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The Skills and Employment Equity Lead will play a pivotal role in driving the organisation's Skills Development and Employment Equity (EE) strategies across the company. This role ensures compliance with relevant legislation, facilitates employee development initiatives, and promotes diversity and inclusion through EE strategies.

The ideal candidate is a strategic leader who excels in administration and stakeholder management. This person ensures that all statutory requirements are met while aligning organizational goals with transformative and developmental goals.

Key ResponsibilitiesSkills Development

• Full Spectrum Skills Management: Lead the end-to-end skills development processes, covering both statutory and non-statutory training programs.
• Workplace Skills Plans (WSP) & Annual Training Reports (ATR): Develop, implement, and ensure compliance with Workplace Skills Plans and Annual Training Reports as required by the FP&M SETA.
• Learning Programs: Facilitate and manage learnerships (including unemployed, employed, and YES! Learnerships), apprenticeships, internships, bursaries, and graduate programs in alignment with company strategy.
• Grant Management: Manage all aspects of mandatory and discretionary grant applications, including IT180 Learnerships, and ensure timely follow-ups and approvals.
• Training Budget & Expenses: Track monthly training expenses and manage skills development levies, grants, and discretionary project funding within the allocated budget.
• NQF & SETA Compliance: Ensure adherence to the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and SETA guidelines, serving as the primary contact between the company and the SETA for all skills-related initiatives.
• Consultation & Communication: Proactively communicate SETA initiatives, grants, and other opportunities to the company, and develop proposals for relevant grants.

Employment Equity (EE)

• Strategic EE Leadership: Drive Employment Equity activities across the company, ensuring alignment with company-wide diversity and inclusion goals. This includes setting up the EE committees, managing and documenting EE meetings etc.
• EE Plans & Reporting: Develop and implement EE plans, ensure the submission of all statutory reports to the Department of Labour, and monitor progress against EE targets.
• Liaison & Compliance: Act as the primary point of contact for the Department of Labour on EE matters and maintain accurate and up-to-date BBBEE scorecard spreadsheets.
• Diversity & Inclusion Initiatives: Lead and advocate for initiatives that promote workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion, ensuring continuous progress against EE goals.

Administrative Excellence

• Document Management: Maintain all documentation related to skills development and employment equity for audit and submission purposes, ensuring precision and compliance with deadlines.
• Dashboard Reporting: Analyse data and provide monthly reports through dashboards, ensuring senior leadership is informed on progress.
• Audit Readiness: Ensure accuracy and readiness for internal and external audits concerning skills development and employment equity.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Leadership Collaboration: Present progress reports to senior leadership, including the CEO, and provide bi-weekly updates to the Head of HR and monthly updates to the leadership team.
• Cross-functional Alignment: Collaborate with department heads to align skills development and EE initiatives with business goals, and work closely with the OHS department to ensure statutory training compliance.
• Partnership Management: Liaise with SIGNA and other partners for learnerships and BBB-EE purposes. Maintain close relationships with key stakeholders to ensure occupational levels, OFO codes, and demographic data are up-to-date and accurate.

Compliance & Reporting

• Legislative Compliance: Ensure full compliance with the Skills Development Act, Employment Equity Act, and other relevant legislation.
• Report Submission: Submit all required reports accurately and on time to FP&M SETA and the Department of Labour, ensuring that statutory obligations are met.

Profile RequirementsQualifications & Experience

• SDF Certification: Registered Skills Development Facilitator (SDF) with FP&M SETA accreditation.
• Educational Background: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources or a related field.
• Experience: Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in a similar role, preferably within the Manufacturing industry, with at least 5 years focused on Learning & Development.
• Project Management: Proven experience in managing projects, with the ability to drive initiatives from inception to completion within tight deadlines.

Skills & Expertise

• Technical Proficiency: Advanced G-suite skills, with the ability to create reports, presentations, and dashboards.
• Skills Development Knowledge: Comprehensive knowledge of the Skills Development Act (SDA) and the ability to implement WSP and ATR plans efficiently.
• Employment Equity Expertise: In-depth understanding of Employment Equity regulations and proven experience in managing BBBEE scorecards and diversity initiatives.
• Consulting & Coaching: Strong ability to coach and consult across all levels, driving strategic solutions aligned with business objectives.
• Communication & Reporting: Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate complex concepts to a wide audience, including top-level executives.
• Stakeholder Management: Proven ability to manage diverse stakeholders within a matrix organisation, fostering collaboration and driving compliance.

Personal Attributes

• Exceptional Communication: Able to convey strategies and goals effectively across all levels, from junior staff to the CEO, ensuring alignment and buy-in.
• Leadership & Influence: A confident leader capable of guiding teams through change and ensuring compliance with statutory requirements.
• Attention to Detail: Detail-oriented with a strong focus on accuracy and completeness, ensuring readiness for audits and report submissions.
• Strategic Thinker: A visionary who can align skills development and EE initiatives with the company’s long-term goals, driving growth and transformation.
• Adaptability: Able to pivot between tasks efficiently, adapting to legislative changes or evolving company needs.
• Deadline-Driven: Comfortable working under pressure, with an ability to meet strict deadlines and ensure timely submissions of all reports and documentation.

This role is a critical driver of the company’s compliance with legislative requirements while supporting the overarching business strategy through skills development and employment equity initiatives. The ideal candidate will blend strong leadership and administrative excellence to foster a culture of growth, inclusion, and compliance.