Employers to apply for training grants
The Namibia Training Authority has paid nearly N$300 million in employer training grants to date.
Augetto Graig - The Namibia Training Authority (NTA) has launched its latest call for applications for the vocational education and training (VET) levy grant of up to half of the levies paid by organisations that spend on improving the skills of their staff.
NTA general manager Virginia Kaimu said the authority wants to encourage employers to prepare and submit claims for the employer training grant for the 2020/21 financial year well before the statutory deadline on 1 May 2021.
To date, N$298 million has been paid out in employer training grant payments. The VET ley was instituted in 2014.
“Employers may claim within 31 days after the end of the NTA’s financial year, which is 31 March every year, up to 50% of levies paid. This is on condition that they submit applications which contain evidence of training implemented and the actual cost thereof,” she said. “A further condition is that an employer’s levies are paid for the full financial year and that there is no interest or penalties outstanding,” she added.
“Employers who do not submit applications within the regulated 31-day period will forfeit grants,” she said. Unclaimed grants are transferred to the VET levy key priority funding allocation and used for strategic training interventions already identified.
All Namibian employers with an annual payroll of N$1 million or more are required to register and pay 1% of the payroll as a VET levy to the NTA’s national training fund monthly. Half the fund is for employer training grants, while 35% is for investment in key training interventions and 15% is for NTA administration costs.
HURDLES
In the past one impediment of disbursement of the grant was the lack of evidence provided with applications, but according to Kaimu this has improved over the years.
“Now only about 20% of employers’ applications lack enough evidence,” she said, and added that efforts continue to better educate and prepare applicants earlier. Online applications and automation of the process also help, she said. “The system is much more robust than in the past.”
Lack of supporting evidence also contributed to delayed payments in the past; an issue now addressed with the significant improvement of turn-around times. “We have no outstanding pay-outs at the moment,” Kaimu said and, “all payments are up to date.”
Training must fall under the definition outlined in the relevant regulations to be considered a relevant expense. Essentially all level one to five VET courses included in the National Qualification Framework and accredited by the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) or other courses, including short courses, offered by accredited and registered training providers.
Training facilitator costs, materials, assessment and certification costs, travel, subsistence and other expenses incurred by facilitators and trainees are all accepted as relevant evidence. Attendance registers, invoices and receipts are some of the documents to be submitted with claims.
Applications and supporting documentation can be submitted online at httpe://veterp.nta.com.na
[email protected]
NTA general manager Virginia Kaimu said the authority wants to encourage employers to prepare and submit claims for the employer training grant for the 2020/21 financial year well before the statutory deadline on 1 May 2021.
To date, N$298 million has been paid out in employer training grant payments. The VET ley was instituted in 2014.
“Employers may claim within 31 days after the end of the NTA’s financial year, which is 31 March every year, up to 50% of levies paid. This is on condition that they submit applications which contain evidence of training implemented and the actual cost thereof,” she said. “A further condition is that an employer’s levies are paid for the full financial year and that there is no interest or penalties outstanding,” she added.
“Employers who do not submit applications within the regulated 31-day period will forfeit grants,” she said. Unclaimed grants are transferred to the VET levy key priority funding allocation and used for strategic training interventions already identified.
All Namibian employers with an annual payroll of N$1 million or more are required to register and pay 1% of the payroll as a VET levy to the NTA’s national training fund monthly. Half the fund is for employer training grants, while 35% is for investment in key training interventions and 15% is for NTA administration costs.
HURDLES
In the past one impediment of disbursement of the grant was the lack of evidence provided with applications, but according to Kaimu this has improved over the years.
“Now only about 20% of employers’ applications lack enough evidence,” she said, and added that efforts continue to better educate and prepare applicants earlier. Online applications and automation of the process also help, she said. “The system is much more robust than in the past.”
Lack of supporting evidence also contributed to delayed payments in the past; an issue now addressed with the significant improvement of turn-around times. “We have no outstanding pay-outs at the moment,” Kaimu said and, “all payments are up to date.”
Training must fall under the definition outlined in the relevant regulations to be considered a relevant expense. Essentially all level one to five VET courses included in the National Qualification Framework and accredited by the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) or other courses, including short courses, offered by accredited and registered training providers.
Training facilitator costs, materials, assessment and certification costs, travel, subsistence and other expenses incurred by facilitators and trainees are all accepted as relevant evidence. Attendance registers, invoices and receipts are some of the documents to be submitted with claims.
Applications and supporting documentation can be submitted online at httpe://veterp.nta.com.na
[email protected]
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