Rand Mutual Assurance (RMA) has concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Insurance Sector Education and Training Authority (INSETA) and the Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA) to establish a strategic partnership that will enable the parties to collaborate on identified projects.
Left to Right: (left in grey suit) MQA CEO, Dr Thabo Mashongoane, (middle) Gugu Mkhize, CEO of INSETA, and (right in green jersey) RMA’s Group CEO, Mandla Shezi
This collaboration will enable INSETA and MQA to fulfil their statutory mandates and obligations by delivering services to their constituencies while also enabling RMA to expand its social insurance mandate and programmes in line with its strategic objectives.
RMA’s Group CEO, Mandla Shezi, speaking at the signing of the MoU emphasised the importance of collaboration amongst the entities. “At RMA partnerships are a strategic driver that enables us to deliver on our social and commercial aspirations. This MoU will help open doors for many who are not active participants in our economy and are often marginalised.
“We view this cooperation through the eyes of the worker, the everyday hero. This is about empowering them and their families. This will be achieved by positive interventions such as support for career growth, and the re-skilling and upskilling of current and former workers, including persons with disabilities,” concludes Shezi.
Reflecting on this partnership, Gugu Mkhize, CEO of INSETA, said “This MOU marks a pivotal moment in our collective journey to transform the skills landscape across sectors. At INSETA, we recognise that meaningful collaboration is key to unlocking inclusive economic participation. Through this partnership with RMA and MQA, we are creating pathways for the upskilling and empowerment of workers — particularly those who have been historically marginalised — and strengthening the insurance sector’s role in driving social and economic impact,” says Mkhize.
Under the MoU, collaboration between the parties will constitute the facilitation and regular sharing of information on matters of mutual benefit and the possible rolling out of impact activities, including:
• Funding of learning programmes such as learnerships, internships or graduate programmes, bursaries, skills programmes and entrepreneurship programmes,
• Championing programmes such as Black broker development and support for Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs),
• Implementing programmes such as women in leadership and leadership programmes that include international immersion in line with the goal of transforming the insurance sector,
• Conducting impact assessments to evaluate the effectiveness of training from the perspectives of INSETA, MQA and RMA. This also involves the creation of credit-bearing skills programmes (for example, occupational health and safety qualifications, computer literacy, etc),
• Promoting technical skills development and advancing career progression initiatives,
This partnership is a demonstration of the three entities’ commitment to investing in the future of South Africa and promoting sustainable development. The parties will explore vital areas of collaboration, with the MQA and INSETA prepared to lead the advancement of skills development in support of the work carried out by RMA.
The MQA CEO, Dr Thabo Mashongoane welcomed the opportunity to work with the two entities, indicating that this crucial partnership will aid great assistance in supporting the RMA’s efforts to rehabilitate mine workers, create a sustainable livelihood for them and expand the mining and minerals sector.
Through this collaboration, mine employees soon to be retrenched and former mineworkers, including people with disabilities and unemployed youth, will acquire re-skilling opportunities in various areas that will allow them to secure employment. In order to fill the unemployment gap, research studies will be conducted to determine the areas of lack and identify possible skills opportunities in line with the disability perspective, social labour plans, economic reconstruction and recovery plan as well as other industry-specific imperatives.
Left to Right: (left in grey suit) MQA CEO, Dr Thabo Mashongoane, (middle) Gugu Mkhize, CEO of INSETA, and (right in green jersey) RMA’s Group CEO, Mandla Shezi
