Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETA) Forum declaration

9 May 2011

The Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETA) Forum, comprising all 21 Setas in South Africa, gathered in Rosebank, Johannesburg to reaffirm our common commitment to the important task of effecting fundamental changes in the skills situation in our country.

Crucially, we recognise the role and place of the Seta system in the ongoing efforts to fight unemployment and expand our skills base, in order to promote growth and development in our country. Above all, we commit ourselves to ensuring that our work and the product thereof is underpinned by impact; it has quality and takes into consideration the needs of the previously marginalised.

Accordingly, the Seta Forum, comprising the Department for Higher Education and representatives of all 21 Setas in the country, make the following declaration:

1. The Seta Forum fully endorses the Minister's new vision for the post-school education and training landscape and the overall transformation and developmental agenda for the Seta landscape.

2. We as the forum reiterate that we will co-operate with the Minister and continue to engage him on all transformation matters, including the proposed changes to the Seta landscape. We also re-affirm that whatever differences may arise from time to time, the legal route to resolve these is a hindrance to progress.

3. We wish to state categorically that we fully support the Minister's transformation processes in the post-school sphere. We are fully aware that the Seta sector needs urgent transformation to cope with critical shortages of skills and resource training of our people. In this regard, we emphasise that we support the appointment of independent chairpersons as proposed by the Minister. We are also in agreement with the Minister on the need for the realignment of the Setas, with the mandate of the new Department of Higher Education and Training in mind.

4. As the Seta Forum, we unreservedly welcome the opportunity to engage with the department on matters of skills development. We believe that we can only do better if we continue to engage each other.

5.  We categorically distance ourselves from the ongoing case at the Labour Court between the Department and the Services Seta. We understand the recent judgement applies to the Services Seta only.

6. On its side, the department re-states its goal to restructure the post-school terrain in order to achieve the overall objective of skills development, employment creation and eradication of poverty. The department commits itself to continue to engage and consult with all relevant stakeholder and institutions in pursuit of this goal.

Issued by the Department of Higher Education and Training, May 9 2011

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