Reception011 274 4700

www.eseta.org.za

WHAT IS A LEARNERSHIP?

A Learnership is a learning programme that leads to an occupational

accredited college or training centre and on the job training in a workplace/company. For you to participate in a learnership there must be an employer willing and able to provide you with the required work experience.

WHO CAN APPLY FOR A LEARNERSHIP?

Anyone can apply for a Learnership. This means that Learnerships are available for young people leaving school or colleges, for unemployed people and for people already employed. Learnerships are not restricted to any age group.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?

There is no charge for a person to participate in a learnership. The employer must pay everyone selected for a Learnership programme a learner allowance. The precise amount depends on the type of Learnership and on the employer. The Minister of Higher Education and Training has stipulated the minimum level of allowances and conditions of employment of Learners, but an employer can pay more. The allowances and conditions are agreed with each learner before the programme begins.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?

The length of a Learnership differs, but will not be less than one year.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR ME IF I GO ON A LEARNERSHIP?

If you are accepted for a Learnership you will have to sign a legal agreement with the employer. The person or organisation that provides the theory part of the training also has to sign this agreement. The legal agreement spells out what is expected of you and what you will have to do.

WHO IS INVOLVED IN A LEARNERSHIP AND WHAT ARE THEIR ROLES?

1. The learner is placed in a Learnership, signs a legal agreement with an employer, stating the rights and responsibilities of the learner, and then follows the learning programme.

2. The employer provides the work experience part of the learnership and signs the same legal agreement stating the employer’s right and responsibilities, including agreements on the level of the learnership allowance.

3. An accredited training provider shall provide the training and sign the same legal agreement stating the training provider’s rights and responsibilities.

4. EWSETA shall organise and facilitate the funding of Learnerships and ensure that the training is up to industry standard (quality assurance).

5. Department of Labour (DoL) recruits, selects and refers unemployed people who meet the minimum criteria for a particular learnership to

WHAT WILL I GET AT THE END OF A LEARNERSHIP?

that is recognised in South Africa and abroad. To prove that you have the

the skills and knowledge you have obtained.

WILL I GET A JOB AFTER COMPLETING A LEARNERSHIP?

If you are unemployed when the Learnership begins, there is no guarantee of a job at the end. The employer who provides you with training does not have

a better position to get a job than before. You might also want to think about

HOW DO I APPLY FOR A LEARNERSHIP IF I AM UNEMPLOYED?

• Register as a work seeker at your nearest Department of Labour centre.• The Labour Centre will then contact you if you meet the minimum criteria for

•

• Also look out for Learnership advertisements in newspapers and apply if you meet the requirements.

July / October 2011

WATER AND SANITATION LEARNERSHIPS

ENERGY AND WATER SECTOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING AUTHORITY

Ernegy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority(EWSETA)

Sunnyside Office Park, 2nd & 3rd floors - Sentinel House32 Prince of Wales Terrace, Parktown

P.O. Box 1273 Houghton 2041

CONTACT DETAILS

Water plays a key role in the development of our country and South Africa may be facing a crisis. Our National Government is committed to eliminating the backlog in basic water and sanitation services and improving the levels of services. In ensuring that these services are rendered correctly, the necessary skills are required. The Energy and Water SETA (EWSETA) was mandated as a training authority to respond to the skills need within the water and sanitation sector.

Learnerships form part of the many initiatives in response to the skills need within the water and sanitation sector. These learnerships are developed according to the critical and scarce skills needs that have been thoroughly researched and identified in our Sector Skills Plan.

If you would like to be part of the solution to our country’s need of quality water, you can start by participating in the Learnership programmes that are available and registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training, and graduate with a recognised qualification.

A MESSAGE FROM EWSETA TO EMPLOYERS

WATER LEARNERSHIPS

1. NC: Water Treatment Process Operations (Generic) - NQF level 22. NC: Water Treatment Process Operations - NQF level 23. FETC: Community Water, Health and Sanitation Facilitation (Educator) - NQF level 44. FETC: Community Water, Health and Sanitation Facilitation (0 & M) - NQF level 45. FETC: Community Water, Health and Sanitation Facilitation (NVC) - NQF level 46. NC: Community Water, Health and Sanitation Promotion (Sanitation Builder) - NQF level 4

7. NC in Community Water, Health and Sanitation Promotion (Sanitation Construction Business Owner) - NQF level 38. NC in Community Water, Health and Sanitation Promotion (Community Sanitation Builder) - NQF level 39. NC: Community Water, Health and Sanitation Promotion - NQF level 210. NC: Water and Wastewater Reticulation Services - NQF level 211. FETC: Wastewater and Water Reticulation Services - NQF level 412. FETC: Water and Wastewater Treatment Process Control Supervision - NQF level 413. NC: Water Reticulation Services - NQF level 414. FETC: Wastewater Treatment Process Control Supervision - NQF level 415. NC: Water Reticulation Services - NQF level 216. FETC: Water Reticulation Services - NQF level 417. NC: Waste Water Reticulation Services - NQF level 318. NC: in Water Treatment - NQF level 319. NC: in Waste Water treatment - NQF level 3

LEARNERSHIPS FOR WHICH REGISTRATION IS STILL PENDING

FETC: Community Water, Health and Sanitation Facilitation (General) - NQF level 4NC: Community Water, Health and Sanitation Promotion (General) - NQF level 3

LEARNERSHIPS UNDER DEVELOPMENT

NC: Pollution Quality Monitoring (Monitor) - NQF Level 3NC: Industrial Water Treatment - NQF Level 3NC: Support System Operations - NQF level 4NC: Pollution Quality Monitoring (Sampler) - NQF Level 4

We also provide electrical learnerships, apprenticeships and skills programmes; kindly visit our website (www.eseta.org.za) for more details on these.

These Learnerships range from one to multiple years in duration and each Learnership will be certified by EWSETA on completion. They represent a better, new and exciting form of workplace based training for the new dispensation. The Learnerships are Unit Standard based and lead to qualifications registered with the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA)/QCTO. This will ensure your Company complies with the new Skills Development Act of 1998 as amended, the SAQA Act and QCTO Policy.

Registering Learners in Learnerships will also give you access to incentives available from the EWSETA and the South African Revenue Service (SARS).

WHAT ARE THESE INCENTIVES AND HOW CAN I ACCESS THEM AS AN EMPLOYER?

An employer can claim the Discretionary Grant for registering learners in the EWSETA recognised types of learning as indicated in the Discretionary Grants Funding Policy (refer to EWSETA Grant Policy).

Half of the grants are paid on registration of the learner and the other half on completion of Learnership programme. Over and above the EWSETA grant, employers shall claim a tax incentive from SARS for the same learner as follows:

• At the beginning of a learnership (employed learners)

Once a Learnership agreement is registered with EWSETA, you may deduct from the Tax to be paid to SARS—70% of the annual wages paid to that learner up to a maximum of R17 500.

• At the beginning of a learnership (unemployed learners)

Once a Learnership agreement is registered with EWSETA, you may deduct from the Tax to be paid to SARS—100% of the annual Learnership allowance paid to that learner up to a maximum of R25 000.

• On completion of a learnership

You will again be able to claim 100% of the annual wage or up to R25 000, whichever is lesser for both employed and unemployed learners. The good news is, the incentives from SARS are also applicable to apprenticeships where formal contracts have been entered into with EWSETA. Apprenticeship Grants (R30 000) are also available from EWSETA if an employer registers a Learner in an apprenticeship contract.NB: To access these grants, an Employer must be a levy payer to the Energy and Water SETA.

AS AN EMPLOYER, WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO REGISTER A LEARNER?

• Be a levy payer or legally exempted (with proof)• Identify a learner.• Identify an Accredited Training Provider (contact EWSETA if you need help).• Get a Learnership agreement from EWSETA.• Sign the Learnership Agreement with the learner and the Training Provider.• Submit the Learnership Agreement to EWSETA together with the contract

of employment for the learner which should not be less than the period of the Learnership programme.

• The SETA shall register the agreement and inform you of the outcomes within 30 days.

• Training can now commence and you can claim your Learnership Grant from the Energy and Water SETA as well as a tax incentive from SARS.

A MESSAGE FROM EWSETA TO LEARNERS

The Government has introduced new training programmes called Learnerships. Learnerships are workplace based training programmes that have replaced the Apprenticeship system of vocational education. These training programmes are open to people who are employed and those who are unemployed.

WHY CHOOSE A CAREER IN THE WATER AND SANITATION SECTOR?