Durban — The Construction Education and Training Authority (Ceta) is celebrating a significant turnaround in its performance, according to a recent report by the organisation.
Marking an 82% achievement against its 2022/23 Annual Performance Plan (APP) targets, Ceta has shown a substantial 32% improvement from the previous year’s performance, which stood at 62%.
“This 32% upward shift in overall performance underpins the commitment of the Ceta leadership to transform into a high-performing, sustainable, and fit-for-purpose one,” the statement reads.
While the organisation is still on its journey towards achieving a clean audit, the Auditor-General South Africa (AGSA) gave it an “Except For” audit opinion for the year ending March 31, 2023. Importantly, the AGSA noted that the financial statements were largely free from material errors, except for the DG Commitments item.
Furthermore, Ceta has made strides in addressing governance issues, reducing the overall number of audit findings from 82 to 53. The management and staff are said to be “making significant strides in remediating the issues raised by the Auditor-General and implementing the Audit Turnaround Strategy as approved by the Audit and Risk Committee.”
On the financial front, Ceta has shown a remarkable 10% increase in revenue, resulting in a surplus of R10.6 million, a significant improvement from last year’s R249 million deficit. This marks the first time the organisation has reported a surplus since the 2018/19 financial year, owing to effective cost-containment measures implemented. Alongside this, there was a 57% increase in the submission of Workplace Skills Plans and Annual Training Reports, signalling a concerted focus on skills development.
Adding to its list of achievements, Ceta has concluded a critical research project in partnership with the University of Johannesburg, aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of its training programmes. The organisation stated it continues “to provide skills development services by implementing the objectives of the National Development Plan (NSDP 2023) with an aim to increase the number of people that obtain critical or scarce skills needed and to build the capacity of the construction sector to be economically sustainable and globally competitive.”
On Friday, Ceta chairperson Thabo Masombuka and CEO Malusi Shezi handed over the Anene Booysen skills development centre in Bredasdorp, Western Cape. Anene was murdered in 2013 after being gang raped, and Ceta intervened with a skills facility in that community to ensure that the vulnerable youth is protected through skills advancement to improve lives and live for a meaningful future.
Ceta has indicated that it will be leading a further investment to build a skills simulation and trade test centre in the same community to be part of the Anene Booysen Skills and Training Academy or Institute. The development will ensure that this remote area, far from bigger cities and towns, is put on a development pedestal to tackle future world challenges.
Under the leadership of CEO Mr Shezi, Ceta is confident of maintaining this upward trajectory. The statement concluded with an optimistic outlook, stating that the Ceta “is confident that it will continue to attain its goals and achieve higher heights.”
For a sector often marred by challenges ranging from governance issues to skills gaps, Ceta’s latest performance is a significant sign of progress and more positive developments.
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