INTRODUCING THE NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, DR THABO MASHONGOANE

Who is Dr Thabo Shadrack Mashongoane?

I am the CEO of the Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA), the Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) responsible for the administration of skills development within the mining and minerals sector. I joined the MQA in 2021 as the Chief Operations Officer (COO) and recently became the CEO.

My career started in the automotive industry in 1983 as a Fitter and Turner apprentice and later as a quality assurance instructor and inspector for six years. I then qualified as an artisan and moved to a technical college where I was employed as an instructor and a lecturer for the engineering trades. During the latter period at the technical college, I became the head of the division responsible for sixteen different trades.

My exposure to senior management experience commenced in 1997 as a Principal of a Technical College, as well as a manager for a cluster of colleges for various portfolios such as student support services, human resources, linkages to industry and learnerships and later as the deputy CEO responsible for academic programmes. I worked as the deputy director at the then Further Education and Training (FET) policy, planning and curriculum development in the National Department of Education and was later appointed as the Executive Manager for the National Skills Authority (NSA) in the Department of Labour and transferred to the Department of Higher Education and Training in the same portfolio.

I was later appointed as the CEO of the National Skills Authority (NSA), responsible for the coordination of the work of the NSA, advising the Minister on strategic and policy matters, including the National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS), the monitoring of performance and governance of the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), as well as the nine Provincial Skills Development Forums (PSDFs).

I led and participated in the labour movement in the late eighties to early nineties and represented lecturers from the former Bophuthatswana Homeland during the change-over period to the new South Africa (SA). I actively participate in my community and church and sit on various councils, including the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO), the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), Provincial Human Resources Development Councils (HRDC’s), Southern African Society for Cooperative Education (SASCE), the Public Service Trainers’ Forum (PSTF) and other councils.

I possess diploma certificates, higher diplomas, degrees, master’s and doctoral degrees in qualifications ranging from educational management, human resources, business management, business administration, teaching and technical fields. My latest qualifications are post-graduate diplomas in monitoring and evaluation and design thinking and innovation.

You have been working since the 1980s. What are some notable workplace changes you have seen over the years?

There have been many changes since the 1980s and more so after 1994. I see greater educational opportunities for young people, particularly young black individuals. I have also observed greater career prospects for people that previously never experienced such opportunities. There are black CEOs, and women have greater opportunities to advance and move into careers previously reserved for males or other race groups.

Due to technological advancements, the instantaneous communication we experience today is another highlight over the years. We are approaching the fifth industrial revolution, but we have not yet acclimatised to the advancements of the fourth industrial revolution. There is a host of communication channels that previously were not thought of. These include every worker having access to a computer or even a laptop, advanced software packages that organisations use, employee engagement applications, artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, social media and various technologies that have not only advanced the way we do things, but that have encouraged greater accessibility to opportunities that we never thought existed before.

How would you describe your work ethic?

I have a very strong work ethic and am extremely goal orientated, driven by my passion for community development. I aspire to always build a formidable team that is effective and watchful of deliverables. I believe that prompt and timeous communication should further enhance working relations.

What sets you apart as a Professional?

As a community builder, I am inspired by seeing people develop and get ahead. My philosophy in life is that if I can influence one person and we influence the rest of the people, we will have a better community and nation. I am a person who gives people a chance to have their say, and I listen to what they say, and I am further willing to interact with that individual to understand where they come from. It comes from a democratic leadership point of view, where we say, let us give each other a chance, let us understand one another’s issues, but we must be effective and prompt communicators on several issues. We must be responsive and effective in communicating the message to the people we serve. In that way, I believe we will make an impact in the community in a positive way by including them in their personal development.

Please explain your leadership style?

Ideologically, I am a democratic leader whose decisions are informed by contextual issues while clinging to the vision. This results in consciously adopting a situational leadership slant in addressing matters. I see myself as an intentional leader.

Do you think that leadership and transformation should be prioritised?

Absolutely! Effective leadership contributes to transforming peoples’ lives and, as a result, should be prioritised. As a leader, my greatest strategy is deriving value from every individual, regardless of position or level. People are appointed because of their skills, knowledge, and capacity, but some setbacks in their lives could result in them not contributing towards what they were employed for. Therefore, for me, it is about changing those perceptions and misunderstandings and ensuring that we work together, respecting each other and understanding that as much as we may have parameters for individual work, at the end of the day, we still have to work as a team to take organisations to greater heights. In that way, I use my leadership style to transform the mindsets of employees I interact with, and ultimately, they impact the lives of all South Africans positively.

One evident realisation is the need for proper talent management strategies. Do you think that one of the solutions could be regular skills audits?

It is important that organisations intentionally develop strategies to attract the talent that will contribute to the goals of their organisations. With the right talent, organisations perform better, and innovation begins to drive the organisation’s success. This talent also begins to serve the organisation as mentors, trainers and role models for others in their companies.

Skills audits are valuable tools to determine if an employee still possesses the necessary skills for their role and perhaps identify previously unidentified skills that can qualify an employee for a better-suited position. As the MQA, we encourage organisations to conduct skills audits to ensure the skills of their employees are current and fit for their roles.

On the topic of talent, skills development and educational opportunities, how does the mining and minerals sector bridge the talent gap?

The mining and minerals sector is one of the sectors where we have an ageing workforce and a general shortage of skills, particularly technical skills. At grass root level, we can ensure that more younger learners pursue subjects like mathematics and science so that they can move into technical environments. Many young people focus on the softer skills, believing it is an easier route.

Employers must make opportunities available to attract a younger, more skilled workforce into these non-traditional labour pools. Ongoing training must be a way of life where employers collaborate with institutions such as the MQA, and institutions of higher learning, to enable them to improve graduate employability. One of the key issues we grapple with at the MQA is finding workspaces to provide young people with the necessary experience. As a country, we must reinforce the value of continuous learning to compete globally.

Do you think enough is being done to develop skills within the SETAs?

I may be biased in my response, as an individual involved with SETAs for some time, as part of the NSA where I was the CEO, and now the MQA, I would say that SETAs are doing their level best to ensure that young people receive opportunities they previously would not have been exposed to. Alone, SETAs cannot do enough; however, with all the role players and the various partners that work with the SETAs on a day-to-day basis, SETAs have the potential to make a difference and contribute to the alleviation of poverty, inequality and unemployment that plagues our society. Together we can do more!

What measures have you put in place to identify skills needed for the mining sector?

The MQA is responsive to the needs of the mining and minerals sector. The sector skills plans, and the training trends inform this. By being responsive, we aim to identify and deliver against the National Skills Development Plan (NSDP) 2030 objectives, the Emergency Response and Recovery Plan Skills Strategy (ERRPSS) interventions, and also address the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), as well as digitisation of skills needs for the sector. Our working relations with the sector are further enhanced with prompt and timeous communication by the MQA team. Stakeholder engagements have been strengthened with an effective communication strategy.

Is there gender equality within the mining sector, and how can this be improved?

The mining sector is one of those sectors where the industry struggles to attract women; however, with the various programmes that have been introduced focusing on women, we have seen greater opportunities.

As the MQA, we have programmes that we have introduced that will focus more on attracting women. The mining sector also focuses on ensuring that the conditions within mines are looked into, as they have realised that diversity can be their sector’s strength.

The mining sector also has organisations like Women in Mining South Africa (WIMSA), where concerted efforts are ensured to partner with the sector and address some of the key challenges women face. Women in the sector are already making a difference, and we are sure that we will attract more women from now on. Women need to identify those already working in the mines as role models so they, too, can aspire to be part of the sector.

How are you implementing Occupational Qualifications Development and Monitoring and Evaluation support within the sector?

The MQA focuses on fit-for-purpose qualifications in the sector by identifying the existing skills shortages. This is identified through our various activities, such as employers submitting workplace skills plans and annual training reports, culminating in a sector skills plan that serves as a comprehensive document outlining the skills demand and supply. These skills gaps then inform the development of Professional, Vocational, Technical and Academic Learning (PIVOTAL) programmes and interventions that will address the skills needs. The appropriate qualifications are then put in place to meet these needs.

We also have structures where we have subject matter experts that advise the sector and a research function that assists in ensuring that qualifications developed meet the sector’s needs. Skills audits are another tool already discussed.

Lastly, as the MQA, we have a monitoring and evaluation function as we need to track our efforts, verify that our stakeholders are meeting the expectations of the sector, and determine the impact of the MQA and the return on investment. Without this, we cannot trace our efforts and the difference we make in the sector.