W&RSETA Insider 22May 2020

MAY 2020 ISSUE 11

PLAY YOUR PART TO REDUCE THE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN RISK TO LEVEL 1:

• Stay home if you have not been issued an essential work permit • Wear a mask or scarf in public including in the office • Keep the social distance • Wash and/or sanitise your hands often • Cough on your elbow to prevent the spread of coronavirus TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES AND BE SAFE!

HAPPY AFRICA DAY

WHERE CAN YOU GET HELP OR INFORMATION? CORONA VIRUS(COVID-19) 24-HOUR HOTLINE NUMBER: 0800 029 999 CORONA VIRUS(COVID-19) WHATSAPP NUMBER: 0600 12 3456 W&RSETA COVID-19 TASK TEAM: COVID19@WRSETA.ORG.ZA

IN THIS ISSUE...

MESSAGE FROM THE CEO Page 3

STREAMLINING OUR ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE Page 4

LET’S TALK COVID-19 Page 5

OUR VALUE OF THE WEEK Page 6

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HAPPY AFRICA DAY, FELLOW AFRICANS

On 25 May, the African will commemorate the 57th year of Africa Day. This day celebrates African unity and provides us with an opportunity to acknowledge the progress that we, as Africans, have made, while reflecting on the common challenges we face in a global environment. It was on 25 May 1963 when the Organisation of African Unity was formed which is today known as the African Union and is chaired by the President of Egypt.

Let us celebrate all that makes us proudly African!

My Africa! My Home!

Annexure II submissions

Regions work around the clock ahead of Annexure II submissions deadline With only 9 days remaining to the 31 May 2020 deadline for submission of the 2020/2021 Annexure II documents, the regional offices will be busier as the colleagues work around the clock to reach their targets.

We wish you all the best as you push for the final stretch, colleagues. We know it has been challenging as stakeholders are also contending with the impact of the lockdown and there will be an influx of last minute submissions.

You have done it before, and you can do it again! Go, Team Regions!

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MESSAGE FROM THE CEO

WE MUST NOT LET THE COVID-19 CRISIS GO TO WASTE Dear colleagues, Greetings!

I hope your health has been good and that you are keeping safe.

Our country, and many others all over the world, continue to grapple with the COVID-19 epidemic as the virus continues to claim many lives, and sadly, livelihoods.

As we go through these challenging times, I must confess that I am grateful to be navigating through the uncertainty that confronts us, with you. I am grateful to the leadership of my senior management that is ensuring that we respond with agility to the changes that our sector is faced with. Management at all other levels is also keeping the ship afloat on a daily basis by ensuring that we provide leadership during this time.

Of course all this would not be possible without the engine of the organisation - every single W&RSETA employee. You have risen to the occasion and allowed us to lead you through the changes that we are going through as a country and an employer.

Last week Tuesday, the second day after we reopened the offices, I reported at head office and was truly humbled to see some of our colleagues at work. I say this because this is a time of great uncertainty and people are concerned about their health and that of their loved ones. Stepping out of the safety of their homes to travel and work from the office could not have been easy. Please allow me to thank each and every one of our staff members who are currently working from all our offices. You are the true heroes of our organisation and I salute you.

Now, the country is getting ready to move to level 3 of the lockdown which is good for our economy and the livelihoods of many. We will update you on developments pertaining to our environment in this regard. Please continue to look after yourself as best as you can. Practice all the health protocols strictly when you are at the office to ensure that you protect your colleagues as well.

The current situation is a learning curve for all of us – from government to business and society. Let us engage on issues of

concern or clarity. The Management team remains available to talk to you about any issues that you may have. It is only through engagement that we can improve and correct issues where we need to.

The road ahead is uncertain and I encourage you to rely on our values to motivate you through this period and prepare for the new norm. We are accountable to each other and to our stakeholders; we respond with agility to the changing environment; we conduct ourselves with the upmost integrity and trustworthiness; we show each other mutual respect and we pride ourselves in providing quality services to our stakeholders.

Stay well and be safe whether in your home office or the W&RSETA office.

Thank you for remaining committed to the skills development mandate.

Sincerely,

Tom

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REPRIORITISING OUR PLANS TO HELP THE W&R SECTOR RESPOND TO COVD-19 As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it poses to our sector and the SETA as an organisation, there is currently a process to revise our 2020/2021 Annual Performance Plan (APP) to alight it with the revised budget projections. It was critical that the APP be revised in order to address immediate needs of our stakeholders due to the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The revised APP will be presented to the Board for approval and finally to the Minister.

At this point, it is important to note that the SETA seeks to prioritise the following: • Job retention for employees through re-skilling or multi-tasking of activities for possible changes in business processes.

• Increase the number of skills programmes to address the re-skilling and multi-skilling of employees to adapt to new business processes and COVID-19 requirements.

• Increase the number of learners completing programmes.

• Assist vulnerable youth to access opportunities for education, training and employment.

• Support vulnerable sectors of the economy, particularly SMMEs, informal traders, cooperatives and NGOs.

• Implement reasonable accommodation measures to support the sector with COVID-19 regulations, including the provision of Personal Protective Equipment and through the COVID-19 Temporary Employee/Employer Relief Scheme (C19 TERS).

One of the initiatives that the SETA has already committed to is to train 600 graduates who will assist companies with screening of customers and learners, as well as health and hygiene at stores.

Stakeholders have been informed about these plans and the revised APP will be shared with staff once it has been approved.

STREAMLINING OUR ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE TO MOVE US FROM GOOD TO GREAT As you are all aware, we are going through a necessary process of restructuring our organisation through the organisational redesign process. This process was initiated by the Board in October 2018 to address our service delivery shortcomings. While the process can be daunting, it also presents many opportunities for growth of both the organisation and us as employees.

Let’s recap…

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WHAT?

WHY?

The W&RSETA has embarked on an organisational redesign process that will result in a new organisational structure.

The restructuring process aims to address service delivery challenges that the SETA has been faced with which are related to people, systems and processes. The intention of the process is to implement a decentralisation service delivery model this will increase capacity where service delivery takes place at the regions..

WHEN? October 2019 – 2028

HOW? • • • • • •

Hybrid phased implementation approach starting with Management level and other priority positions Advertising of new positions and those that have changed by more than 30% Positions will be advertised to the current level and only one level below.

Job matching (plug and play) where the old and new roles match by at least 70% Reskilling and upskilling of employees for employees who are not placed W&RSETA grievance procedure to be followed if an employee is unsatisfied or dissatisfied with the process

“Change is the law of life, and those who look only to the past and present are certain to miss the future” - John F. Kennedy

LET’S TALK COVID-19 MYTHS VS FACTS

Myth: COVID-19 cannot be transmitted in areas with hot and humid climates.

Fact: C OVID-19 can be transmitted in ALL AREAS, regardless of climate.

Myth: Cold weather and snow can kill COVID-19.

Fact: There is no indication that cold temperatures can kill COVID-19. The normal human body temperature remains around 36.5°C to 37°C, regardless of the external temperature or weather.

Myth: Spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body can kill COVID-19.

Fact: Spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body will not kill viruses that have already entered your body. Spraying such substances can be harmful to your mucous membranes.

Myth: Vaccines for pneumonia protect you against Coronavirus?

Fact: Vaccines against pneumonia, such as pneumococcal vaccine and haemophilus influenza type B (Hib) vaccine, do not provide protection against COVID-19. The virus is so new and different that it needs its own vaccine.

Myth: Eating garlic can help prevent COVID-19 infection.

Fact: Garlic is a healthy food that may have some antimicrobial properties. However, there is no evidence from the current outbreak that eating garlic has protected people from the Coronavirus.

Myth: Only the elderly can contract COVID-19.

Fact: People of all ages can be infected by COVID-19. But older people, and people with pre-existing medical conditions, appear to be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the virus.

Myth: Antibiotics are effective in preventing and treating COVID-19.

Fact: Antibiotics do not work against viruses, only bacteria.

Myth: There are medicines to prevent or treat COVID-19.

Fact: To date, there is no specific medicine recommended to prevent or treat COVID-19.

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OUR VALUE OF THE WEEK

LIVING OUR VALUES TO TAKE US FROM GOOD TO GREAT

25-29 May

Our value for next week is

Quality Services The lockdown has presented both a challenge and an opportunity to demonstrate our core value of putting the stakeholder first. We have and continue to demonstrate our passion and commitment to the sector by showing up during these uncertain times. Here is what we have been and striving to do in order to demonstrate this commitment to our stakeholders (internal and external) • Professionalism • Being orientated towards service fulfilment • Exceeding expectations • Meticulousness • Adhering to standards • Consistency May this serve as an encouragement should we not have been fully doing what we have committed to do. Great work to those who are going the extra mile in living these values.

We are the W&RSETA, known to exceed stakeholder expectations!!!

BIRTHDAYS FROM 24 TO 30 MAY

Birthdays are a new start, a fresh beginning and a time to pursue new endeavors with new goals. Move forward with confidence and courage. May today and all of your days be amazing! Happy Birthday, colleagues

– 24 May Kgadi, HO

Frederick,

May GPS – 30

Tshepang GPS – 27 May

Thabile, HO - 27 May

Sisigirl, MP – 25 May

Joseph, GPS - 30 May