Southern African Institute of Ecologists and Environmental Scientists

Calls for inputs to improve proposed new SETA landscape and the new National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS III) for South Africa

16 August 2010

Environmental sustainability is high on the agenda of most governments and South African government in particular is re-positioning environmental education in the context of changing political economy of sustainable development. The government is calling for inputs into new proposals that are intended to improve skills planning landscape; SETA (Sector Education and Training Authority) landscape and the new National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS III).

Even though the initiative demonstrated by the government is appreciated, the new proposals fail to adequately address or integrate the environmental driver across skills planning and development in all sectors. The rationale for incorporation of environmental driver in a national skills strategy and system are; the environment as an economic driver through creation of green jobs and the environment also provide public goods, services and resources. There is an urgent need to include the environmental driver into NSDSIII, and to support SETAs to understand how the environmental driver is relevant to all of their particular functions.

In response to the call for comment on the proposed NSDS III and the new SETA landscape, a submission has been prepared by a National Environmental Skills Planning Forum constituted under the auspices of the DEA's Directorate: Sector Education, Training and Development, in partnership with associated government department and civil society initiatives focusing on addressing skills gaps in the environmental sector. The Southern African Institute of Ecologists and Environmental Scientists (SAIEES) members are encouraged to make inputs into various processes to guide the SETAs on how the environmental driver is likely to affect their business in the next five to 25 years. Considering that SAIEES is committed to pursuing, maintaining and advancing excellence in the practice and professions of ecology and environmental science, contributions from SAIEES members towards the strategic planning and implementation of SETA landscape and NSDS III will take us a step closer to our goals and hopefully improve SAIEES image to stakeholders.

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