Albertina Nakale
Windhoek-For the 2016/17 financial year the Namibia Training Authority (NTA) has projected to collect about N$326 million from eligible Vocational Education and Training (VET) levy-paying employers.
NTA CEO Jerry Beukes made the remarks yesterday when he discussed the submission of applications for VET levy employer training grant for this year. He said out of N$326 million, 50 percent (about N$163 million) will be disbursed under the employer training grant.
According to Government Notice 5 of 2014, all Namibian registered employers with an annual payroll of N$1 million or more were required to register and pay one percent of the value of their actual annual payroll, as a VET levy to NTA’s national training fund on a monthly basis.
The NTA collects and applies such funds towards up-skilling and training Namibians in key national priority training and occupation areas. Last year, NTA signed service level agreements with ten local training institutions at a cost of over N$36 million. The agreements fall into two broad categories and are to be implemented under the VET levy’s key priority training grant funding window.
At the time, Beukes said the first category involved approved intervention areas for funding as part of demand-led training interventions with seven local training institutions, totaling N$27,8 million. Altogether 901 trainees stand to benefit from the interventions.
Beukes yesterday said employers who do not submit training applications within the regulated 31-day period would forfeit grants. “Any such unclaimed grants will be transferred to the VET levy’s key priority grant funding allocation, where such funds are to be utilised for strategic training interventions,” he noted.
Further, Beukes said a lack of supporting evidence accompanying employer training grant applications has hampered the administration and subsequent disbursement thereof over the past two years. NTA therefore urged eligible employers to ensure that all the required documentation is submitted accordingly, before the due date of May 1.
In accordance with the VET levy regulations and notice, all levies collected by the NTA are to be disbursed in line with the certain allocations. These include the 35 percent for key priority training grants, up to 50 percent for employer training grants and up to 15 percent for the NTA’s administration costs.
Beukes said VET levy registered employers who wish to apply for the employer training grant must ensure they have paid their levies for the full financial year and have no interest or penalties outstanding.
Applications, as well as supporting evidence for the employer training grant, are submitted online via http://www.vetmis-nta.co.za.