/ MEDIA STATEMENT / The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

Following the recent promulgation of the Employment Services (ES) Act, 2014 which took effect on 09 August 2015 - the Department of Labour is pleased to announce that the Sheltered Employment Factories (SEF) which provides employment opportunities to disabled will officially undergo a name change.

The Sheltered Employment Factories will now be known as Supported Employment Enterprises (SEE). The Department of Labour will use the annual Open Day in East London on October 16 to officially launch the new name. The new Supporter Employment Enterprises name also formally marks the conferring of a legal status to the entity.

The SEE was established in 1943 for ex-servicemen and service women who could not hold down employment in the labour market.

Currently, the SEE has 12 factories in seven provinces except Limpopo and Mpumalanga employing 899 people with disabilities as at March 2015. The enterprise specializes in hospital linen and clothing production (textiles), embroidery, woodwork, metalwork, upholstery, bookbinding and screen printing. SEE’s main customers are from education, police and heath sectors.

Its factories are located in Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, East London, Johannesburg, Kimberley, Pietermaritzburg, Port Elizabeth, Potchefstroom and Pretoria. All of the land, permanent works and buildings are owned by the Department of Public Works as these are State immoveable assets. In general the premises (land and buildings) are of the size that will allow for considerable expansion of current employment and production, including space for changes to production methods.

The main objective and goal of hosting this year’s open day for the SEF/SEE is to launch the new brand (SEE) and increase awareness about the existence of the factories. This will also be used to build relationships with new and existing customers primarily construction companies that are awarded contracts to build schools.

Last year SEE hosted its inaugural Open Day event in Johannesburg in which the factory also showcased its history and the turn-around strategy. The Open Day allowed SEF to showcase its contribution to knowledge production, a school environment and a student graduating to an office environment.

It is expected the upcoming event will help the SEE achieve the following strategic objectives: increase awareness of the SEE to the market; develop and implement programmes that promote the employability of persons with disabilities.

The Employment Services Act seeks to provide a legal status for employment services and establishes a new dedicated Public Employment Services to provide employment services interventions free of charge to work seekers and employers.

Public Employment Services’ roles and functions will include: free placement of job seekers, promotion of employment of youth and persons with disabilities; recommendations for the employment of foreign workers; and employment counselling and information on employment and training opportunities.

Issued by Department of Labour