The North-West University (NWU) and the Public Service Education and Training Authority (PSETA) commenced discussions to enter into a formal collaboration to build the skills capabilities within the public service sector and fulfil both parties’ constitutional and statutory obligations.
On Thursday, 7 March 2024 delegates from the NWU and the PSETA met at the Potchefstroom Campus and shared their insights and perspectives regarding ways in which they can enhance their partnership and achieve mutually beneficial goals and objectives.
Prof Daryl Balia, deputy vice-chancellor for Information Technology and Campus Operations (Potchefstroom Campus), emphasised the importance of strategic partnerships between the NWU and other key role players such as the PSETA.
“This meeting is crucial. It is a great pleasure to have the PSETA in our presence today, and the NWU is honoured to be part of this partnership,” he said.
“Regarding our strategy as a SETA, we are more interested in strategic partnerships and collaborations with key stakeholders, and that is why we are here today,” said Bontle Lerumo, the chief executive officer of the PSETA.
The PSETA serves as an intermediary between skills, demand, and supply. It conducts labour market research and generates annual sector skills plans that assist the institution in overseeing its evidence-based research.
In addition to being able to help government departments fulfil their mandate and increase their capacity and capabilities, the PSETA will now focus more on provincial sector skills to comprehend the dynamics of skills at a provincial level.
According to Bontle Lerumo, the NWU will be the PSETA’s research partner when they conduct the provincial sector skills plan for North-West. The motive of using local universities for the provincial sector skills plan is that they have a better understanding of the provincial dynamics than institutions outside the province.
The two organisations agreed to focus on meaningful interventions to address unemployment and service delivery, and to contribute towards building a capable state. The enhancement of the relationship between the two industries to ensure a conducive environment for learnerships and skills development for university graduates was also agreed upon.
The parties agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and establish a programme steering committee (PSC), which will be responsible for the implementation of strategies and time-bound action plans to meet the desired objectives of the MoU.
The PSC will comprise officials from both parties and will manage all activities, programmes and courses that are contained in the MoU.
The parties also agreed to cooperate with each other in the utmost good faith and with honesty, integrity, and professionalism with regard to planned activities that might potentially impact the work of the other party in terms of the MoU.
Immediate interventions from the PSETA
The PSETA committed to supporting more than 60 students from the NWU in terms of internships and learnerships. These students will be placed for a period of 24 months at local North West municipalities and government departments.
The PSETA further committed to supporting more than 60 postgraduate students with bursaries, and the priority fields of study will include public management and government studies, finance/accounting, supply chain, law, risk management and internal auditing.
“I am elated about the signing of this MoU because it will give us an opportunity to look at possibilities of new projects that can assist in local government structures,” said Prof Dumisani Moyo, the executive dean of the Faculty of Humanities, in his closing remarks.
From the top left are Prof Dumi Moyo, executive dean of the Faculty of Humanities; Mr Thoriso Maseng, senior manager at Career Services; Prof Daryl Balia, deputy vice-chancellor for Information Technology and Campus Operations (Potchefstroom Campus); Prof Kedibone Phago, director at the School of Government Studies and Public Administration; Ms Bontle Lerumo, chief executive officer of the PSETA; Mr Nkosinathi Tom, director of Strategic Partnerships and Special Projects. In front, from the left, are Mr Phillip Malan; manager at the office of the vice-chancellor; Lungiswa Mafuleka, quality assurance manager at the PSETA; Shivanthini Nagalingam-Potter, chief operating officer at the PSETA; and Leigh Anne Naicker, skills planning and research manager at the PSETA.
