CETA – Construction Education and Training Authority
Construction Education and Training Authority
The Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) is one of several sector education and training authorities (SETAs) that will be recertified by the Government with various changes in 2011. The primary change will be that the CETA will incorporate the existing Electrical Contractors sub-sector form (which currently falls under ESETA, the energy SETA) which of course is a vital element of the construction industry.
Primary objectives of the CETA
Established in April 2000 as a result of legislation passed in 1998 in the form of the Skills Development Act, the CETA aims to influence training and skills development throughout the construction industry. More specifically, it aims to ensure that the requirements of the construction sector are met in terms of the way learners are trained and educated. Even though the CETA does not directly establish college courses, online courses and so on, their influence is – or should be –considerable.
Roles of the National Qualifications Framework and South African Qualifications Authority
The National Qualifications Framework (NQF) is the body that has defined the skills required by the construction industry. These are the skills that those wanting to join the construction workforce need to have. But it is up to the CETA to make certain that various skills projects and learnerships are initiated that will improve and develop the human resource capacity and skills base within South Africa. To this end, the CETA has been (and will remain) accredited as an Education and Training Quality Assurance (ETQA) by the SAQA.
What ETQA status means to the CETA is that it, as a body, is authorised to accredit training providers – who then become Accredited Training Providers. So when a learner is looking for college courses, be it a short course, a long course or a supplementary management course, they can choose a course that is accredited. This will give them far more certainty when it comes to seeking employment once they have passed the required examinations. Having a certificate from an accredited college will also make it easier to gain apprenticeships, internships and so on.
Rigorous standards are essential
The philosophy laid down for this sector SETA to follow embodies rigorous standards and demands a very high quality of skills development and training. For this reason they are constantly striving to improve standards of education and training. In addition to accrediting colleges and other training bodies, the CETA has the authority to monitor the delivery of training by these education facilities, thus maintaining standards.
Even though the CETA itself does not provide or offer any form of education and training to the construction sector or any part of the sector, it has a major responsibility to ensure that the people who both work in the sector and who are aiming to work in the sector are able to access the relevant education and training. In addition there are many people who have acquired skills in various fields of construction, and therefore have the workplace experience, but they don’t have the necessary qualifications that are called for nowadays.
It is therefore up to the CETA to assist these people by encouraging them to participate in the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) assessment process. This will usually enable skilled but “unqualified” construction workers to compete for jobs and positions in the industry that demand a specific form of qualification. It will also generally enable them to get jobs and positions that command higher wages or salaries.
Where to find the CETA
The CETA is located in Midrand which is considered to be the hub of South Africa’s construction industry.
Telephone: (011) 265 5900
Fax: (011) 265 5924/5
The ESETA, which is currently the “energy” SETA with its own premises, is presently based in the centre of Johannesburg.
Telephone: (011) 689 5300
Fax Number(s): (011) 689 5343/5342