International Youth Foundation - Employer Partnerships Officer, Durban

For 30 years, our sole focus has been to help young people succeed. Together with partners around the world, we’ve invested in ensuring that youth develop the leadership, technical, and life skills to earn a livelihood. Whether it’s landing a first job, growing a business, or driving social change, every young person deserves the opportunity to realize his or her full potential. Rooted in the belief of youth as problem-solvers, change-makers, and leaders, our initiatives are catalysts for change. For more information please consult www.iyfnet.org.

In South Africa, IYF partners to strengthen education and training systems—including public TVET colleges and employer-led learnerships for unemployed youth—so that they better equip young people to access and expand economic opportunity. We work with national government and TVET leaders to align courses with industry needs; we equip employers to deliver more impactful life skills training within their learnerships; and we create mutually beneficial partnerships between industry and education systems that improve young people’s lives while also delivering measurable business benefits.

IYF’s work in South Africa is always exciting, ever-evolving, and informed by the needs of key stakeholders: the Department of Higher Education & Training (DHET), national industry groups, individual employers, and young people. It is not without challenges, but the payoff is worth it. Our programming is supported by a growing number of government, corporate, and foundation donors, including the UK Government’s Skills for Prosperity Programme, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Embassy of Ireland, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, De Beers, and PepsiCo Foundation.

International Youth Foundation (IYF) seeks to fill the following vacancy:

EMPLOYER PARTNERSHIPS OFFICER

IYF South Africa is launching High Gear, a four-year partnership with the National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (NAACAM) that will harness the knowledge and skills imperatives of this vital economic sector—along with IYF curricula enhancement tools—to strengthen the quality of select public TVET college courses. Ultimately, IYF wants to demonstrate a model for greater industry involvement in TVET course design and delivery that generates enthusiasm from TVET educators and industry, while also generating positive returns for young people and employers. 

IYF needs a Employer Partnerships Officer to support implementation of this effort in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province, with a specific focus on the Durban metropolitan region. The Employer Partnerships Officer will play a vital role in overseeing a High Gear service that supports employers to better access and utilise skills development funding for delivery of gender-equitable workplace training, including to female and male TVET staff, students, and graduates.

Key responsibilities of this position include but are not limited to:

·     Design SETA Grant Advisory Service for Employers: The Officer will lead the rapid design of a High Gear-delivered service that advises employers in the automotive components manufacturing sector (and possibly other sectors with similar skills needs) to better access and utilise SETA grants for purposes that also align with High Gear objectives in KwaZulu-Natal, including increasing gender-equitable access to workplace experience for TVET staff, students, and graduates. In designing the service, the Officer will draw on their own expertise, along with input from industry intermediaries, TVET college partners, and gender experts. The Officer will ensure alignment of the service relevant government policies, such as the Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) scorecard.

·     Determine Delivery Model: In consultation with the High Gear project team, the Officer will determine the highest Value for Money model for implementation of the service, including possible delivery through partnerships with other provincial organisations. The Officer will also determine other technical expertise (i.e. consultants) that may be required to market and deliver the service to employers, and lead the identification of relevant short-term and/or long-term technical support.  

·     Lead Implementation of the SETA Grant Advisory Service: The Officer will lead implementation of the SETA grant advisory service, and continue to refine the service offering to ensure it: 1) generates demand from employers, including by informing their submission of higher quality and more gender-equitable Workplace Skills Plans (WSPs) and discretionary grant applications to SETAs; 2) aligns with High Gear’s TVET course enhancement priorities; and 3) promotes positive partnerships between partner TVET colleges and employers. The Officer will support monitoring and evaluation of the service, and contribute to quarterly KZN project reporting.

·     Respond to Industry & TVET Priorities: The Officer will cultivate strong working relationships with partner industry groups, employers, and TVET colleges, and ensure the advisory service is responsive to their needs and working realities, and generates continued excitement and commitment from these stakeholders. 

·     Adapt Approaches based on Emerging Trends and Context: Working with initiative staff, the Officer will continuously map skills trends, labor market shifts, policy updates, and training resource allocations in the automotive manufacturing industry and SETA system. The Officer will use that knowledge to ensure the initiative adapts to these changes and trends.

·     Comply with Donor Rules: The Officer will work with the IYF South Africa and global teams to ensure full compliance with all donor rules and regulations. 

The Employer Partnerships Officer must meet the following criteria:

·     4+ years of skills development facilitation experience in the manufacturing sector in KwaZulu-Natal, with demonstrated results in leveraging SETA mandatory grants and/or discretionary grants to support transformation for historically disadvantaged groups, including black South Africans, women, and people with disabilities.

·     Demonstrated success in designing Workplace Skills Plans and SETA discretionary grant applications.

·     Strong knowledge of South Africa’s skills development policies and institutions, including the B-BBEE Codes of Good Practice (particularly the skills development scorecard), and Sector Education Training Authorities (SETAs) policies and procedures.

·     Prior experience with designing and/or managing SETA-funded partnerships with TVET colleges would be a strong asset.

·     Strong professional network with training and skills development stakeholders in the manufacturing sector in KwaZulu-Natal, including employers and relevant SETAs.

·     Demonstrated ability designing and delivering workshops with employers in the manufacturing sector. Ability to adjust communication style as needed for diverse audiences. Strong writing skills.

·     Strong MS Office skills a must, with working knowledge of OneNote and SharePoint an advantage.

·     Ability to travel in all areas of the Durban and Pietermaritzburg metropolitan areas regularly, often on very short notice, and domestically with advanced notice.

·     Relevant Undergraduate degree (e.g. Education, Social Sciences, Commerce, Engineering)

·    Driver’s license and personal vehicle

 This is an Employment Equity (EE) position, and as such, preference will be given to female applicants.

Only applicants without work restrictions in South Africa should apply.

View the full job description and application instructions on the Vacancies page at www.actionappointments.co.za and email your application by Monday 06th July 2020 to [email protected]