For Mandatory Grant capturing purposes, what is my login details?
The User Name is the SDF's ID number and the Password is the SDF's Surname (starting with a Capital Letter)
I registered as an SDF with FP&M SETA and submitted WSPs for previous years but I am unable to log in. What is the problem?
The FP&M SETA moved to a new MIS (Deloitte) and all SDFs need to re-register in order to capture mandatory grant applications.
I am trying to register as an SDF on the Indicium system but it says 'ID already exist'?
Please use your ID number as the Username and your Surname (first letter in caps) as password. Then complete step 2 which is to link your organization/s. The final step to complete the registration process is to upload the SDF appointment letter.
I logged on the system and captured information on a few sections but when I went back to continue capturing, the system says 'username or password incorrect'. What must I do?
Please e-mail FP&M SETA and request for your password to be re-set.
I want to capture a mandatory grant application but my organization is not in the system?
Please send your SDL number to FP&M SETA so that we can investigate and confirm that the organisation forms part of FP&M SETA employer file.
In terms of Mandatory Grant capturing, why is the excel download for OFO codes is using the occupation drop down and not the OFO codes?
SDFs need to check their OFO version 13 to find their codes as these are aligned to the job specifications.
In terms of the 2014/15 Mandatory Grant Application, on the Indicium System, why is the WSP/ATR Excel Spreadsheet not uploading?
To ensure the correct uploading of the Excel Spreadsheet (1) please add zeroes (0) on the columns that are blank; (2) do not change the content of the spreadsheet; (3) do not add unknown content where there provision had been made for specific values via the drop down menu
Why is career guidance not prioritised in the FP&M SETA?
Career and Vocational Guidance is the core mandate of the DHET – it is their responsibility. Our role is one of support to DHET as a partner. The FP&M SETA have developed career information materials which have been widely distributed during several career guidance exhibitions in which the FP&M SETA participated during the current and previous financial years.
What is being done to enhance communication between the FP&M SETA and its stakeholders?
Since the appointment of Ms. Yende, the FP&M SETA CEO, she has made a concerted effort to meet with all the role players in the FP&M sector in order to address the concerns of all sub-sectors and stakeholders in the FP&M sector. Regular workshops are being held to update stakeholders on new developments and communication via bulk e-mails and the website is a regular occurrence. We welcome any proposals from our stakeholders on how to further enhance communication. This can be done through the new feature on our website that is also mentioned in our newsletter viz. direct communication with the CEO via the “compliments”, “complaints” and “tips for the CEO” buttons on the homepage. This feature became live in September 2013 and has already been utilized by our stakeholders.
Planning for a series of roadshows are currently underway:
Operational Roadshows: November 2013 – Focusing on Discretionary Grants; January 2014 – Focusing on Skills Planning & ETQA
CEO Strategic Roadshows: February/March 2014 – Focusing on Strategic and Sector Issues
Why does youth co-operatives not receive attention within the Forestry sub-sector?
THE FP&M SETA is fully supportive of registered and compliant co-operatives. Although this constituency does not contribute to the skills development levy income of the FP&M SETA, the FP&M SETA has supported a number of co-operatives with discretionary grant funding, more especially those co-operatives that address the disability and rural development mandate. Year on year we receive a number of applications for accreditation support and funding support. In terms of funding – the discretionary grant budget is very limited & constrained and we can only assist a limited number of co-operatives. When allocating discretionary grants, the SETA also tries to disburse grants equally to all our sub-sectors.
How does the FP&M SETA Discretionary Grant Payment system work?
Discretionary grant payments are underpinned by the discretionary grant approval process & tranche payments that are clearly detailed on the MoA.
Payment requests with invoices, deliverables & supporting documentation must be lodged at your regional office, who will conduct a verification exercise and put a payment pack together. Once fully compliant – they submit to Head Office to audit and make recommendation to the Projects Manager to approve the payment.
In terms of our payment policies, we are committed to making payment WITHIN 30 days from date of invoice – PROVIDED all deliverables are met and the required supporting documentation is attached to the payment.
What is the SETA doing to address the outstanding discretionary grant payments due to stakeholders?
The FP&M SETA has increased the staff capacity in the Projects Division, in particular for processing payments and the Division has enhanced the payment system.
The FP&M SETA staff is currently working around the clock to ensure that the backlog of discretionary grant payments are addressed without further delay.
However, we are still bound by our policies and procedures and the payment process as explained above needs to be followed in all instances.
Once our MIS system is up and running, we hope to make payments on-line whereby the stakeholders upload the information/documents themselves onto the MIS and the SETA verifies and process payments.
We would appreciate it if companies could bring to our attention any outstanding payments (payments meeting all payment criteria and outstanding for more than 30 days).
When will the FP&M SETA announce the outcomes of the recent discretionary grant applications?
The FP&M SETA Projects Division is currently engaged in the process of informing the applicants of the outcome of their discretionary grant applications. Discretionary grant workshops will be held during the last two weeks of November 2013 to assist successful applicants with the activation of their grants.
The FP&M SETA Board took a decision to release the discretionary grants in a staggered manner and more allocations will be finalised in November 2013.
What is the implementation process of skills development after approval and allocation of mandatory and discretionary grants?
Skills development implementation is underpinned by policies & guidelines in terms of implementation. In terms of discretionary grants, the applicants must follow due process as set out in the MOA and must implement skills development interventions as agreed to through the MOA. For example in the case of learnership implementation, the beneficiary (which could be an employer or training provider) should recruit the relevant learners and induct them in terms of the learnership process. The beneficiary must ensure the following - that the learner follow a structured learning programme according to national standards; that the learner has access to relevant study materials and practical equipment; that the learner is coached, mentored and assessed at regular intervals; etc. The beneficiary must keep complete records of the training conducted as the SETA reserve the right to audit grant beneficiaries at any time to verify that the information supplied to the SETA in terms of implementation is correct and reliable.
In terms of mandatory grants, the grant recipient must implement the training that it undertook to conduct in its Workplace Skills Plan. Accurate training records must also be kept in this instance as this would be required when completing the Annual Training Report the following year as well as for audit purposes.
The payment of tranche payments remains a problem for stakeholders. When can we expect an improvement? Do the stakeholders have any form of recourse?
The FP&M SETA Board has recently approved a change in the number of tranche payments. The tranche payments have been reduced to 3 payments of 40% on commencement, 40% at midpoint and 20% on completion which will lighten the administrative burden on grant recipients significantly.
What sector projects are planned?
We have approved a number of projects that relates to sectoral priorities. We also have approved a number of internal projects that addresses the following:
- QCTO qualifications development
- Assessor, Moderator, SDF, Coaching & Mentoring skills programmes – to build ETDP capacity in the sector.
Are there service providers accredited with FP&M SETA to provide Forestry related courses like charcoal production?
A list of accredited providers is available on request. Once the new Management Information System (MIS) is up and running, the list will be made available through the FP&M SETA website. At this stage we have only one accredited training provider for Charcoal Production.
Why does it take so long (more than 6 weeks) to release trade test results?
This is the maximum period required to complete the certification process, taking into consideration the appointment of assessors, moderation and the generation of the certificates by the SETA. The process is highly regulated and involves a number of admin processes. The SETA is looking into simplifying this process.
I would like to equip and train students who have a passion for fashion, textiles and clothing production, however, I am not a registered trainer or facilitator yet. How do I go about registering and how can the FP&M SETA assist me?
The Training Provider Accreditations Pack that contains Guidelines and QMS templates can be obtained on request from ETQA personnel in all the FP&M SETA Regional Offices or can be accessed via the FP&M SETA website. ETQA staff is also available to assist stakeholders with the accreditation process.
Why were the assessor, moderator, and SDF courses postponed and when are the new dates?
The training will be continued from the beginning of next year (2014). The uptake (number of delegates interested in the training) was not as high as originally anticipated. We are hoping to reach more people when we reschedule the training interventions next year.
We are fully accredited and would like to become involved in learnerships. How should we go about doing this?
Accredited providers are free to apply for funding from the FP&M SETA to run learnerships related to scarce and critical skills in the FP&M sector.
Accredited providers could also partner with employers in the sector who are not equipped to implement learnerships on their own or could partner with community based organisations that run projects in rural communities or programmes for designated groups e.g. women, persons with disabilities, youth, etc.
My accreditation certificate expires at the end of 2015. Why should I apply for re-accreditation?
All the providers that were accredited by the ex-SETAs before the amalgamation will remain accredited up until their accreditation certificates expire. We recommend that providers apply for re-accreditation at least 6 months before the expiration of their accreditation to allow enough time for FP&M SETA staff to conduct the necessary desktop evaluations and site visits. It is a national requirement that providers are only accredited for a maximum of 5 years - thereafter they must be re-evaluated as their status could have changed.
We as training providers face a challenge of getting accredited for certain qualifications due to a lack of accredited assessors and moderators for the specific qualifications. Yet it is a requirement. What should we do in this regard?
You can access a list of registered and qualified assessors and/or moderators from the FP&M SETA ETQA by contacting any of the Regional Offices.
Alternatively, you could register your staff on the assessor and moderator courses that will be run by the SETA again next year to capacitate them to assess / moderate specific qualifications.
Can we expect another merging of SETAs in the near future?
The SETA’s lifespan and mandate is limited to 5 years – SETAs apply for re-establishment to DHET at the end of this period. There is a Government paper that addresses the future of SETAs. Yes, we can expect changes as contained in this research paper – SETAs are evolving organizations. We can expect more mergers and amalgamations to make SETAs more effective and efficient. This process will be finalized during the next 2 years.
In what way can Public Tertiary Institutions assist your sector?
Given the academic background of Universities – we welcome this question. Higher levels skills are scarce in all our sub-sectors. There is a need for research and product development within industrial sectors and the SETA. SETAs lack research capacity and calls upon universities to become research partners in order to undertake skills planning research, labour market surveys, etc. As a SETA we also provide bursaries for middle & higher level skills – graduate & post-graduate programmes. We need to establish partnerships between our sector and the Universities to facilitate internships & work experience placements so that our graduates can find employment within our sector.
Does the FP&M SETA allocate funding to assist small business to acquire relevant equipment?
No – we do not fund infrastructural and equipment costs. We only fund the training costs.
When will the OFO codes be finalized?
The DHET annually releases an updated version of the Organisational Framework for Occupations (OFO). Year on year, the OFO is reviewed and SETAs recommend changes to be made to the OFO in order to ensure all occupations are included in the OFO. The OFO is also constantly benchmarked against international best practice. There will always be new versions of the OFO & iterations of OFO codes. The OFO is an important tool for QCTO qualifications development.
I have decided to develop a business case to start a local shoe production line at a small scale. How can the FP&M SETA assist me?
We provide accreditation support and discretionary grant funding to SMMEs in order to address their training needs. In fact, the FP&M SETA promote new venture creation programmes as part of our funding strategy. You are welcome to contact our Regional Managers to further assist you with advice in this regard.
What support is offered to industry?
The FP&M SETA provides all kinds of support to its sub-sectors, including:
- Discretionary Grant funding support for the implementation of learning programmes such as learnerships, apprenticeships, internships, skills programmes, etc
- Mandatory Grant funding support for the promotion of skills development for employees at factory level
- QCTO Qualifications Development to address the scarce and critical skills needs of the FP&M sector.
- Quality Assurance support to ensure the provision of qualifications that meet national standards and address scarce and critical skills needs.