Free Training & Career Tips... Subscribe to Get Weekly Career Tips
By Subscribing You are Agreeing to Terms and Conditions
What is EWSETA?
Throughout South Africa, millions of young people are trying to learn new skills and develop existing ones. SETAs allow young people who need more training or additional skills to improve their skills by providing them with a platform. In each industrial sector, trade unions, government agencies, employers, and bargaining councils (where applicable) constitute SETAs. There are currently 21 SETAs covering each economic sector, and the private and public sectors are responsible for these SETAs.
The goal of establishing SETA was to facilitate adequate and meticulous planning of sectoral skills within the established NSDS system. Originally, 23 SETAs were set up in 2000 by the then Minister of Labor, each SETA with sectors and sub-sectors.
The Energy & Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA) adjusted slightly when the South African Government’s current SETA landscape kicked in in March 2011.
As part of the government’s effort to prioritize measures towards better education and training for all and across all economic sectors, they will become one of 15 SETAs re-certified with minor adjustments.
According to a November 2009 announcement by the South African Government and National Skills Authority (NSA), the Electrical Contractors sub-sector within EWSETA moved to the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA), while water distribution matters moved from the Local Government Education and Training Sector Authority (LGSETA) to EWSETA.
This makes complete sense because electrical work is very much a part of the building industry (instead of the supply of electricity). EWSETA has long been an authority for skills growth working in both the energy and water sectors.
The aim Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA) are:
- provide extensive research and a sound understanding of the demand for skills and supply forces in its sector;
- coordinate, facilitate, and provide quality assurance for sector relevant skills development programs for its stakeholders, aligned with stated national skills development priorities;
- and build a pipeline of business skills with a positive effect on the country’s economic development policies, job creation, and poverty eradication.
Within the National Skills Development Strategy III framework, EWSETA’s role is to manage skills development through strategic sector skills planning. It involves:
- Creation of a plan for sector skills and implementation of a plan for sector skills through the establishment of learning programs;
- Enacting Annual Report on Training and the Workplace Skills Plans;
- Allocating grants to employers, providers of education and training, and workers;
- Educational and training monitoring in the sector;
- Registering agreements with learning services and supporting learning and other training initiatives.
EWSETA’s function also involves promoting the development of learning relationships with employers in the sector through the following:
- Seeking places of work in which learners can do practical work;
- Supporting people who build materials for learning;
- Helping to finalize learning agreements;
- Registering arrangements for learnerships.
What is the function of EWSETA?
There are many factors behind the creation of EWSETA, but its main aim is to build and strengthen its industry’s skills. It aims to recognize the need to create skills and maintain national standards that relate to the National Framework for Qualifications (NQF). EWSETA should be responsible for designing and executing its sectoral skills plans to achieve these objectives. EWSETA also supervises education and training within its sector to achieve these objectives.
Following SAQA’s accreditation as an ETQA by EWSETA, it assesses and accredits training providers within its industry. Also, EWSETA manages accrued funds raised in the form of the Skills Development Levy and encourages the establishment of sectoral learning opportunities.
EWSETA also performs quality assurance tests to ensure that relevant standards are met and that the requisite skills needed by employers in the industry sectors are available to learners and employees.
Like all SETAs operating since 2000 under the Skills Development and Skills Development Levies Acts of 1998, EWSETA has concentrated on its specific sector, evaluating and improving the relevant skills and learning programs required by the sector.
These apply to everything from a short course alternative to far more challenging college courses and university degrees.
This is because, in part, the range of expertise covered by those who work for or aim to work in the electricity and energy sector is highly specialized.
The applicable sub-sectors up until now have been:
- Electrical energy,
- Nuclear power,
- Renewable energy,
- Electrical contracting, which is now a sub-sector of the CETA since it is more applicable to building and construction, and
- water, which would now officially include the delivery of water, has previously been done by LGSETA.
Although not all employees need to be highly skilled, the need for well-qualified and competent individuals is real.
The industry itself will be much better off by improving general education and training levels for this sector. As such, South Africa’s energy sector is currently facing more challenges than any other economic sector, perhaps.
For the past decade, since it was established in 2000, the emphasis of SETA has been on:
- Gathering up data on the needs for skill development,
- Identifying and designing plans and standards for training
- Partnership with appropriate stakeholders and organizations that are involved and dedicated to the energy sector
- Facilitating the production of new skills to meet the sector’s needs.
To meet its Sector Skills Plan of Action, EWSETA has conducted significant labor market research.
Several Workplace Skills Programs and Annual Training Reports have benchmarked this research content.
EWSETA will recognize those in the sector who want to learn the requisite skills, education, and training necessary for jobs based on this research within the sector.
The data collected by EWSETA has made it possible for them to promote the creation and implementation of several learning initiatives, including ABET programs, apprenticeships, skills programs, and learnerships (which are similar to apprenticeships in some ways).
EWSETA can also suggest and direct learnerships for those already in the industry who wish to advance their education, training, and skills.
EWSETA Accreditation
Accreditation is defined by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) as the process by which an agency, organization, or individual has been certified as having the ability to fulfill a specific obligation in the quality assurance system organized by the South African Qualifications Authority.
A SETA may be commissioned or certified only if the training provider complies with the strict conditions of an application specified by the applicable SETA. The particular SETA concerned shall determine whether a training provider has the requisite capacity and ability to provide quality training following the requirements of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).
Following the EWSETA mission, which offers structured skills training as an opportunity for economic development and infrastructural growth, EWSETA is directly responsible for accrediting providers of training to empower students with the skills they need. In addition to overseeing initiatives, certifying apprentices, and creating skills plan for the energy and water industry, this approach is one avenue by which they promote skills development. The EWSETA also ensures, after accreditation of training providers, that training is of high quality and standard.
Training center accreditation is very necessary and helpful for students as it allows them to obtain internship placements and apprenticeships. High standards are a requirement for any training provider, especially in the energy and water sector, and these standards include high-quality training and skills development.
By accrediting colleges and training centers that meet the defined criteria, the EWSETA has continued to strengthen these standards. To maintain high standards, the body has been required to supervise training centers and training providers.
The Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO), the EWSETA, the accreditation approval team, and the suppliers of skills growth are involved in the accreditation process. If he is eligible, the QCTO assesses and recommends the skill development provider to EWSETA.
The Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO), responsible for qualifications and standards for different careers and professions across the country, will supply and submit the required documentation, evaluate the submitted application, and confirm the information’s integrity completed form and the supporting documents. The validity is then verified; the QCTO tells the prospective Skills Development Provider (SDP) about the assessment outcomes. Suppose the submission from a prospective provider of training meets the criteria. In that situation, the QCTO would recommend a date to visit the planned training site to determine commencement preparation. If the training provider fails to meet the requirements necessary, a letter stating this will be sent. A letter will be sent to the applicant following a site visit and a positive accreditation result, and the training provider will be certified for five years.
EWSETA Funding
Certain regulations regulate the distribution, in the form of mandatory and discretionary grants, of the SETA levy revenue received from employers’ tax in different sectors. Such regulations also define the mechanisms by which grants are to be distributed. The EWSETA was created in compliance with the Skills Development Act, and this funding process is supervised by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET).
EWSETA has developed a framework detailing how the company disburses grants to facilitate the execution of the Sector Skills Plan (SSP), the Annual Performance Plan (APP), and the NSDS implementation objectives. The SSP was built based on comprehensive research and stakeholder interactions and is therefore intended to broaden job opportunities for those employed in the local government sector. The strategy also aims to ensure the local government sector’s growth to meet its demands and adapt to the changing economy.
The grant policy would ensure that the skills levy is structured to meet the skills demanded by employers and employees’ training needs. This policy also advises the board’s stakeholders and representatives about how grants will encourage interested candidates to participate widely. EWSETA is responsible for controlling the utilization of funds and determining the degree to which the grant policy’s goals are attained. The body may also use those standards to assess the effect of grants on learners, business enterprises, employers, and the local government sector.
EWSETA funding is provided from the skills development levy collected from energy and water sector employers. Administrative expenses include those borne by the administration and operation of the body. For grant funding, 69.5 percent of the levy allocated to the EWSETA is used, and 10.5 percent meets the administrative needs of the EWSETA. Grant funding may be either discretionary or mandatory, and 49.5 percent and 20 percent of the 69.5 percent are distributed, respectively. For Educational, Vocational, Technical, and Academic Learning (PIVOTAL) programs, discretionary grants could be used, resulting in NQF certifications or non-PIVOTAL programs such as learnerships. In compliance with the provisions laid down, EWSETA is expected to transfer unclaimed mandatory grants and earned interest to discretionary funds at a specific time.
Mandatory grants enable levy-paying employers to coordinate their workers’ training and create opportunities to learn and gain job experience for the workforce and unemployed people. It is 20 percent of the employer’s professional development levy, which will only be paid out if the employer meets the mandatory grant payment requirements. The mandatory grant is also important because it provides EWSETA with relevant employer data that informs the organization of the skills requested, which is useful in developing the Sector Skills Plan. The employers in the Annual Training Report and Workplace Skills Plan represent these criteria. On the other hand, according to the Annual Performance Plan (APP) and Sector Skills Plan (SSP), the discretionary grants address and meet the energy and water sector’s skills needs. For professional, vocational, technical, and academic training, discretionary grants are used for learnerships, internships, and apprenticeships.
The following are specifics of the application process:
- Applicants should complete the application forms while complying with the policy on discretionary grants. There are different forms to fill for private employers, public employers, training providers, and unemployed learners.
- It is important to submit documents that prove the company’s registration.
- Evidence of registration under professional bodies must be submitted.
- Evidence of payment of the levy on skills growth or proof of exemption or proof of SARS registration
- Details of the evaluator and moderator for the relevant qualification must also be given.
How do you get a SETA Learnership?
One of the SETA opportunities is an orderly learning process to gain academic knowledge and practical workplace skills. These well-organized processes of learning are time-based, not outcome-based, and understand the need for structured learning. The learning period varies, but it lasts an average of 18 months. The trainee has to complete at least four separate learning courses to get an artisan equivalent certification. This implies that the first four NQF level qualifications have to be completed.
- Before beginning a SETA learning course, learners should meet certain requirements, and these include:
- New entrants or existing staff may be apprentices.
- Learners must meet the entry requirements for the particular learning they choose to participate in.
- Learners must satisfy the criteria for the selection structured by the company taking on the learner.
There are also unique protocols that require other students, employers, and training providers to follow, including the following:
- Employers are endorsed in their workplace and are required to meet the criteria for pre-registration.
- The ETQA approves providers of training to offer specialized learning.
- There are qualified assessors available. They could be consultants, assessors, or in-house assessors.
- In the media, companies advertise learning opportunities.
- Learners apply and are chosen by the company’s process of recruitment.
- The learner, the employer, and the provider have signed a three-party learnership agreement.
- Between the learner and the employer, a short-term work contract is signed where the learner is unemployed.
- The learning program and process with the training provider is reviewed and consented to.
- Employers fund the learnership by grants obtained from SETA.
- Employers and providers of training provide the learning and knowledge needed to achieve the training process.
- Via mentoring and feedback, learners are given support.
- Learners are evaluated by trained assessors through formative and summative evaluations.
- The quality assuror of the EWSETA is invited to head the assessment. The provider must perform external monitoring.
- After the learnership satisfactory completion, a national certificate is awarded to the learner.
- If learning is not finished, learners receive a statement of their results for unit standards achieved.
As soon as the learnership process is finished, whether he/she was unemployed, the employer can either sign the learner for a new learning process, engage the learner, or let go of the learner for potential hiring by another company.
A learnership should include the following components under the Skills Development Act:
- A structured portion of learning.
- A practical job experience.
- It must be profession-related.
- It must lead to qualification after finishing successfully.
EWSETA Qualifications
The qualifications for EWSETA are managed by the Skills Development Act, the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), and Quality Council for Trade and Occupations (QCTO). The QCTO controls professional qualifications and supervises the development of new ones. The QCTO also replaced legacy qualifications that were awarded by SETAs with occupational qualifications to training providers. It is also the Council’s responsibility to de-register certificates with no intake of learners for some time.
There is a revised quality assurance framework for the EWSETA where the QCTO oversees all quality assurance functions while the Development Quality Partner (DQP) and Assessment Quality Partner (AQP) keep an eye on the development and restructuring of professional qualifications and also register assessors and moderators, respectively. From time to time, EWSETA qualifications are established and restructured following step by step procedures. EWSETA member organizations and other stakeholders send an application to EWSETA to establish a new qualification or consolidation of existing qualifications. The EWSETA submits this to the QCTO. After these steps, the bodies sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), and EWSETA appoints the QDP. The EWSETA manages the restructuring of qualifications sends to the QCTO for approval.
The qualifications, NQF level, and minimum credits of the EWSETA are listed below.
| Title of Learnership or Qualification | NQF Level | Minimum Credits |
| Further Education and Training Certificate: Domestic Appliance Repair | 4 | 150 |
| Further Education and Training Certificate: Sanitation Project Facilitation | 4 | 151 |
| Further Education and Training Certificate: Water Reticulation and Waste water Services | 4 | 135 |
| Further Education and Training Certificate: Water Purification Processes | 4 | 160 |
| National Certificate: Community Water, Health and Sanitation Monitoring | 3 | 130 |
| National Certificate: Community Water, Health and Sanitation Promotion | 2 | 127 |
| National Certificate: Industrial Water Treatment Support System Operations | 2 | 128 |
| National Certificate: Sanitation Project Co-ordination | 5 | 149 |
| National Certificate: Water and Wastewater Process Control | 3 | 138 |
| National Certificate: Water and Wastewater Reticulation Services | 2 | 124 |
| National Certificate: Water and Wastewater Reticulation Services | 3 | 124 |
| National Certificate: Water and Wastewater Treatment Process Operations | 2 | 136 |
| National Certificate: Water Reticulation Services | 2 | 126 |
| General Education and Training Certificate: General Technical Practice | 1 | 130 |
| National Certificate: Domestic Appliance Repair | 3 | 131 |
| National Certificate: Electrical Engineering: Electrical Distribution | 3 | 133 |
| National Certificate: Master Craftsmanship (Electrical) | 5 | 121 |
| National Certificate: Measurement, Control and Instrumentation | 5 | 121 |
| National Certificate: Measurement, Control and Instrumentation | 2 | 133 |
| National Certificate: Metrology | 5 | 138 |
| National Degree: Master Craftsmanship (Electrical) | 6 | 418 |
| National Diploma: Electrical Network Power Dispatch Controlling | 5 | 240 |
| National Diploma: Master Craftsmanship (Electrical) | 5 | 253 |
| Further Education and Training Certificate: Cable Jointing and Termination | 4 | 228 |
| Further Education and Training Certificate: Electrical Network Control | 4 | 190 |
| Further Education and Training Certificate: Power Plant Operations | 4 | 130 |
| National Certificate: Fossil Power Plant Operation | 4 | 183 |
EWSETA Bursary
The EWSETA Bursary assists candidates in getting a good education and work opportunities. A candidate who wants to change their future and have a passion for learning should apply for an EWSETA bursary. They will have to have an interest in any of the EWSETA sub-sectors. They should also have good grades in Math and Physical science.
Every year EWSETA provide bursaries for students taking courses in Energy and Water sectors, including the following:
- Engineering Studies
- Hydrology and Water Resources Management (B.Sc)
- Electrical Engineering (Dip / B.Tech)
- Civil Engineering (B.Eng)
- Information Systems Management
- Quality (B.Tech/ M.Tech)
- Supply Chain Management (Dipl/ Adv.Dipl/ Bachelor degree/ Honours degree)
- Engineering Technology (Computer Systems)
- Marketing (Dipl / P.Dipl / B.Commerce/ B.Commerce Honours)
- Information Technology (Adv.Dipl / Bachelor degree)
In line with the Sector Skills Plan (SSP) of EWSETA, the scholarship will finance qualifications and studies on the EWSETA Sectoral Priority Occupations List (SPOL). The qualifications can be found here: https://ewseta.org.za/sector-skills-plan/.
The bursary will provide cover for the following expenses: textbooks, tuition fees, meals and stationery, accommodation.
Eligibility Requirements
Before applying, applicants must meet the following minimum entry criteria (please note that failure to fulfill all the requirements would result in your application not being considered):
- Citizen of South Africa
- Matric or equivalent completed
- Currently studying OR admitted to study at a recognized tertiary institution in South Africa (university or TVET College)
- Currently studying OR accepted in the energy and water sector
- Students from historically marginalized groups (young people, black people, women) and students with disabilities would be given priority.
How to apply for the bursary
Download and complete the Application Form for the EWSETA Bursary (.pdf)
Send valid copies of the following supporting documentation along with your completed application form (submission of these documents is mandatory; your request will be disregarded if any things are missing):
- ID document (certified copy)
- Certified copy of matric certificate or equivalent for a 1st-year student.
- Certified copy of previous academic record/ results for a 2nd or 3rd-year student.
- Evidence of application / provisional acceptance offer from university/ TVET College for a 1st-time applicant. If this is not yet available, it must be submitted as soon as it is received)
- Proof of domestic annual income
Completed application forms, along with supporting documents, can be submitting by sending an email to [email protected]. Enter the words “EWSETA Bursary Application – Your Full Name” in the email subject.