Department of Labour’s Public Employment Services working to improve reliability of its work seeker database
The Department of Labour is addressing its Employment System of South Africa (ESSA) system, a job seekers online placement platform, to deal with challenges of having an unreliable and invalid ESSA database of work seekers.
Addressing stakeholders in the Limpopo Province, at Miami Lodge in Polokwane yesterday (February 28), Department of Labour Private Employment Agencies Director, Martin Ratshivhanda says some of the work seekers may have found employment or the information provided is not valid.
Ratshivhanda was speaking during the public hearing (workshop) following last December’s unveiling of draft regulations to improve the efficiency of public employment services. He said the draft regulations come at a critical time where the country is dealing with the plague of unemployment.
The week-long national public hearings on the published regulations in terms of the Employment Services Act no: 4 of 2014 came to an an end yesterday.
In order for the registration of work seekers to be valid, unemployed citizens are required to provide information on their disability, marital and criminal status, equity group, indication of the work seeker status of employment, contact details, physical and postal address, school qualification and tertiary qualifications and their employment history.
Ratshivhanda says the reasoning behind all these requirements is to ensure that no work seeker can provide the Department with false information as the system itself is linked with the systems of South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), Home Affairs and Correctional Services.
As a means to further assist work seekers, the regulation gives the Department the obligation to refer registered applicants for services such as Unemployment Insurance Fund. This is provided that the work seeker has availed themselves for any work opportunity or any other public employment services. Failure to do so will result in non-payment of unemployment insurance benefits.
Ratshivhanda says the department also have a responsibility to provide career guidance, employment counselling and, any other related life skills to secure employment or other forms of work.
Unpacking the regulation on the employment of foreign nationals, Department of Labour Deputy Director in Immigration for Cross Boarder and Labour Migration Nhlanhla Ngwenya says, it is pivotal for employers to exhaust all avenues in the local market before exploring the employment of foreign nationals.
Employers were encouraged to provide proof of interview selection notes of the applicant indicating the rationale of unsuitability of the recruited local citizens and reasons for non-selection. “It is of utmost importance to submit curriculum vitae of the shortlisted candidates and preferred candidate to indicate the reasons a South African national was not suitable for a job. Moreover for employers to ensure that they comply with all Labour legislations when employing foreign nationals,” says Ngwenya.
As per the regulations, proof of qualifications evaluated by SAQA should also be submitted to check the validity of equivalence to South Africa.
Moving to the skills transfer plan, Ngwenya explains that the plan is new in the country and needs commitment from both government and the private sector for successful implementation.
According the sub-section 8(2) of the Act, the applicant for a work visa or corporate visa shall satisfy the Director-General that a skills transfer plan is in place to ensure that skills required for the work opportunity in which a foreign national is employed, is transferred to SA citizens. “Employers who applied in the last 5 years need not re-apply as they are expected to have transferred the skills to local citizens,” says Ngwenya.
The hearings which commenced on Monday (25 February 2019) in Gauteng Province also coincide with the final day for submission (28 February) of inputs by stakeholders on the draft regulations.
The draft regulations are obtainable on the Department of Labour’s website www.labour.gov.za.
For more information on PES draft regulations:
Department of Labour PES Director: Employment Services Board Secretariat & Private Employment Agencies, Martin Ratshivhanda on 079 235 2799; Ernest Masemola on 082 566 6565
Or Employment Services Board Secretariat, Ms Mmathule Masilela on 082 521 6328
Enquiries:
Teboho Thejane
Cell: 082 697 0694
