Sskills
Sskills developmentInnovating impact,disrupting developmentService speaks to the CEO of the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA), Yershen Pillay, a humbleleader and innovator who seizes new opportunities and transforms them into high-performance and high-impact results.CCongratulations, Yershen! CHIETA recently achieved a cleanaudit and a 100% achievement of your organisational goals forthe second financial year in a row. As CEO, please tell us whatCHIETA’s top three measures of success are?Our success is grounded in three main measures: impact, whichensures our initiatives tangibly benefit stakeholders across thechemical sector; innovation, driving new ways of approachingskills development, from green hydrogen to digital reskilling; andgovernance excellence, reflected in clean audits and consistentachievement of our organisational goals. These collectively shapehow we operate and deliver. Our productivity model is based onoutcomes. We value flexibility and people-centredness.With a mission of “innovating for impact”, please discussCHIETA’s 2030 vision of becoming an innovation leader ineducation and training?Our 2030 vision is to position CHIETA as a trailblazer in skillsdevelopment, addressing future industry needs. We focus onfostering smart, adaptive learning environments and leveragingemerging technologies like AI, virtual reality (VR) and data analyticsto ensure South Africa’s workforce is ready for future challenges.Our vision is to scale these innovative approaches nationally,ensuring impact across both urban and rural areas. Our Fusion 2030strategy is about positioning CHIETA as a “Fusion SETA” – a SETAthat thinks digital, does digital and lives digital.What, in your opinion, is the key to innovation?For me, innovation is driven by curiosity, collaboration and agility.We need to stay curious, looking at how technology and global shiftscan impact local contexts. Collaboration with industry stakeholders,education institutions and government is vital to creating realworldsolutions. Finally, agility in responding to changes in the skillslandscape allows us to stay ahead. We focus on staff development andtraining our people to be innovation leaders.CHIETA CEO, Yershen Pillay.What is the bedrock of CHIETA’s strategy and the implementationplans to achieve this?Our Fusion 2030 strategy is based on five strategic pillars: innovation,transformation, collaboration, digitisation and artificial intelligence.At the heart of our strategy is collaborative innovation andsustainable skills development. Everything we do aims to createsustainable economic growth through skills aligned with industrydemands. To innovate for greater impact, we aim to driveexperimentation in daily doses.8 | Service magazine
skills developmentSAt the heart of our strategy is collaborativeinnovation and sustainable skills development.What is the focus of your performance planning framework forthe next five years?Over the next five years, our focus will be on innovation-drivenskills development, particularly for emerging industries like greenhydrogen and addressing the digital skills gap. We’ll also continueto strengthen our governance frameworks to maintain the levelof accountability that has been the hallmark of our success. Ourperformance planning will focus on delivering stakeholder valuethrough performance metrics focused on digital-drive impact. Thiswill include new research on AI and skills development, the greenhydrogen economy, ESG and sustainability. It will further includeAI-powered skills forecasting, AI-powered mapping of OFO codesto occupations, as well as an AI-powered CHIETA app providingplatform-based services to stakeholders.modern tools and training as their urban counterparts. We currentlyhave six Smart Skills Centres in six different provinces. Our goal isto have nine Smart Skills Centres (one in every province) by 2025.2024 MILESTONES IN DEVELOPMENT LEADERSHIPWhat are the top disruptive forces that will drive most change inthe skills development sector over the next five years?The biggest disruptors will be artificial intelligence, automationand the green economy. AI and automation are transforminghow industries operate, and workers need to adapt. Green energytechnologies, including hydrogen, are also reshaping industries,demanding new skills and knowledge.South Africa’s chemical sector contributes massively to theeconomy. What are the barriers to developing the strategic skillsthat are central to improving the industry’s competitiveness inSouth Africa and globally?Key barriers include limited access to quality education, especially inrural areas and inadequate alignment between training and industryneeds. The pace of technological change also makes it difficult forexisting curriculums to stay relevant. Our goal at CHIETA is toaddress these barriers through targeted programmes, collaborationwith industry leaders and new learning technologies.There is high demand for skills to grow the economy and becauseof AI tools, 44% of workers need to be reskilled. How does CHIETAplan to make an impact in the sphere?We’re developing programmes aimed at equipping workers withdigital literacy and AI-related skills, particularly for the chemicalsector. Our Smart Skills Centres focus on preparing artisans to bedigitally savvy, ensuring they can adapt to AI tools. Partnering withtech companies will help us bring cutting-edge knowledge into ourtraining frameworks.Please discuss CHIETA’s efforts to bridge the widening digitalskills divide between urban and rural communities.Our Smart Skills Centres play a key role in this as they are beingrolled out across both urban and rural areas. These centres provideaccess to state-of-the-art technology, ensuring that learners fromrural communities have the same opportunities to engage with• Employment and youth empowerment. CHIETA successfullytrained and upskilled over 75 000 people in the chemicalsector, of which 74% are youth. These people have acquirednew skills that will significantly improve their employabilityand quality of life, contributing to employment creation andentrepreneurial opportunities across the country. CHIETA’sprogrammes continue to make a meaningful difference inaddressing youth unemployment and fostering inclusivegrowth. These efforts support South Africa’s nationaldevelopment goals.• Green hydrogen initiatives. CHIETA reinforced its leadershipin green hydrogen through collaborations with industry andgovernment. The organisation’s Green Hydrogen Centre ofSpecialisation, launched earlier this year, is set to positionSouth Africa as a global player in the green energy sector.• Innovation and digital transformation. CHIETA has madestrides in addressing the digital divide by equipping artisansand workers with future-ready skills, especially in AI, digitaltechnologies and smart manufacturing. CHIETA’s investmentsin Smart Skills Centres are expected to revolutionise skillstraining in the sector.Looking ahead, CHIETA reaffirms its commitment to:• Expanding its green hydrogen programmes and partnerships.• Furthering its efforts in digital reskilling and AI training.• Empowering marginalised communities through skillsdevelopment focused on employment and entrepreneurship.Service magazine | 9
