SSP Brochure:Layout 1 - INSETA

BACKGROUND TO THIS SSPThe Insurance Sector Education and Training Authority (INSETA) was established in terms of the Skills Development Act (No. 97 of 1998).Section 10(1)(a) of this Act requires all sector education and training authorities (SETAs) to prepare sector skills plans (SSPs) for theirrespective sectors. In 2004, the Department of Labour (DoL) required the SETAs to prepare SSPs for the five-year period 2005 to 2009.In 2005, the DoL announced that SETAs would be required to revise and update their SSPs on an annual basis. This SSP is a revised andupdated document prepared according to the DoL’s guidelines issued to SETAs in July 2005. The updated Organising Framework ofOccupations (OFO) released by the DoL in July 2007 was used to report on scarce and critical skills. The SSP will be submitted to theDoL on 31 August 2007.PROCESS AND METHODOLOGYIn 2004, the INSETA embarked on an extensive research and broad-based consultative sector skills planning process. The 2005 updatebuilt on the work done in 2004 and comprised the revision and updating of all statistical data, an analysis of the WSPs and ATRs submittedto the INSETA for the period 2004/2005 and another round of interviews with industry bodies in the sector.In October 2005 the INSETA embarked on a sector survey of employment, scarce and critical skills. The information obtained throughthis survey forms the basis for the 2006 update of the SSP. The survey information was augmented by updated information from nationalsources, for example from the latest reports published by the Financial Services Board (FSB), the latest information on the gross domesticproduct (GDP) and the latest Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the WSP and ATR information submitted for the period 2005/2006.In 2007 the SSP was once again updated with data from national sources and from the INSETA’s own data system. The comprehensivesector survey data collected in 2005/2007 were retained as the basis of this SSP update. However, scarce and critical skills information wasobtained from the WSPs submitted for the period 2006/2007. This information was augmented with a telephone survey amongorganisations (mostly small organisations) that had not submitted WSPs. Certain supply-side information was obtained from the ATRssubmitted for the period 2006/2007.SECTOR CONSULTATIONIn 2004, the INSETA embarked on an extensive research and broad-based consultative process in order to elicit information for this SSPfrom the sector. This process included interviews with CEOs of companies and with industry bodies.In 2005 a series of consultative interviews was conducted with industry and professional bodies in the sector.In 2006 the findings of the survey of employment, scarce and critical skills and other statistical information used in the update of the SSPwas presented to a wide spectrum of stakeholders in the sector at four regional forums 1 hosted by the INSETA. Stakeholders had theopportunity to comment on the information and to provide qualitative inputs into the SSP. The discussions at the regional forums focussedmainly on solutions to the skills problems experienced in the sector and the role that the INSETA could play in solving these problems.In 2007 sector consultation again took the form of interviews with industry and professional bodies. The list of institutions and peopleinterviewed can be seen in Annexure A. The interviews focused on recent developments in the sector, scarce and critical skills and growthprospects of the sector.1 The regional forums were held in Durban, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Johannesburg in the period 22 to 25 May 2006.INSETA Sector Skills Plan - page vi