Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority (merSETA)

The Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority (merSETA) is one of 21 Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) established to promote skills development in terms of the Skills Development Act of 1998 (as amended). The 21 SETAs broadly reflect different sectors of the South African economy. MerSETA encompasses manufacturing, engineering and related services.

The various industry sectors are covered by five chambers within the merSETA: metal and engineering; auto-manufacturing; motor retail and component manufacturing; tyre manufacturing; and plastics industries. Together, the five subsectors comprise approximately 44 000 companies, with a workforce of approximately 600 000. The total levy income is approximately R600 million.

The merSETA, like all other SETAs, plays a central role in making sure that the National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) is fulfilled. MerSETA does not collect levies but instead receives collected levies from the Department of Higher Education and Training. Seventy percent of the levies is disbursed as grants and 10% is kept for administration. MerSETA does not train, instead it facilitates the process of training by paying grants, registering moderators and assessors, identifying scarce skills, accrediting providers, monitoring the quality of training, and implementing projects to close the skills gap.