Page 69 - DUT Annual Report 2020

Table 10: Employment targets compared with economically active population
DURBAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY ANNUAL REPORT 2020
Economically Active Population vs Employment Equity (EE) Targets
AM
CM
IM
WM
AF
CF
IF
WF
FN
National percentage
42.9
5.2
1.7
4.8
36.2
4.5
0.9
3.8
0
Provincial percentage (KZN)
44.7
0.7
5.1
2.2
42
0.8
3.1
1.6
0
Percentage (%) 2020 target EE plan (2018 – 2020)
26.33
1.04
14.19
6.62
23.49
1.52
15.07
7.12
0
Actual December 2018
26.46
0.84
14.26
6.65
22.61
1.24
15.14
7.16
5.6
Actual December 2019
27.51
0.71
13.18
5.84
24.4
1.37
13.92
5.97
6.07
Actual December 2020
27.17
0.73
13.34
5.38
24.94
1.44
14.29
5.87
6.85
AM = African male, CM = Coloured male, IM = Indian male, WM = White male, AF = African female, CF = Coloured female, IF = Indian female, WF = White female, FN = foreign nationals.
One of the key stumbling blocks in our success with transformation is high reliance on fixed-term contracts specific to temporary appointments, some of which are renewed into permanence. Some of the people appointed in this category are not necessarily part of designated groups, or are part of overrepresented designated groups. A determined focus on correcting this has commenced, including but not limited to:
a. A moratorium placed on short-term contracts, with exceptional cases necessitating motivations that are approved at executive level;
b. Review and correction of short-term appointments for people below the income threshold;
c. Automated processes and monitoring tools introduced to facilitate the fast-tracking of recruitment processes to improve efficiencies in appointments;
d. Incorporation of a clause on skills transfer in fixed- term contracts for foreign nationals;
e. A review on amalgamation of the Skills Development Committee with the Employment Equity Forum, to increase skills development initiatives compared to the transformational objectives, but not at the exclusion of non-designated groups.
For 2020 DUT made progress with our broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE) scorecard, having improved from Level 8 to Level 7. Areas that would help the institution in progressing further on the scorecard would be an overhaul of the procurement database, focus on supplier development, improving the recording of skills development and training, targeted recruitment and the use of specialist agents focusing on people with disabilities. We will be working hard on these in 2021.
It is pleasing to see a steady increase in the employment of people with disabilities. This is the result of intentional planning to target this sector and ensure purposeful
attraction. Progress has been made towards achieving 2% representation, as encapsulated in the Employment Equity Annual Plan, and recent proposed sectorial targets by the Minister of Employment and Labour. It is important that this initiative to attract people with disabilities is not reserved for recruitment and attraction – this must be a University-wide initiative cutting across its different segments, for instance recruitment of students in this category to create a pipeline for DUT employment. In this respect, DUT will achieve its equity imperatives, while advancing its BBBEE rating. This will require an investment in our facilities to support this vulnerable group when in employment within the University. Progress in attracting people with disabilities has grown from 14 in 2019 to 28 in 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a health, human, and economic crisis that has affected our community negatively. It is pleasing that as a university we managed to adapt quickly and were able to continue with our activities during this unprecedented time. The University was able to put in place infrastructure to facilitate remote working within a very short time scale. The pandemic has impacted everyone, in the process amplifying the need to accelerate addressing some of the challenges in our community and demonstrating an urgent need for systemic change in areas like social inclusion and the need for reskilling.
Our focus in the year ahead will be on areas of accountability relating to EE and BBBEE contributions, innovation in developing systems to enhance productivity, skills development and preparing our people to work in new ways and to move away from traditional means of delivery and management. There will also be a focus on embedding the DUT Way, namely a DUT culture that is inclusive of everyone feeling valued, listened to and with opportunities to grow and succeed.
DUT’s Enrolment and Efficiency Plan 2020 – 2025, approved by the Minister of Higher Education and
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