MQA RESEARCH ON SCARE AND CRITICAL SKILLS IN 8 MINING SUBSECTORS
The Mining Qualification Authority (MQA) is regarded as a Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) operating in the Mining and Minerals Sector (MMS) in South Africa. In terms of the National Skills Development Plan, SETA’s remain an authoritative voice in the labour market and are experts in their respective sectors. Thus, SETAs are required to undertake sector and nationally commissioned research and data analysis to inform skills planning and interventions. The MQA partnered with Mthente to undertake research to understand the relationship between scarce and critical skills and the training interventions that are implemented in the MMS. The objectives of this research were to:
- Understand the nature of skills that are reported to be in demand in the MMS
- Understand the nature of supply of skills reported in the MMS
- Understand the relationship between the demand and supply of skills in the MMS
- Provide actionable recommendations that can improve the current skills training and development landscape within the MMS
A mixed-methodology approach in the form of an in-depth literature review, secondary data analysis of WSP data, expert interviews and the development of 8 sub-sector case studies were used to answer the key research questions. Thereafter, Mthente provided a report that provided a contextual overview of skills and education in the MMS, an overview of the current skills gaps and skills development in the sector, case studies which can be used to guide skills development initiatives in the future followed by a recommendation section.
