Skills Development Act, 1998 (Act No. 97 of 1998) > Chapter 1 : Definitions, Purpose and Application of Act

(1)	The purposes of this Act are—

(a)	to develop the skills of the South African workforce—

(i)	to improve the quality of life of workers, their prospects of work and labour mobility;

(ii)	to improve productivity in the workplace and the competitiveness of employers;

(iii)

to promote self-employment; and

(iv)	to improve the delivery of social services;

(b)	to increase the levels of investment in education and training in the labour market and to improve the return on that investment;

(c)	to encourage employers—

(i)	to use the workplace as an active learning environment;

(ii)	to provide employees with the opportunities to acquire new skills;

(iii)

to provide opportunities for new entrants to the labour market to gain work experience; and

(iv)	to employ persons who find it difficult to be employed;

(d)	to encourage workers to participate in learning programmes;

[Section 2(1)(d) amended by section 2(a) of Act No. 37 of 2008]

(e)	to improve the employment prospects of persons previously disadvantaged by unfair discrimination and to redress those disadvantages through training and education;

(f)	to ensure the quality of learning in and for the workplace;

[Section 2(1)(f) amended by section 2(a) of Act No. 37 of 2008]

(g)	[Section 2(1)(g) deleted by section 53(1), Schedule 1, of Act No. 4 of 2014]

(h)	[Section 2(1)(h) deleted by section 53(a), Schedule 1, of Act No. 4 of 2014]

(2)	Those purposes are to be achieved through—

(a)	an institutional and financial framework comprising—

(i)	the National Skills Authority;

(ii)	the National Skills Fund;

(iii)

a skills development levy-financing scheme as contemplated in the Skills Development Levies Act;

(iv)

SETAs;

(v)	[Section 2(2)(a)(v) deleted by section 53(1), Schedule 1, of Act No. 4 of 2014]

(vi)	[Section 2(2)(a)(vi) deleted by section 53(1), Schedule 1, of Act No. 4 of 2014]

(vii)

accredited trade test centres;

(viii)

skills development institutes;

(ix)	the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations;

(x)	a skills development forum for each province; and

(xi)	a national artisan moderation body.

(xii)

[Section 2(2)(a)(xii) deleted by section 53(1), Schedule 1, of Act No. 4 of 2014]

(b)	encouraging partnerships between the public and private sectors of the economy to provide learning in and for the workplace; and

(c)	co-operating with the South African Qualifications Authority.

[Section 2(2) amended by section 2(b) of Act No. 37 of 2008]

Skills Development Act, 1998 (Act No. 97 of 1998)