Departmental Corporate services unit engaged with local institution of higher learning and the Officer of the Premier on how they can recruit scarce skill and capacitate the employees.

The Department of Public Works offers bursaries to disadvantage South African citizens; the purpose of the programme is to establish an effective system for continuous development of qualified candidates for future appointments and mobility in the public sector. Many of these bursaries allow people access to study at Universities throughout South Africa. These bursaries are an investment in the future of the country and offered to students who meet the basic requirements.

According to Mzie Dingwayo, Director Human Resource Development, there is a lack of skilled professionals within the department and lack of co-ordination between supply and demand. He went on to say that, the State does not attract enough technical professionals.

Chief Director, Sicelo Kufa presented the key focus areas to build a capable state, which is to stabilise the political administrative interference, therefore making public service and local government a career of choice. “The recruitment of management should be based on experience and expertise, while lower level recruitment should focus on producing skills and expertise that will be necessary for future service,” said Kufa.

As part of building the capable state, government aims to recruit staff at all levels and provide them with the authority, experience, competence and support to do their jobs. Eastern Cape government is in a process of introducing an e-recruiting system were citizens can register online and apply for the vacancy of their choice. Once an individual has registered, they do not have to provide information about their profile again while applying for the future. Information will automatically be available when applying and the applicants will be able to update their profile.

Nozuko Nqulo, Chief Director: Office of the Premier, presented an analysis of the recruitment processes in the Province and E-recruitment status readiness of the provincial administration. “We have a dashboard, we are able to see how long the department took to recruit and employ on a particular post”

She informed the meeting about the e-recruitment system would be launched mid-year of 2019. “It is cost-effective especially for people living in the rural areas. The community will be able to access the system through local libraries,” said Nqulo. She further advised the department to create access at their Regional offices.

Institutions of Higher Learning such as Lovedale College, Walter Sisulu University (WSU) and the University of South Africa (UNISA) introduced their relevant curriculum offered by the respective institutions in capacitating students to be better fitted for the corporate world, through an advanced education system.

In his closing remarks, Kufa advised that each individual attached to the department need to jack up or shake up in transformation and market the department to all its stakeholders. “We can not become a capable state if we do not capacitate and transform each other” said Kufa.

Written by: Pumlisa Royi, Nokuzola Mbuqe and Luvuyo Kwatsha
Pictures by: Luvuyo Kwatsha and Pumlisa Royi