Productivity SA have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on productivity and employment promotion in South Africa as pronounced in the mandate of the Department of Employment and Labour, as... →

SA labour department uses UIF to help companies hit by Covid-19

By: African News Agency 20th March 2020 The department of labour will soon formally publish special regulations offering Unemployment Insurance Fund relief to companies that find themselves in distress due to the Covid-19 outbreak in South Africa, a senior official has said. In cases where a company is forced to shut down for a limited... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi

Collaboration needed in electrical sector

By: Tracy Hancock 20th March 2020 South Africa’s entire electrical sector needs a “shake up” and a lot more collaboration, Electrical Conformance Board of South Africa (ECBSA) MD Peter Pedrick has learnt since taking up his position in May last year. Historically, South Africa was internationally recognised for its effective... →

FIRE STARTER There has been a significant rise in fire damage in South Africa over the past ten years amid a lack of regulation policing and governance

Re-engineering of coal sector skills needed

By: Tracy Hancock 20th March 2020 The South African renewable-energy sector will not have an adequate pipeline of competent individuals to train if it does not endeavour to re-engineer the skills of workers in the Limpopo and Mpumalanga coal mining regions, South African Renewable Energy Technology Centre (Saretec) director Naim... →

Jacobs Transport strives to be a reliable and ethical company, providing its clients with the most efficient services possible.

Japan provides grant funding for South African grassroots organisations

By: Rebecca Campbell 20th March 2020 Japan has supported socioeconomic development and support programmes at the grassroots level in South Africa for more than a quarter century, Japanese Ambassador Norio Maruyama pointed out recently, when giving the introductory address at a project contract signing ceremony at the Embassy in... →

Japanese assistance to SA focuses on the transfer of expertise

By: Rebecca Campbell 20th March 2020 Most Japanese assistance to South Africa takes the form of the provision of expertise and the secondment of technical experts, Japanese Ambassador Norio Maruyama tells Engineering News & Mining Weekly. "We [Japan] have a lot of assistance programmes, but each country must request assistance from... →

Labour department unveils guidelines for managing Covid-19 at workplaces

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 17th March 2020 The Department of Employment and Labour has appealed to employers to use the prescriptions of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act in governing workplaces in relation to the Covid-19 virus. The OHS, read with the Hazardous Biological Agents Regulations, requires the employer to provide... →

Next gen of family business leaders have drive, but not necessarily support

By: Marleny Arnoldi 17th March 2020 The next generation (NextGens) of African family business owners consider themselves agents of change for digital transformation and able to succeed in a digital world; however, they feel constrained by the current generation of leadership about their role in driving business forward. NextGens... →

Play your part, Motshekga tells parents as schools shut over Covid-19

By: News24Wire 16th March 2020 In his address to the nation on Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that schools would be closed from Wednesday, which is why the government has urged parents to take responsibility for their children in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus. Basic Education Minister Angie... →

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga

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