Johannesburg – The Department of Home Affairs is to bridge the country’s skills gap by streamlining the process of applying for scarce skills permits and business permits for foreigners.

“Together with business, organised labour and broader civil society, government is working on ways to bridge the skills gap in priority areas to support the country’s rapidly developing economy,” said Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula at a conference on Scarce Skills and Business Related Permits on Thursday.

The minister said that as part of the departments Turn Around Project, they have over 120 full time staff managing the 14 different Turn Around initiatives.

She said one of these initiatives was the application of permits such as business permits and permits for scarce skills.

“We should make it less cumbersome for individual skilled foreigners to come into the country and join our economy.”

Ms Mapisa-Nqakula said her department had to make sure the same management efficiency applied in helping corporate clients needing large numbers of foreign skills, to import such skills with relative ease.

The department has become a significant partner within the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa (AsgiSA) programme, particularly as it relates to the Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition (JIPSA).

“As far as the department is concerned, we have looked at two important intervening tools that are part of our support to both AsgiSA and JIPSA.

“These include the drive to mobilise scarce foreign skills through the use of quota work permits, and the pilot [project] to assist large account clients with bigger numbers of foreign skills requirements,” said the minister.

Unveiled in July this year, the first wave of the pilot project focussed on four companies namely Anglo American (resources), the Bombela consortium (Gautrain), Lafarge (cement) and ArcelorMittal (Steel).

“I’m very pleased that we have been able to assist with the more than 3 450 permits required by these companies across a broad range of categories.

“The pilot shows that Home Affairs can indeed provide tailor made solutions that cut the time and effort required by companies to put skills people in place and thereby contribute the growth of our economy,” she said.

Phase two of project, due to start next month, will make the Large Account Unit services available to a further 20 selected companies.

The minister also announced that the upgraded department’s helpdesk, dedicated to providing information in connection with Scarce and Priority Skills Work Permits was now up and running.

The help desk has been tasked with assisting applicants and prospective employers in understanding and making use of the 35 200 so-called quota work permits available for professionals ranging from aeronautical engineers, to boilermakers and maths teachers.

Ms Mapisa-Nqakula said the focus of the department, as stated by the Director General Mavuso Msimang during his report on his 100 days in office, is to transform the organisation into a modern, efficient, cost-effective institution, responsive to the needs of South Africa’s residents and visitors to the country. - BuaNews