LAST month I ended by asking: "What appliance would you like for Christmas?" Well, now, as a New Year's wish, I'd like to change that request to "give me strength!" or "patience" or whatever is going... 

Now, why would I opt to forego that four-ton winch for the 4x4 or the ice-maker for the bar? Simple... our industry has gone to the dogs or, at best, is speedily on its way there...

Let me explain: Firstly, I had the opportunity (or should I say the misfortune) of having a firsthand look at a recent ‘Wireman's Licence' exam paper and official memorandum.

What a disgrace! Are these guys trying to test mathematicians? Or electricians? I could not believe the number of calculations in that paper.

I always thought a wireman firstly has to know some basics of the installation rules off by heart to get on with his job and, for the more intricate bits, he could always use a reference book - SANS 10142 and others.

There are so many things to remember these days, the girl friend's phone number, your FaceBook password, your credit card pin and what-not else. Why must I be able to remember all the calculations in SANS 10142 if I can go back to the book to refresh my memory at any time? All I really have to remember is where to find the darn information!

Worst of all... without even trying, I spotted two answers in the memorandum that were wrong! Now really, South Africa!

Secondly, there is the question of training - or rather, the recognition of training that was successfully completed.

The electrical industry was, in its entirety, moved to the Construction SETA by the Minister of Education - I think it was in April 2011, and the ESETA was merged into the Water SETA.

The ESETA and Construction SETA are both under administration. From the outside, it looks like the Construction SETA did not even know about this move as they had (and still have) no systems in place to service the electrical industry.

Apprentices or other employees can get their education at various institutions, write exams and pass them... but can they get a certificate from the relevant SETA to prove their proficiency and take that to the Department of Labour and register as a ‘registered person'?

In simple terms: No! Without a certificate for your trade test and Unit Standard Certificate issued by the ESETA or Construction SETA you are, to put it bluntly, stuffed! The Department of Labour will not look at your application as an artisan or ‘registered person' without the relevant SETA certificate over and above your result sheets.

And employers who have invested large sums of money in the training of their personnel cannot get the subsidy that was promised by Government either. The effect of this situation is that in the Cape there have been no newly qualified artisans (registered with the Department of Labour) entering the trade for close on a year.

The training and registration of apprentices also dropped from somewhere in the hundreds to nil!

And finally, the authorities... oh my hat! What is there to say?

A group of concerned electrical contractors in the Overberg held a meeting to discuss the lack of policing with regard to unlicensed contractors, registered persons signing CoCs for unlicensed workmen, et al. At that meeting, a Local Supply

Authority was also present.

The meeting was told that the Supply Authority was not interested in getting involved with a policing action and neither did they want to be in a position to have to go to court and take sides. Yet, in the same breath, the meeting was told that this Local Supply Authority wanted to eliminate ‘unlicensed contractors' in the area. Yet, they are not even willing to stop at a building site and ask the contractor on site for his credentials. But they complain about unlicensed contractors... Now what kind of argument is that?

When the Local Supply Authority was asked whether they would add a piece of paper to the set of documents that is handed out with approved building plans so that the builder can inform the Local Supply Authority the name of the appointed electrical contractor on the job, they also declined... The reason? They "have enough work as it is".

I ask you!

The group of concerned electrical contractors then decided to complain directly to the Department of Labour. Needless to say, nothing has come of the names of unlicensed contractors put forward to the Department. In one instance, the Department even informed the registered contractors that one of the alleged unlicensed contractors is actually working under the licence of another contractor that is based 150km away, in total contravention of the Act and Regulations!

Repeated emails were sent to everyone from the Chief Inspector down to local officials but, only after sending about four reminders, was a lame answer received.

Oh! Come now, South Africa!

Give me strength!