Due to the fact that disability remains a challenge and the target of 4% is nowhere near being achieved and such a disabled Learnership has been proposed by SADDT (formerly known as the Thabo Mbeki Development Trust for Disabled People) in conjunction with About Learning

1.
Tourism Sector
Briefing Session

2. South African Disability Development Trust
(SADDT)
• Formally known as Thabo Mbeki Development Trust for Disabled
People (TMDT). SADDT focuses on and provide opportunities to
ensure economic empowerment of disabled people through its 3
programmes
• Facilitate skills development and employment for disabled people
• Provision of assistive devices in support of employment
• Poverty alleviation programmes

3. A∙B∙O∙U∙Tlearning
Aboutlearning is a Training Provider that specialises in disability
management. It focuses on the implementation and management of
Learnerships, Skills programmes and other learning or training
opportunities for the development of people with disabilities.

4. CATHSETA Sector Skills Plan
The following sectorial skills needs have been identified:
Due to the fact that disability remains a challenge and the
target of 4% is nowhere near being achieved and such a
disabled Learnership has been proposed.
Sectorial contribution to equity impact in terms of skills
development initiatives is to provide Learnership
opportunities to disabled unemployed learners
300 unemployed disabled learners to be given an opportunity
to obtain qualifications through Learnership

5. Why Learnerships for people with
disabilities
• Inadequate basic education and training that cover the
fundamentals required for meaningful participation in any
environment.
• Inadequate and inaccessible provision for vocational rehabilitation
and training.
• Generally high levels of unemployment ( even with able bodied
people).
• The fact that menial labour is often the only option for poorly skilled
job-seekers.
• Inadequate access to information.
• Ignorance in society.

6. Rationale for the project
• Facilitating the integration of disabled learners into society, both in
workplace and community
• Further to the question of meeting the sector’s EE target is the lack
of clear statistics that record the learners with disability who have
participated in previous Learnerships concentrated in specific
economic regions and excluding those that are in the under developed
areas of the country
• Due to the successful implementation of such initiatives in other
sectors there has been a huge interest to know more about this
opportunity and how it could work within the tourism sector

7. Objectives
• Employment Equity- Assisting employers in meeting
employment equity targets/claiming BEE scorecard points
• NSDS 3 Mission- To increase access to high quality and relevant
education and training and skills development opportunities,
including workplace learning and experience, to enable effective
participation in the economy and society by all South Africans and
reduce inequalities.

8. Success indicators of our previous
disability programmes
With W&RSETA (In Phase 1: 2007/8)
•500 individuals screened
•300 assessed
•100 accepted and trained on a pre-learnership programme
•During Phase One - 19 learners received assistive devices
•100 learners were certificated
•85 learners qualified for Phase Two NQF Level 2
•10 left the programme (found work, furthering studies, etc)
•75 were available (due to delays in planning 25 dropped off)
•50 left were available for Phase 2
•50 more were recruited

9. Success indicators (cont…)
In Phase 2: (2009/2010)-in Gauteng only
•100 learners were trained on an NQF L2 Learnership programme
(58206):Wholesale and Retail Operations
•2 roll out groups of 50 learners each
•Group 1 (commenced in April 2009 and completed in March 2010)
o 45 learners graduated from the programme
•Group 2 (commenced in October 2009 and completed in August 2010)
o 37 learners graduated from the programme
o An 82% pass rate was achieved and an 60% placement rate
achieved.

10. Other successful Projects
1. ESETA Bridging Skills programme (2007/8) – where 50 disabled learners were trained on
a customised skills programme to offer them knowledge and training within the energy
sector. Learners were taken on tours to Eskom and JHB Water power plants and depots
to gain an understanding of employment opportunities within the sector.
2. BankSeta Work Readiness Programme (WRP) – 2010 – where 30 disabled learners were
trained on a bridging programme to get them ready to enter the Letsema learnership
programme with BankSeta

11. Current Projects
1. SADDT in partnership with ETDP SETA is currently implementing an
Occupationally Directed Education, Training and Development Programme
(OD ETDP) Learnership for as 18.1 for 75 disabled people in five
provinces.(Gauteng, Western Cape, KwaZulu Natal, Eastern Cape and Free
State. Training completed waiting for results
2. Currently training 399 learners in these area Johannesburg and Pretoria,
Durban, Bloemfontein, Cape Town and Port Elezabeth on NQF L2
Learnership programme (58206):Wholesale and Retail Operations
3. A Phase Bridging programme for 123 leaners in KZN 6 sites Kokstad,
Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Howick and Bamshela 50km from Tongaat

12. PROCESS TO BE FOLLOWED IN
DELIVERING THE PROJECT

13. National Delivery Process
• Capacity Building workshop per province
• Workplace sensitisation workshops (or once learners selected for
placement) and mentor training
• Recruitment and selection
• Pre-assessments
• Employer placement (sensitisations workshops could happen here as
well)
• Reasonable accommodation assessments
• Learner contracting and Reasonable accommodation provision
• Placement and training implementation
• Stakeholder forums
• Marketing and communication (graduations)

14. Stakeholders
 High Level Project Team (SADDT and SETA, other funders)
 Project Management Implementation Team (SADDT, AL, TTBISA,
Seta)
 Provincial Co-ordinators (SADDT Reps)
 Training Implementation Partner (AL) and Lead Training
Provider(TTBISA)
 Learners
 Stakeholder Forum (all employers, industry reps, etc)

15. Types of Disabilities
5 categories:
•Physical (paraplegic, limping,
amputee, club foot, crutches, etc.)
•Chronic (epilepsy, arthritis,etc.)
•Hearing (hard of hearing, deaf)
•Visual (partially sighted, blind)
•Mental/Intellectual (slow learners)

16. Selection Criteria
The stakeholders must identify and agree upon the selection criteria
for the recruitment and interviewing process.
The following Requirements may be considered:
 Applicants must have a grade 10-12 qualification with proof of
results
 Applicants must have a disability and provide proof thereof
 Applicants must be a South African citizen and present proof of
identification
 Applicants must be unemployed
 Applicants must be able to arrange own transport
 Applicants must agree undergo a process of assessment before
selection
 Reasonable accommodation needs will be assessed
 Applicants must agree to undergo Criminal and Credit checks

17. Recruitment Process
Agree on selection Advertise(usually Collect application
criteria according to takes about 2/3 forms. Perform
employer months depending on screening and pre-
requirements at target no) assessments
capacity building
Stage 1: Entrance
Questionnaire
* allocated learners per
employer Stage 2: Proficiency
Test
placement with the
employer
Stage 3: Structured
Interview
Candidates that do not
qualify …

18. Process for Pre-assessments
• Shortlisted candidates from SADDT
• Conduct Entrance and Proficiency assessments and mark
• Set date for structured interviews with competent candidates
• Highly Recommended
• Recommended
• Recommended with reservations
• Generate database of recommended candidates for SADDT

19. Reasonable Accommodation
• In implementing the project successfully the project will embark on
support strategies through provision of Reasonable
Accommodation that will enable or make participation easy for
disabled people and employers.
• After final placement, successful learners will undergo individual
reasonable accommodation assessments to ascertain the need for
suitable assistive devices required for training.
• Reasonable Accommodation will be addressed through
provision of assistive devices and training workshops on disability
sensitization.
• LEARNERSHIP AGREEMENT AND FIXED TERM EMPLOYMENT
CONTRACT WILL BE SIGNED WITH ALL LEARNERS

20. Contracting Learnersthe model (cont)
Application of Project management -
SADDT
ETQA
Employer also signs employment
contract with learner TTBISA

21. Sensitisation workshops
The workshop is offered to stakeholders staff and
management in understanding the different types of
disabilities and how to manage and work with disabled
employees
The workshops address the following
Disability etiquette (terminology, definitions, types of disabilities,
attitudes, myths and disbeliefs, medical vs. social model)

22. Application of theMentor (cont)
model training
Process as follows:
•Will be combined with sensitisation training over a 2 day period
per province as per project plan project dates.
•Employers required to identify appropriate staff involved in
project to attend the session.
•Involves the understanding of disabilities and what is required of
the mentor to assist, guide and support the learner during his/her
experiential learning time.
•Customised specifically for this project and will be conducted by
the training provider together with the SADDT representative.

23. TRAINING IMPLEMENTATION
PROCESS

24. Training Delivery
Aboutlearning will procure the services of The Tourism and Training
Business Institute of SA (TTBISA) to deliver the following learning
programmes as follows:
1. Accommodation Services – L2
2. Hospitality Reception – L4
3. Professional Cookery – L4

25. Induction
Induction is divided into 2 types:
• Workplace induction
This includes workplace assessors, coaches/mentors and managers
of the learners that will participate in the learnership, and inform
the learner of the company rules, regulations, policies and
procedures, working conditions, uniform requirements, etc. This
will take place a month before training commences.
• Training Provider Induction (on delivery, assessments, quality
assurance and process of training.) Here, learners will be formally
informed of what will happen, when, where , how and be provided
with details of training roll out, schedules, assessments, collection
of outstanding documentation, etc.

26. Structured Training
Recommendations with regards to structured training:
• Training roll out plan
• Bock release of a number of days a month
• Training on site / near workplace
• Accessible training venues – ramps, accessible toilets, transport,
etc.
• Adapted training material to accommodate disabilities – zoom
print, etc.
• Suitable and appropriate learning resources to accommodate the
various disabilities

27. Workplace site visits
• Scheduling in consultation with employers
• Inform employers of visits in advance
• Logbooks to be signed off
• Discuss learners performance at work, challenges,
opportunities
• Collect registers for attendance at work
• Some stores have more than 1 learner so time per store
dependent on that
• Ensure that mentors sign all areas required in the logbook
• Generate assessment report

28. Application of the model (cont)
Stakeholder forums
All parties involved meet once every quarter to discuss the
following:
• Progress on projects
• Best practice in the industry
• Lessons learnt
This is done in order to ensure ongoing update of knowledge to
enhance the project.

29. Marketing and Communication
• Project Launch
• Marketing and Communication strategy and plan developed and
managed by SADDT and the SETA
• Includes graduation/certification ceremony for learners
• Includes marketing and promotional material/branded items

32. Thank you
Discussion