Related Articles
Top Stories
Feb 13 2012 07:58
Greek lawmakers have approved a new round of drastic austerity measures after a long day of street battles between police and protesters left dozens injured.
Feb 13 2012 07:41
A reader gets advice on quick returns on a lump sum.
Feb 12 2012 15:59
Moral hazard, financial weapons of mass destruction, a huge mess - these were the words used by a founder member to sum up the collapse of the Pinnacle Point Group.
Johannesburg - South Africa should not only be training artisans for current needs, but also to replace the ageing workforce, a human resources company said in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
"The current artisan population is ageing, with an average age of 50-55 years ... so we should not merely be training for current needs, but also to replace the ageing workforce," said CEO of Landelahni Business Leaders Sandra Burmeister at the release of the company's 2008 mining survey.
According to the government's Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition (Jipsa), at least 12 500 artisans should be produced each year over the next four years to meet demand. However, South Africa continued to suffer a severe shortage of qualified, competent and experienced artisans.
The number of artisans tested across all trades increased from 15 000 in 1970 to 26 500 in 1986, while those who passed trade tests increased from 6000 to 13 500, the survey found.
From 1986, however, the numbers tested dropped to 9041 and those who passed dropped to a low 3222, or 42%.
The Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA) target registration for artisans in 2008 was 1766, against 1034 actual registrations.
Assuming an average pass rate of 42%, some 434 artisans were trained each year under MQA auspices with specific qualifications in mining.
"Artisan training requires a significantly increased investment by both government and the private sector," Burmeister said.
The survey also concluded that black representation in the mining industry at top management level more than doubled from 12.5% in 2001 to 30.6% in 2006, ahead of the all industry average of 22.2%.
The single biggest shift occurred at non-executive director level - from 0.05% to 37%.
The survey also showed that the mining industry had made significant strides in gender equity, with the number of women in top management increasing from 0.01% to 9.3% between 2001 and 2006, women in senior management increasing from 0.03% to 10.1% and those in middle management and professional positions increasing from 5.4% to 18.3%.
- Sapa