College of Business and Economics | Annual Report 2023 83 POLICY AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES The 4IR Research Chair conducted stakeholder engagement workshops as part of a Tracer Study on the adequacy and impact of TETA training programmes. The workshops were held in Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg to ensure geographic diversity and were facilitated by experienced moderators with expertise in stakeholder engagement and transport sector training. The workshops were conducted with a purposive sample of stakeholders, including TETA chamber representatives, training providers, employers, and beneficiary representatives. In this case, the TETA and its stakeholders had a set of experiences and viewpoints on TETA, how it operated, and where the points of improvements lay for its own greater efficiency and benefits of learners and organisations. The workshops were conducted using a semi-structured format and included both individual and group activities. The stakeholder engagement workshops and the Tracer Study are pivotal in shaping policies and strategies for enhancing skills development in the transport sector. Through engagement with diverse stakeholders, such as TETA, chamber representatives, training providers, employers, beneficiaries, and policymakers gain insights into specific sector needs, facilitating targeted interventions tailored to address unique challenges. OVERVIEW In 2022 Prof Noleen Pisa secured the Transport Education Training Authority (TETA, https://www. teta.org.za) 4IR Research Chair, valued at R5 million for a period of three years. The scope of activities for the Research Chair is aimed to enhance the TETA’s mandate, namely to facilitate skills development and training in the transport sector. To this end, two short learning programmes have been developed, namely the Green Transport SLP and the Drone Applications in 4IR SLP. The Green Transport SLP was presented to 100 participants in July 2023. The Drone SLP will be presented in November 2023. The Research Chair funding also includes master’s and doctoral bursaries for fulltime students. To this end, two master’s and two doctoral students have been selected on merit as recipients of the bursaries. Lastly, the Research Chair is conducting an impact assessment study of the TETA-funded industry programmes. In South Africa, transport sector skills are supported and developed by the TETA. TETA is a public entity that was established in terms of the Skills Development Act 97 of 1998 (SDA). The eight subsectors or chambers of transport in South Africa supported by TETA are road passenger, rail, maritime, aerospace, freight handling, forwarding and clearing, taxi, and road freight. One of the primary functions of TETA is to update the Sector Skills Plan (SSP). It is, therefore, important for TETA to continuously assess transport sector skills needs and assess the effectiveness of training programmes. The impact assessment study includes two phases, namely: Phase 1 of the study focuses on a gap analysis survey evaluating the effectiveness of TETAfunded training programmes in South Africa. This survey targets employers who have hired beneficiaries of these programmes. The survey seeks to uncover any deficiencies, redundancies, or misalignments in the existing training programs. Phase 2 comprises two parts: an impact assessment survey targeting employees or beneficiaries to assess the impact of the TETAfunded programmes on their employability and the barriers to programmes access. In addition, this phase involves stakeholder engagement workshops with TETA staff, chamber representatives, training providers and employers, to gain in-depth insights into the impact and adequacy of TETA training programmes. Prof Noleen Pisa Chair TRANSPORT EDUCATION TRAINING AUTHORITY 4IR RESEARCH CHAIR
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