A committee is being set up immediately to repeal the 2013 Act of the Agency for National Human Resource Development (ANHRD).

The announcement was made at a press conference yesterday morning by John Lesperance, the principal secretary for Education Sector Development, within the Ministry of Education, at the ministry’s headquarters in Mont Fleuri.

It follows the decision by Cabinet last week to dissolve the ANHRD and replace it by a new division within the Ministry of Education that will oversee the scholarship administration-related functions while the Employment department will take over the human resource planning and development functions.

PS Lesperance explained that the new division, which will be headed by a director general, under the Education Sector Development, will have three sections. The Communications & Careers Education, that will promote, and advise students of study options and opportunities, and support them with their selection options, from secondary right through university. The Tertiary and Professional Centre Placement Section will lead and coordinate the selection and placement of students into the professional centres. The Scholarship Administration Section will be responsible for the administration of scholarships.

“Because we have the creations of the sections, namely Tertiary & Professional Placement Section and the Scholarship Administration Section, we will see the creation of two committees, one to look at the selection process, to ensure the decisions taken are done in a fair and coordinated manner, and the other committee will be for scholarship administration, to look at all applications in a clear and transparent manner,” explained PS Lesperance.

He said the creation of the three new sections will mean that the ministry will be able to better harmonise its work. Already, most of the information disseminated to students going on scholarships are done by the Ministry of Education. The ministry also handles career education in schools.

It should be noted that the Ministry of Education is ANHRD’s parent ministry.

“The work of the ANHRD is 96 percent scholarship administration and our areas are dealing with careers education and communication, so why not bring everything together. It will be easier to coordinate and manage these activities, as they will all be under one umbrella,” said Mr Lesperance, stressing that nothing will change with regard to scholarship administration “but will be looking at careers across a whole continuum”.

As for the human resource planning and development functions of the Agency, it will be absorbed by the Employment department. The chief policy analyst, within the department, Susan Morel, explained that it will fall under a new division called the Policy Planning and Human Resources Division and it will be integrated in the existing Policy Planning section within the department.

She added that other than the existing policy planning and monitoring evaluation section, two other sections will be set up, namely the human resource development section and the human resource planning section.

Ms Morel said its main role will be to develop a strategic plan and policy related to the country’s human resource development while looking at the jobs and skills in demand on the labour market.

“As you know the labour market is facing many challenges and one of the major issues is employment for the youths, and informal employment. With what we are observing in the labour market, which has been amplified by the Covid-19 pandemic, there is a need to re-look at the function of the human resource development and planning, at the jobs and skills required now and in the future in line with the country’s economic needs and come up with strategies and policies,” explained Ms Morel.

She said the new division, once in place, will carry out a thorough exercise to identify the demand on the labour market, as well as existing jobs and skills.

“This will be used to guide the Ministry of Education as to the types of careers and jobs in demand, so they can put in place the necessary training and courses the country needs, as well let the students know exactly what types of careers and jobs are waiting for them out there,” added Ms Morel.

Meanwhile the day-to-day running of the agency remains the same with Nadia Lauricourt as its chief executive.

She said the around twenty staff will eventually be absorbed within the two ministries, once the repealing is completed.

PS Lesperance said the committee that will oversee the repealing of the ANHRD Act 2013 will present its final report to the National Assembly and that once this is presented and approved, the new division will come into force.

The whole exercise is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Source: Seychelles Nation