In the 2019-2020 financial year CHIETA commissioned research on Special Economic Zones and Industrial Parks, Tracking and Tracing of learners completed and trained in selected CHIETA programmes, an evaluation of the drop-out rate on CHIETA learning programmes, assessing the state of readiness for the chemical manufacturing companies to operate in the fourth industrial revolution, value chains and opportunities for small businesses in the chemical sector, and a review of employers and training providers funded through the discretionary grants for learning programmes, strategic and research projects in the previous five years.

The Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA) is a statutory body established by the Skills Development Act (Act 97 of 1998) and is a schedule 3A public entity in terms of the Public Finance Management Act. The CHIETA has been established to facilitate skills development in the South African Chemical Industries Sector and its mandate includes:

Listen to Khathutshelo Ramukumba (CEO Of CHIETA) Interview on Massiv Mornings breakfast show hosted by broadcaster and powerhouse, Penny Lebyane.

The COVID 19 has been declared a public health emergency of international concern by the WHO. In reaction to this the President of SA declared this a national disaster and announced several interventions from various government departments to manage the outbreak of the virus within South Africa. Further to this, the South African Government has pronounced various measures to ensure that all sectors of the economy work together to minimise the negative economic impact which may be caused by this pandemic, by introducing various interventions, including the task team responsible for Small Enterprise and Cooperatives development and support by various identified government departments as key stakeholders and specific selected SETA cluster to assist in this regard.

This project forms part of the South African government’s immediate response plan to mitigate the economic and socio-economic downturn that the country is facing due to the pandemic and the adverse downgrade credit rating announced by Moody’s.