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Eskom loses out on skills
03/06/2008 12:37 - (SA)
James-Brent Styan
Johannesburg - Eskom has lost out on the services of at least 31 skilled foreigners since the beginning of 2008 due to a delay in securing work permits.
Mpho Letlape, Eskom's human resources manager, told Sake24 that she had identified these candidates and made offers during 2007.
Letlape made 91 offers during her overseas recruitment drive last year.
Forty of these candidates have already started to work at Eskom in 2008.
"We are still waiting for the arrangements for 20 people to be finalised, while 31 others have withdrawn their acceptance of our offer, mainly because of delays with the approval of their work permits.
Eskom's recruitment drive is proving to be fruitful. Letlape says she managed to recruit 34 people during a visit to London last month.
"We conducted interviews with more than 60 people that weekend. The success rate was about 1 to every 1.8. I could have appointed 39 people but factors beyond my control, like preferences that candidates had, influenced the process."
Skills crunch
Eskom has to appoint about 5 000 people within the next year.
Foreigners are paid more than their South African colleagues.
One should bear in mind that foreigners are only appointed on a contract basis, the maximum period being five years, Letlape says.
Forty-three people have been appointed in April 2008 in New York, eighteen of whom are Americans.
"Most of the American candidates are at the end of their careers and are 60 or older. We believe that they will provide much needed mentorship to Eskom's existing workforce."
According to Letlape, the other candidates are African expatriates. The expatriates, from Zambia and Zimbabwe, sought opportunities in the States but now see SA as the first step in resettling in Africa.
Eskom has arranged 200 pre-approved work permits with the department of home affairs in order to fast-track appointments in future.
In the meantime Eskom plans to start its own tertiary-level institution. The institution has been in the pipeline for the past eight months and will provide training in the seven areas in which Eskom is experiencing a skills shortage.
The faculties will comprise engineering, technicians and artisan, leadership, finance, project management, nuclear power and others (including human resources).
The faculties are already established and faculty managers have been appointed. The institution?s campuses will be based at existing Eskom premises, with various satellite campuses. The faculties will be affiliated to existing SA institutions.
The institution will cost approximately R800m per year, Letlape says.
- Sake24
- Sake
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