Northern Cape Learnership Project

2014 – 2015

“DRAFT”

GUIDELINES FOR GRANT APPLICATION

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Province of the Northern Cape is strategically positioned to meet and exceed the Rural Development targets set out by the Government as it is a predominantly a Rural Province.

The province is currently challenged by the lack of participation by the Wholesale and Retail stakeholders meanwhile it is stricken by high unemployment ratio affecting mostly the youth. The unemployment rate in this region is 27.4% as per 2011 statistics information from Stats SA. It is on this backdrop that The Regional office has identified a need to rollout a Learnership project to cover the Wholesale and Retail active areas in the Province.

The region in its endeavours to address unemployment in the province as well as to achieve W&RSETA targets for rural development, intends to encourage employers to take-up learners within their capacity through this initiative.

The purpose therefore of this programme is to solicit interested employers to participate on this initiative and recruit, place and train five hundred (500) unemployed (18.2) learners from the various areas across the Northern Cape Province. These learners will be enrolled on NQF level 2 or 3 programmes which will be identified by the participating stakeholders.

In preparing their Learnership proposals, employers are advised to study the National Skills Development Strategy(III) and its 8 goals, which are:

  • Establishing a credible institutional mechanism for skills planning;
  • Increasing access to occupationally directed programmes;
  • Promoting the growth of a public FET college system that is responsive to sector, local, regional and national skills needs and priorities;
  • Addressing the low level of youth and adult language and numeracy skills to enable additional training;
  • Encouraging better use of workplace‐based skills development;
  • Encouraging and supporting co-operatives, small enterprises, worker initiated, NGO and community training initiatives;
  • Increasing public sector capacity for improved service delivery and supporting the building of a developmental state, and,
  • Building career and vocational guidance.

Applications for the learnership grant will only be accepted from levy paying companies. The allocation will be on the first come first serve basis.

NORTHERN CAPE LEARNERSHIP

  1. PURPOSE
  • The purpose of this grantis to improve retailing skills of the unemployed learners within our sector and who are based in the Northern Cape
  • Priority to be given to rural youth to enter and complete W&RSETA learnership.
  1. SCOPE
  • Applications are required from only employers i.e. levy paying employers that have capacity to host unemployed learners in their premises.
  • Employers must commit to assist the unemployed learners to enter and complete the learnership programme
  • The learnership must be credit bearing and approved by relevant ETQA to enable the possible placement of learners in the sector
  • Training intervention timeframes must be adhered to. It is anticipated that the project will run from 01 April 2014 – 30 June 2015.
  1. PAYMENT STRATEGY
  • Payment of the discretionary grant will be determined solely by the W&RSETA payment terms.

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Learnership per Learner: Stipend is R24 000-00 per learner per annum payable in 2 tranches of R12 000-00 and R2 000-00 stipend per month per learner.

Type of Learner / Invoicing period / Learner Allowance / Payment requirement for the Learner Allowance / Management & Delivery per learner / Payment requirement for Management & Delivery:
18.2 /
  1. Start
/ Depending on the NQF Level on which the learner is enrolled. /
  • Duly registered Learnership Agreement
  • ID Copy per learner
  • Employment contract received
/ R7500-00 /
  • Contract signed-off by the W&RSETA
  • Approval of roll-out plan integrated with mentorship plan.
  • Learner verification by the SETA

  1. Second Quarter
/ Depending on the NQF Level on which the learner is enrolled. / Proof of payment of stipends for previous months verified by SETA Co-ordinator via a quarterly monitoring report / R3 750-00 /
  • Quarterly report submitted by the employer
  • 60% of programme completed and uploads done on SMS.

  1. Third Quarter
/ Depending on the NQF Level on which the learner is enrolled. / Proof of payment of stipends for previous months verified by SETA Co-ordinator via a quarterly monitoring report / R3 750-00 /
  • Quarterly report submitted by the employer
  • 100% of programme completed and uploads on SMS.
  • Certificates approved by W&RSETA ETQA
  • Endorsements by other SETAs upheld through external moderation report.

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