EWSETA
Ensuring development of energy and water skills
Errol Gradwell – EWSETA’s CEO
T
he Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA) is one of 21 SETAs currently operating as a statutory body according to the terms of the Skills Development Act. Before 2010 it was known as Energy SETA (ESETA) but changed to its current format with the addition of the water services sector to its portfolio. EWSETA’s current CEO Errol Gradwell says, “It is our vision to be a leading skills development authority, facilitating internationally acclaimed skills development and workplace learning for economic growth and social development in the energy and water sector.” Gradwell, although new to EWSETA, brings much experience from the educational and financial sectors. He says, “As CEO, I am here to get things done through people. People are the most important resource available to me. I believe I will not only be judged on the results I achieve, but also on the level of competency attained and applied in getting the results.”
EWSETA mandate EWSETA addresses the four sub-sectors of electricity, nuclear, renewable energy and water, and waste and sanitation. It has the overall responsibility to implement and manage skills planning, quality assurance and skills delivery in these sectors. EWSETA executes its mandate within the context of the National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS III). EWSETA is accredited by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) to perform all relevant quality assurance functions including provider accreditation, qualifications development, assessor registration and certification of learners. “As such we coordinate, facilitate and assure quality sector-relevant skills development programmes for our stakeholders in line with national skills development priorities.” It is also responsible for determining grant disbursements to stakeholders such as FET colleges. The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has recently promulgated new grants called Pivotal Grants. “The SETA will focus allocation of grants to Pivotal Programmes, which are primarily full qualifications such as learnerships. These trades and qualifications are offered mainly by further and higher education and training institutions and include internships, experiential learning and work experience within their syllabus.” Central to the objectives of the NSDS III is the placement of students and graduates especially from Further Education and Training (FET) Institutions and Universities of Technology. “The SETA has entered into a number of Memoranda of Understandings (MoUs) with these institutions, and employers in the sector, to form a platform for greater collaboration and success.” In an attempt to curb unemployment and attain appropriate skills EWSETA must encourage and support learners from schools to pursue careers in the sector through career guidance. This can be in the form of exhibitions and career guidance booklets. They must provide an enabling environment for the pipeline of learners from schools to FETs or universities, and finally to the workplace.