Bursary Guidelines fr Emplyed Status: Custdian: Apprved: Apprved Learning Divisin Manager Chief Executive Officer Decisin Date: 13/11/2014 Review Date: 29/01/2016 5/12/2016 Versin Number: LD/GL001/2017 LD/GL001/2017 Page 1 f 11
Table f Cntents Bursary Guidelines fr Emplyed... 1 Acrnyms... 3 1. Preamble... 4 2. Grant Regulatins... 4 3. Discretinary Funds... 5 4. Bursaries... 5 5. Applicatin windws... 6 6. Eligibility fr bursary funding... 6 Emplyers:... 6 Students:... 7 7. INSETA Bursary Grant Apprval... 7 8. Payment f Bursary Funds t the Emplyer... 8 9 Rles and Respnsibilities... 10 Emplyers... 10 Students... 11 10. Dispute Reslutin... 11 11. Applicatin... 11 This guideline cmes int effect frm the 1 January 2017... 11 12. Review... 11 LD/GL001/2017 Page 2 f 11
Acrnyms ATR FET INSETA NSDS PIVOTAL QCTO SDA SDL SETA SSP TVET WIL WSP Annual Training Reprt Further Educatin and Training Insurance Sectr f Educatin Training Authrity Natinal Skills Develpment Strategy Prfessinal, vcatinal, technical and academic learning prgrammes Quality Cuncil fr Trades and Occupatins Skills develpment Act Skills Develpment Levies Act Sectr Educatin and Training Authrities Sectr Skills Plan Technical and Vcatinal Educatin and Training Clleges Wrk Integrated Learning Wrk Skills Plan LD/GL001/2017 Page 3 f 11
1. Preamble The Insurance Sectr Educatin Training Authrity (INSETA s) purpse is t grw the pl and quality f scarce and critical skills in the insurance and related services sectr, enhancing the sectr and supprting the cuntry s transfrmatin. The Skills Develpment Act and the Skills Develpment Levies Act prvide fr the cllectin f levies frm emplyers in the insurance and related services sectr and prvides directives and/r guidelines n hw the funds allcated t each SETA shuld be disbursed. The INSETA Learning Divisin has therefre drafted a frmal Bursary Guideline fr persns emplyed in the Insurance and related services sectr t utline the prcess and requirements fr applying fr bursaries. This guideline dcument shuld be used fr reference, understanding and preparatin by all applicants fr bursary funding. 2. Grant Regulatins On 3 December 2012, revised Grant Regulatins were gazetted, which impacted n the allcatin f SETA funding. The intent f the new regulatin is t, amngst thers: (adapted frm Gvernment Gazette n. 34932): Regulate the prprtin f funds available fr skills develpment that is spent n administratin csts Regulate the prprtin f discretinary funds available fr skills develpment Imprve the quantity and quality f labur market infrmatin received by SETAs thrugh Wrkplace Skills Plans (WSP), Annual Training Reprts (ATR) and PIVOTAL Training Reprts, which prvide a reflectin f skills needs and infrm planning. Prmte PIVOTAL 1 prgrams, which are NQF-registered and quality assured, twards addressing pririty scarce and critical skills needs in the sectr, as identified thrugh Sectr Skills Plans (SSP s) and research. 1 Accrding t regulatins, PIVOTAL is an acrnym which means prfessinal, vcatinal, technical and academic learning prgrammes that result in qualificatins r part qualificatins n the NQF as cntemplated in regulatin 3(6) and (7) as read with regulatin 6(11) t (15) (taken frm Gvernment Gazette N. 35940). LD/GL001/2017 Page 4 f 11
In respnse, the INSETA drafted a reviewed Discretinary Grant Funding Plicy that was apprved by the INSETA Bard n 12 March 2014 and the fllwing revisins are effective frm 01 April 2014: The discretinary prject expenditure increases frm 20% t 49.5% 80% f Discretinary funding has t be allcated t PIVOTAL prgrammes. 3. Discretinary Funds The Discretinary funds allcatin allws the INSETA t exercise discretin in relatin t hw discretinary grants are utilised twards implementatin f the sectr skills plan and strategic bjectives. The pririty fcus is n meeting the scarce and critical skills needs f the sectr and clsing the gap between labur market needs and skills supply. INSETA will be guided by the fllwing natinal pririties in the allcatin f its discretinary funds: Natinal strategic gals as set ut in the NSDS III, the INSETA strategic plan and annual perfrmance plan and ther natinal pririties as relevant. Disbursement f discretinary grant funding aims t: Address the scarce and critical skills needs f the sectr as identified thrugh the SSP and ther relevant research Prmte full qualificatins addressing scarce and critical skills Fcus n PIVOTAL prgrammes that meet the essential needs f the labur market Encurage structured practical and WIL within prgrammes as a pririty and ensure that mechanisms are put in place fr mnitring wrkplace learning; and Develp public FET institutins t deliver INSETA ccupatinal qualificatins 4. Bursaries INSETA will supprt the develpment f scarce and critical skills thrugh Bursaries t emplyed students with a view t: LD/GL001/2017 Page 5 f 11
Addressing the scarce and critical skills as identified in the SSP Prmting the develpmental and transfrmatinal imperatives f NSDS lll Increasing the prfessinalism f the sectr INSETA will allcate Bursaries fr studies at NQF level 5 t 10 at Public Learning Institutins nly INSETA will fund bursary prgrammes via the emplyer but may thrugh agreement with learning institutins, pay bursaries directly t the learning institutins. 5. Applicatin windws Bursary funding will nly be allcated thrugh applicatin windws pened at the discretin f INSETA. INSETA may cnsider late applicatins n first cme, first- serve basis, subject t the fllwing availability f funding Cmmencement f prgrammes within the financial year Applicatin windws will be annunced via the INSETA website. The INSETA callcentre and ther mechanisms f cmmunicatin may be used at the discretin f INSETA 6. Eligibility fr bursary funding Emplyers: INSETA will supprt levy-paying and nn-levy paying emplyers (cnfirmed as uniquely registered with INSETA) perating in the Insurance and related services sectr INSETA will nly supprt emplyers wh have submitted the WSP/ATR and PIVOTAL reprts as required In the event f nn-perfrmance by any party funded by INSETA in terms f the learning prgramme all further funding will be withheld until an investigatin is cmpleted LD/GL001/2017 Page 6 f 11
Emplyers fund t be nn-cmpliant in past implementatin f INSETA funded prgrammes will nt be cnsidered fr funding unless evidence f remediatin t the satisfactin f INSETA can be prduced Students: Emplyed students must be Suth African citizens r be permanently emplyed by an INSETA registered emplyer within the Insurance and related services sectr A student may nt be n mre than ne INSETA funded prgramme within a 12 mnth perid Students that previusly exited an INSETA- funded prgramme prir t cmpletin will nt be cnsidered unless special representatin has been made by the emplyer. Apprvals are at the discretin f INSETA Students are subject t the terms and cnditins f the cntract f emplyment entered int with the emplyer and the perfrmance requirements f the learning prgramme and curriculum. 7. INSETA Bursary Grant Apprval Applicatin Prcess: Emplyers are required t apply in the prescribed manner, during the pen applicatin windw as cmmunicated by INSETAfr intended r prpsed studies fr the fllwing academic year Applicatin may nly be made fr future registratin and n retrspective apprvals will be prcessed Recmmendatins and apprvals will be cnsidered against the registratin status f the cmpany with INSETA, previus implementatin f INSETA funded prgrammes, budget availability as well as the submissin f statutry reprting required by INSETA (WSP and ATR). Apprval Prcess: INSETA cmmits t a 3 mnth turnarund time frm clse f funding windw t apprve, reject r query a Bursary Grant Applicatin. Upn cmpletin f evaluatin, INSETA will advise the applicant n apprval r rejectin in writing. Where INSETA has a query and requests utstanding LD/GL001/2017 Page 7 f 11
dcuments, these must be prvided within 5 wrking days failing which the applicatin will be declined and returned t the applicant. INSETA will allcate a unique Bursaries Fund Allcatin (BFA) number fr all bursaries apprved and this will be prvided t the applicant cmpany n a frmal, singed allcatin letter fr reference purpse. 8. Payment f Bursary Funds t the Emplyer In terms f payments INSETA will be liable t pay the full amunt fr the academic year (up t the prescribed maximum) subject t the fllwing cnditins being met: i. All Required Dcuments are received by the agreed date ii. iii. iv. Payment will nt be made unless INSETA has given prir apprval in writing t the applicants apprving the bursaries. N persn r entity is entitled t cmmit INSETA financially r therwise utside f this guideline, unless they have received INSETA authrisatin in writing. It is expected that the emplyer crrectly identifies students fr bursaries in accrdance with the develpment plan fr the emplyee. This will ensure that students wh attend training are capable f achieving the qualificatin / credits. v. The emplyer will be respnsible t refund INSETA in full, all assciated bursary payments made where a student is unable t attend r cmplete the qualificatin r cmpnent theref as registered fr, within the funding year. vi. vii. Any emplyee wh des nt cmplete the learning cmpnents as registered, will nt be eligible t receive further funding until they cmplete the learning fr which they have been funded. At least 50% f registered mdules are passed e.g. if a student has registered fr 4 mdules and passed tw then fees will be cvered a. Hwever, INSETA will nt pay fr the same mdules twice, if the student fails the registered mdules he r she will have t re-register and pass the mdules befre he r she can receive further funds. viii. Bursaries fr the next level f study will be granted n successful cmpletin f at least 50% subjects in each study level e.g. If a student registered fr 3 LD/GL001/2017 Page 8 f 11
mdules in the 1st semester and nly is cmpetent in 1 mdule and failed nly 1 and did nt cmplete the ther they will nt receive further funding ix. If a student fails r did nt cmplete all the mdules registered fr in the 1st semester INSETA will nt fund him r her in the fllwing semester x. Where a student n a funded prgramme resigns frm his / her emplyment, he is entitled t cntinue with the already funded learning as lng as they remain in the emply f a registered INSETA emplyer. xi. xii. xiii. xiv. Any reimbursement f INSETA bursary funding by the emplyer frm the student must be refunded t INSETA in full. INSETA will nt be respnsible t pay any training prviders wh emplyer cmpanies have surced withut INSETA authrisatin. INSETA Bursary funding is capped at a maximum f R30 000.00 per student fr qualificatins at public learning institutins i.e. INSETA will pay full tuitin csts t a maximum f R30 000.00 (this des nt include study material, stipend etc); INSETA will nly disburse funding n receipt f a valid invice frm the emplyer, indicating the amunt t be paid fr the in line with the cst per curse applied fr ensuring that the cmpany invice has: Full name TO WHO the invice is issued i.e. INSETA Full INSETA POSTAL address: P.O. Bx 32035, Braamfntein, 2017 VAT Number: INSETA N/A REGISTRATION Number: 13/INSETA/1/04/11 Invice number ensure there is n duplicatin t any previusly issued invice sent t INSETA Invice date must be current date i.e. nt prir r pst-dated Ttal amunt The Bursary fund will be paid in a maximum f tw tranches - at the beginning f each Semester r Full Year curse, as apprved LD/GL001/2017 Page 9 f 11
9 Rles and Respnsibilities Emplyers The Emplyer must infrm recipients f the surce f bursary funding i.e. frm INSETA Emplyers and recipients must adhere t the terms and cnditins set ut in the guidelines. Any nn-cmpliance with these guidelines may affect future funding Emplyers are expected t apply timeusly fr apprval and financial supprt fr emplyed bursaries. Applicatin windws will be cmmunicated by INSETA via the website r the call centre Applicatin must be submitted annually when INSETA pens applicatin windw, cntinuatin f funding will be dependent n bth applicatin and student/emplyees previus academic year perfrmance When applying fr a Bursary the emplyer must prvide INSETA with fund required fr an academic year nly and nt fr the full qualificatin if the qualificatin is ver a perid f lnger than ne year The qualificatin applied fr must be linked t ne f skills identified n the Scarce and Critical Skills List prvided by INSETA and nt the current emplyee ccupatin Emplyers are respnsible t infrm INSETA f any change in status that may impact the bursary (this includes resignatin f emplyee, cancelatin f studies and any ther status that may adversely affect the financial bursary cmmitment). N replacement f students is permitted after payment is disbursed, refunds will be prcessed where applicable The emplyer is required t infrm recipients f the INSETA Bursary Guidelines and Mnitring and Evaluatin requirements The emplyer will receive an emplyer mnitring tl frm frm the INSETA t cmplete and submit with their student list, The signed emplyer mnitring tl frm t be returned t INSETA The Emplyer is respnsible t pay the prvider the tuitin cst as paid by INSETA, r refund INSETA funds that are nt used fr the purpses allcated LD/GL001/2017 Page 10 f 11
If a recmmended students dcuments were nt submitted due t varius reasns by the stipulated cut-ff date their funds will be withdrawn E.g. if the student did nt register fr the 1 st semester r the 1 February 2017 submissin their funds will nt be reserved fr them t apply r register in the 2 nd semester; Students Students must adhere t the terms and cnditins set ut in the guidelines. Any nn-cmpliance with these guidelines may affect future funding Students must submit their dcument t the Emplyers timeusly Students must be cmmitted fully t their studies INSETA has the right t cmmunicate directly with any funded beneficiary 10. Dispute Reslutin Shuld any dispute arise frm any applicatin made in terms f this guideline, the parties will attempt t reslve the dispute in gd faith thrugh senir-level negtiatins. If the dispute is nt reslved thrugh negtiatin within a reasnable time the matter will be referred t the INSETA Bard. 11. Applicatin This guideline cmes int effect frm the 1 January 2017 12. Review This guideline will be reviewed annually r as required LD/GL001/2017 Page 11 f 11