CETA | Construction Education and Training Authority | Construction Industry | South Africa

An Overview of the Construction Sector

It is generally recognised that the construction sector is very large, diverse and complex. Its size and complexity is further complicated by the vast number and range of employees in the sector and the significant differences in the size and nature of its member organisations.

At the core of the sector's complexity are the vast differences in:

	The internal organizational structures,
	The variety in training and development needs and priorities,
	The differences in professional networks and inter-organisational relationships,
	The variety in the policy and regulatory frameworks which govern the various sub sectors
	The differences in training and professional development traditions.

The sector is therefore characterised by a complexity that cannot be overlooked in planning and managing Workplace Skills Development. CETA is just beginning to unravel, understand and respond to these complexities.

It is estimated that there are over 35 000 employers in the construction sector, and approximately 330 120 employees. While the sector has large employers, about 95% of the sector can be characterised as small and micro enterprises. The level of participation of Small and Micro Enterprises categories in the Workplace Skills Development framework is very low. Of the 35 000 employers in the sector, only 62.5% is registered with SARS, and about 30.6 % are levy paying and about 8 % have submitted Workplace Skills Plans in 2005/6.

This level of participation of employers in the sector is of particular concern. Since the development of the sector is crucial to the economy, the construction sector is important to the economy as a whole because of its labour intensive nature, and its role in supporting other economic sectors through the provision of buildings and constructions.

The Occupational Groupings are:

	Contractors 58%
	Professionals 27%
	Material Manufacturers 11%
	Other 4%

This, in large characterises the complexity of the CETA's responsibility and the challenge in meeting business objectives.