Career Guidance Services of DoL Department of Labour

Outline of presentation DoL structure to serve unemployed What services can DoL offer to unemployed? Why career guidance? What is career guidance? What career guidance services will be provided? How can the career guidance be accessed? Who will assist the unemployed? Personal contact details

DoL structure to serve unemployed SA Department of Labour has a Directorate: Employment Services which assists the employed and underemployed to obtain placement into skills and placement opportunities There are 10 Provincial Offices (Gauteng divided into two) which supports Labour Centres to discharge their duties There are 125 Labour Centres that act as intermediary between unemployed and employers and training providers

What services can DoL offer to the unemployed? 1.Registration Services Registration Services includes the registration of individuals, employers, opportunities and training providers. The registration of individuals includes the development of a skills profile where the person’s qualifications and experience are recorded according to the Organizing Framework of Occupation (OFO) 2.Career Information and Guidance Services Career Guidance (employment counseling) includes providing career, labour market and scarce and critical skills information and guidance on accessing placement opportunities.

What services can DoL offer to the unemployed? 3.Recruitment and Selection Services Recruitment and selection services include the proactive identification of opportunities through networking with stakeholders, the matching of individuals to opportunities, recruitment and selection for a particular opportunity, and placement. 4.Skills Development Services Skills Development Services include developing the Provincial Implementation Plans, identifying scarce and critical skills, registering training courses with the National Skills Fund, Allocating funding for Skills Development, selecting training providers, contracting training providers, monitoring training, processing training provider claims and scheduling assessments at INDLELA.

What services can DoL offer to the unemployed? 5.Information Services Information services include producing information brochures/pamphlets and packages and advocacy on accessing employment and skills development services. 6.Special Services Special services include services provided for designated/vulnerable groups, including services for people with disabilities, youth, retrenched employees and ex-offenders.

Employment Services system of South Africa (ESSA) The service offerings of Employment Services is supported by an electronic job- matching system, the Employment Services system of South Africa (ESSA) Currently the first phase of development of ESSA is finalised (job-matching) Skills development and career guidance function must still be done Unemployed can register at any LC for job- matching

Why career guidance? Unemployed is confronted with cyclical and transitional changes in modern labour market, that can come from external factors, eg economy, recession, globalisation and increased competitiveness, retrenchment, flexible working times, technological changes resulting in obsolete skills, changes in business culture, eg privatisation and outsourcing, political, eg shortage of skills and traditional land ownership by Whites, change in educational system with lifelong learning for full development of potential and RPL (Jackson, C; Arnold, J; Nicholson, N; Watts,AG, 1996, institute for Employment Studies) Further addition: environmental challenges: ex-offender, people with disabilities requiring adaptation to a changed environment Some factors are internal, but also pose challenges to work-seeker, eg youth do not have work experience, people with disabilities must adjust to work situation, emerging farmer to being farm owner, long-term unemployed to be re-motivated, person who retire must adjust to having nothing to do In some cases people do not have employability skills to allow placement Employability=technical skills + life skills (critical crossfield outcomes in unit standards, eg problem-solving, teamwork, information collecting and research skills, communication skills, self-management and organisation skills) USA DoL

Why career guidance? Assistance to manage career transitions Assistance with self-knowlegde Information on all opportunities Assistance with scarce skills Periods of unemployment to be used as up-skilling time Assistance with life skills Advice on multi-skilling, upskilling required Assistance to adjustment to changed work circumstances, dealing with stress and change Assistance with information on networks for job assistance

What is career guidance? Process to assist individuals, groups and communities to implement informed skills development and occupational choices  Teaches labour market changes and complexity of workplace  Broadening self-knowledge, skills, abilities  Improve decision-making skills  Maximises career opportunities  Improve employment marketability  Promote effective job placement  Assists with adaptation to constant changes in job market (employability)  Enhances employability

How will the career guidance service be provided? Appointment for careers guidance Establishing career guidance needs Information-provisioning on labour market and scarce skills Exploring interests in the world of work Linking interests to careers that can be considered Providing information on career and skills development opportunities Life skills programmes according to needs of client Referrals to opportunities

Who will assist the unemployed? DoL currently has career counsellors in: Gauteng North:  Pretoria  Mamelodi  Soshanguve Gauteng South  Sandton  Johannesburg  Germiston Free State:  Bloemfontein  Welkom  Bethlehem Northern Cape:  Kimberley  Kuruman  Upington North West  Mafikeng  Klerksdorp  Rustenburg More career counsellors will be appointed over the next two years.

Who will assist the unemployed? Mpumalanga  Witbank  Nelspruit  Secunda  Middelburg Limpopo  Polokwane  Mokopane Western Cape  Cape Town Eastern Cape  East London  Mthatha KwaZulu/Natal  Durban  Pietermaritzburg  Newcastle

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