MICT SETA and CHIETA recommit to cross-sector skills development. (Image source: 123RF)
The Media, Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (MICT SETA) and the Chemical Industries SETA (CHIETA) have renewed their memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at cross-sectoral skills development.
Built on a partnership first established in November 2021, the renewed agreement will transform CHIETA’s existing smart skills centres into external integrated summative assessment (EISA) exam centres.
Under the renewed MOU, the centres will serve as integrated hubs for digital skills training, EISA assessment, work-readiness validation, entrepreneurship development and official qualification certification, according to a statement.
They will service accredited programmes for both CHIETA and the MICT SETA, bringing quality assurance and official qualifications directly to communities.
MICT SETA ETQA senior manager Natalie Nelson says the joining of forces aims to bridge the digital divide seamlessly, adding that the people-centred vision sparked in 2021 has now been breathed into life.
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CHIETA CEO Yershen Pillay underscored the urgency of investing in the digital economy. “The workforce and factory floors are rapidly digitising and automating. No one should be left behind. By equipping communities with digital and future-focused skills, we are directly responding to industry needs, while improving employability and unlocking economic participation for young people.”
According to Pillay, training the workforce in digital skills directly answers the demands of industry levy-payers and private sector stakeholders, boosting youth employability.
“By demystifying technology for rural dwellers, the centres serve as a vital tool to help citizens overcome daily socio-economic challenges.”
MICT SETA CEO Matome Madibana highlights that the scalability of the initiative aligns to the country’s broader digital transformation agenda.
“The decision to collaborate on digital transformation initiatives and implement cross-sectoral skills development programmes responsive to the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) forms part of the MICT SETA’s strategic drive to massify much-needed digital skills and grow the national pool of future-fit capabilities.
“These centres create a powerful platform to roll out more than 50 4IR qualifications that the MICT SETA has developed. With a shared footprint, this training can be rolled out consistently across all the nine provinces,” notes Madibana.
The partnership aims to also focus on tech-driven entrepreneurship development and innovation-led training interventions aimed at accelerating local business capabilities, stimulating job creation and advancing inclusive participation in the digital economy.
MICT SETA was established in terms of the Skills Development Act of 1998, with a mission to generate, facilitate and accelerate the processes of quality skills development at all levels in the MICT sector in South Africa.
CHIETA is a SETA under the Department of Higher Education and Training that facilitates skills development through various training initiatives in the chemical and manufacturing industries.
