Chamber: glass subsector: glass

The CHIETA developed subsector skills plans for the first time in 2013/2014, to achieve the mandate of the Chambers in terms of schedule 9(a) of the SDA 97 of 1998; to consult with the 9 sub-sectors of the Chemical Sector in areas of skills development and planning. The objective of such consultation is to compile a SSP for the sector that takes into consideration areas of skills demand, and skills supply.

The CHIETA subsector skills plans are a great start but will continue to be strengthened going forward as work in progress with particular emphasis on detailed planning.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

ANNEXURE 2 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..44

The Glass Chamber is one of five CHIETA Chambers and Glass is one of nine sub-sectors in the Chemical Sector. The Glass Subsector involves the manufacture of raw glass by melting various raw materials (e.g. soda ash), which is converted into products. Although the Glass Subsector can be divided into several sub-industries, the Glass Industry Employers’ Association (GIEA) divides the Glass Subsector into four main sub-industries:

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  Glass manufacturing (mass production);
  
• 
  Glass processing and distribution;
  
• 
  Fibreglass manufacturing; and
  
• 
  Industrial mineral and manual glass production.
  

Similar to the broader Chemical Sector, the Glass Subsector is linked to other sectors of the economy such as mining (which is responsible for the production of the raw materials used by the subsector), and various other industries that use glass as an input product, for example building and construction, automotive manufacturing, boatbuilding, aircraft manufacturing, solar energy, and creative arts and crafts.

In the 2011/2012 financial year 124 employers in the Glass Subsector paid skills development levies to CHIETA, which represent 8.0% of all CHIETA levy-paying companies. The 124 levy-paying companies paid 5.4% of the total levies in the Chemical Sector. More than half (54.8%) of the levy-paying companies were micro (employing between 1 and 19 people), 30.6% small (employing between 20 and 49 people), 11.3% medium size (employing between 50 and 149 people) and only 3.2% large (employing 150 and more people).

One of the four large companies in the Glass Subsector, four (28.6%) of the 14 medium size companies, eight (21.1%) of the 38 small companies and six (8.8%) of the 68 micro companies submitted WSPs. The Glass Subsector employed only 5.1% of the workers in the Chemical Sector. Most (92.4%) employees in the Glass Subsector were in permanent positions at the end of March 2012.

In terms of equity just more than half (56.5%) of the workers were African, only 18.2% were female, and 1.1% were living with a disability. African males formed the majority of workers in all occupational categories, except in the managerial, professional, and services and sales workers categories. Almost half (47.0%) of the workers had a National Senior Certificate (matric) and just more than a third (35.9%) had post-school qualifications. The average age of all workers in the Glass Subsector was 41 and 7.2% of all workers were close to retirement (between 55 and 60).

The demand for glass is to a large extent determined by the overall level of economic growth, particularly consumer expenditure, manufacturing and construction, which cover the main demand sectors. The subsector is negatively affected by bulk exports (e.g. exporting of wine in containers, not bottles) and cheap imports (such as windscreens). The average percentage change in gross value added (GVA) over five-year periods from 1970 to 2010 shows that there was much fluctuation in the Glass and Glass Products figures over with contraction of the industry in the 1995-2000 period. However, it is estimated that the subsector will show positive growth at an average rate of 2.1% during the 2010-2015 period and 5.3% during the 2015-2020 period.

Some of the factors impacting on the subsector are innovation, intellectual property rights, substitutions for glass, and cheap imports. The glass industry has been innovative by introducing environmentally friendly products. Glass faces strong competition from alternative materials such as plastic, metal and cardboard. South Africa has high production standards and according to some in the Glass Subsector, much too high to produce at a competitive price. Manufacturers of glass have to compete against cheap Chinese imports that are of substandard quality.

THE DEMAND FOR SKILLS IN THE SUBSECTOR

The demand for labour in absolute numbers in the Chemical Sector has been declining steadily over the last two decades, with investments in capital equipment being largely used to replace labour. The reduction in employment has mainly impacted on low-skilled and semi-skilled workers, resulting in the skills mix tending towards the higher level skills. The exception to this rule is the Glass Subsector, which also lost jobs overall, but has retained the same skills composition with reductions in employment affecting all skills levels.

In 2012 more than half (54.8%) of the workers were craft and related trades workers, plant and machine operators and assemblers, and people working in elementary occupations. Close to a fifth (17.9%) of workers were technicians and associate professionals, while professionals constituted only 6.2% of total employment. Just more than a tenth (12.1%) of all employees worked in management positions.

THE SUPPLY OF SKILLS TO THE SUBSECTOR

The supply-side of the labour market consists of the stock of skills – the skills currently employed in or available for work in the subsector and the flow of skills – the flow of new entrants into the market. In the analysis of the flow of skills the following is considered: the output from the basic education system, the further education and training colleges and higher education and training institutions. Work-based training such as apprenticeships and learnerships also plays an important role in the flow of new entrants to the market.

In respect of the supply of new skills to the subsector there has been substantial growth in the numbers of new graduates from universities and universities of technology in certain engineering fields. In terms of average annual output of national diplomas, growth is reported at 7% for diplomas in chemical engineering and technology and 6% for first degrees in the same field. Despite these positive growth trends, increases have not yet been sufficient to meet the needs of the national economy and the Chemical Sector in particular. In order to ensure future growth it will be necessary to support higher education institutions through a variety of initiatives. These include: bridging programmes to promote access and success; increased physical and teaching resources to engineering departments; and programmes that promote workplace-training opportunities for students from the universities of technology.

The output from the school system stays a concern in respect of the following: inadequate (in terms of quantity and quality) supply of school leavers with Mathematics and Physical Science passes that can pursue studies to become engineers, technologist, technicians and artisans; and inadequate education levels of the general workforce that enters the Chemical Sector without previous training. The supply of new skills from FET colleges into the Chemical Sector has traditionally been very limited. However, government’s recent focus on increasing both the quality and quantity of output from the public FET colleges indicates that this sector may in future play a more important role in the supply of skills to the Chemical Sector.

The skills of current employees need to be augmented in the workplace in order to ensure that workers acquire the skills necessary for specific positions, that they can progress in career paths and that they remain abreast of new technologies and developments in their specific fields. Employers are to a large extent responsible to ensure that employees are afforded further education and training opportunities.

In 2011/2012 training opportunities were afforded to just more than two thirds (68.5%) of employees in the Glass Subsector. A quarter (25.6%) of plant and machine operators and assemblers and about a fifth of technicians and associated professionals (19.8%) and skilled and trade workers (19.1%) respectively, had access to training. Training opportunities were also afforded to just more than a tenth (13.1%) of managers. In total 12 436 training opportunities were afforded to employees (one employee could have accessed to more than one training opportunity). Most (42.5%) training opportunities in the subsector were job-specific development programmes, nearly a quarter (24.0%) were short courses, a fifth (20.8%) were induction or other courses, and around a tenth (11.0%) were skills programmes.

Stakeholders mentioned during the workshop that there are a number of issues concerning training for the subsector. The issues relate inter alia to funding, non-accredited short courses, quality of training, partnerships with training institutions, training for new technology, generic versus specialised training, protecting competitive advantages, and cumbersome administrative processes regarding learnerships.

SKILLS SHORTAGES IN THE SUBSECTOR

Of the 19 organisations whose WSPs were approved by the CHIETA, 5 (26.3%) indicated that they experienced a scarcity of skills. The total number of people reported to be needed in occupations in which there were skills shortages is 178; this equates to 2.2% of total employment in the subsector. Stakeholders reiterated the difficulty in quantifying scarce skills and discussions provided some nuanced information not indicated in WSPs. Some standardisation needs to be attempted in order to establish trends over time. In future, scarce skills numbers will influence grant applications. However, evidence of shortages of skills especially for automotive fitters and autoglaciers was received.

The CHIETA is currently engaged in a range of partnerships, agreements and plans to contribute to both the development of new skills for the sector as well as the development of skills within the existing workforce. These initiatives range from support for further and higher education institutions and partnerships with government and industry associations.

SKILLS PLAN FOR THE SUBSECTOR

Stakeholders that attended the skills planning workshop for the subsector in June 2013, identified several initiatives that should continue and/or put in place to ensure that the necessary skills will be available to the Glass Subsector. The most important initiatives relate to training at the ISOE in Springs, the training and development of artisans, assisting new entrants to get access to training, to promote professionalism in the industry, to adapt training in order to adhere to legislation regarding the green economy, and training to address health risks in the subsector.

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