Work Integrated Learning has always been the cornerstone for companies and young people to promote their respective aims. In the SAn context, however, the costs for most young, unemployed people, even with some form of qualification is a major stumbling block preventing them from gaining much needed vocational or career experience.
Transport costs especially are prohibitively expensive; with most SAn young people still living far from their places of work.
Companies, too find the costs of employing and providing work-based learning a major deterrent to employing more young, inexperienced people (even if they have one or more qualification).
The Forum for Assistance Businesses (FAB), recently held a conference at Old Mutual?s head office in Cape Town where it highlighted among others the Work Linkages Programme sponsored by INSETA and administered by the College of Cape Town, which is one of several technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions the SETA has partnered with to enable Work Integrated Learning.
Who is FAB?
FAB is a 10-yeard old non-profit organization, formed by stakeholders of the Voluntary Assistance Business industry ? insurance companies, Administrators and Funeral Insurance Sales Offices. FAB is recognised by the Financial Services Board (FSB). Their purpose is to help businesses in the assistance business industry grow professionally, legitimise, educate, gain access to information, play a role in regulation and mould members to comply with regulation.
INSETA?s Work Integrated Learning Programme
Martinus Olivier, Linkage Programme Unit (LPU) Manager at the College of Cape Town presented INSETA?s Work Integrated Learning Programme that it (the College of Cape Town) is administering.
?The programme is an absolute win-win partnership between the learners, business, the college and INSETA,? Olivier explained.
?Learners, including National Certificate Vocational (NCV) level 4 get the practical work experience they need and the necessary working hours required for certification ? learners can only be certified for the N6 National Diploma once they have completed 18 months work experience.
?The business hosting the learners benefit from monitoring and evaluating the learners performance and behaviour, with the view of selecting those who are the most suitable for any permanent positions that might become available.
?INSETA can fill their mandate to help provide more effective support for TVET colleges, which have a national footprint and can therefore reach more learners and businesses.
?The college can offer the learners a more complete or comprehensive range of support, by expanding and strengthening its Work Linkages Programme.?
INSETA pays monthly stipends to each learner who is successfully placed at a business, to the colleges, which in turn pay the stipends directly to the learners. Each leaner receives a monthly stipend of R3,500.00.
Colin Darries, FAB’s CEO said,?I absolutely think that INSETA?s Work Integrated Learning programme is a win-win for both the Assistance Business operators as well as the learner. INSETA is not just making it easier for small businesses to access this type of funding through the College of Cape Town but there is a real value for SMMEs to have labour where the costs are shared. This, in my experience has helped my business as well as a few of my clients that I could help by providing them with learners. It is a real opportunity for young graduates to hone their skills and a real value for small business to benefit from a ?different view??.
Daries added that his company, Nu Era Group has already applied to the College for 20 learners.
Mari Van Rooyen, owner of SmartMI which is a member of FAB, said she had been trying to apply to INSETA to have learners placed, but now that she can apply directly to the TVET college, it would be so much easier and quicker.
Van Rooyen explained, ?The timing is perfect since SmartMI will be opening new branches in the new year, and can therefore benefit from the newly qualified learners, which shortens an otherwise long and costly recruitment process.?
?We have a long term view for the learners,? she emphasized. ?We do not view the intake of learners placed with us lightly, and will only place the learners because our business is expanding, and want as many of them to grow with the business ? this programme will make it so much easier to expand. The learners will be exposed to valuable administrative, marketing and sales experience.?
Another member of FAB, who is keen to apply for learners to be placed with them is Allan Radue of SANFA.
?I am impressed with the fact that we can get to know the learners over a long period of time, which helps us assess who is best suited for any permanent position that might become available. Moreover we can do this at a reduced cost, since the learners receive a stipend of R3,500 which we augment,? said Radue.
?This gives us the flexibility, which we otherwise would not have had,? added Radue.
INSETA?s CEO, Sandra Dunn is very proud of the partnership and the impact that it is making to help reduce youth unemployment. She emphasised that while placement in the insurance industry is preferred, the colleges can place the learners in any industry.
