The Annual Training Report (ATR) reports on skills development interventions in the previous year against the previous year’s Workplace Skills Plan (WSP). The WSP describes the main skills development activities planned for the coming year.

In order to qualify for Mandatory Grant, a company must submit an ATR and WSP to the MQA no later than 30 June 2010 – this constitutes a Mandatory Grant Application.

In terms of the skills development grant regulations, a Mandatory Grant is a grant payable to levy paying companies upon submission (by 30 June each year) and approval of a Workplace Skills Plan and Annual Training Report. In terms of section 6 (3), the SETA shall pay 50% of the total levies paid back to the employer upon approval of the WSP and ATR. Payments for mandatory grants shall be made quarterly.

MQA Approval Criteria

Submission of the WSP-ATR, using the prescribed format, constitutes an application for the Mandatory Grant with the MQA. A Mandatory Grant is paid once the WSP-ATR have been received, evaluated and approved by the MQA based upon the criteria stated below.

MQA criteria for approval of the WSP-ATR have not changed (as per MQA Mandatory and Discretionary Grant Policy) namely:

If the organisation is a levy payer, the organisation must be registered with the SARS and the correct Skills Development Levy (SDL) number(s) provided in the WSP-ATR.

• The organisation has a MQA registered and approved Skills Development Facilitator- (or an MQA-contracted Independent SDF has assisted the organisation in the submission of the WSP-ATR);
• The WSP-ATR is completed (with ALL information requested) and submitted in the format prescribed by the MQA;
• The WSP-ATR is submitted by the deadline of 30 June 2010, or within 6 months of the new employers registering for the SDL;
• Original proof of banking details must be received by the MQA SDL Officer before the mandatory grants will be paid to the organisation; and
• The WSPA-ATR is signed-off in accordance with the MQA requirements and necessary pages have been submitted to the MQA (a senior Organisation Representative and the SDF completing the form must sign in all the cases. In addition, in Medium and Large Organisations, the Skills Development Committee must be consulted and trade union and/or employee representatives sign that they have been duly consulted).

WSP-ATR submissions that do not comply with the criteria will be returned and employers will be allowed up to one month to rectify amendments required. Failure to do so within the one month period and by no later than 31 July 2010 will result in the Mandatory Grant being forfeited.

The proof of training completed must NOT be submitted but records must be kept by the employer and must be available to the MQA for auditing purposes as and when required.

Note that only one application per SDL number will be considered. The SDL number(s) on the WSP-ATR must correspond with the SDL number(s) received from SARS and Department of Labour.

NOTE THAT THE WSP AND ATR MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE MQA BY 30 JUNE 2010 ON THE EXCEL TEMPLATE.

How to submit your WSP-ATR/Mandatory Grant Application to the MQA:

• Save your completed WSP-ATR Excel spreadsheet using your SDL number and date in the file name, e.g. L123456789 – 12 June 2010.
• Submit the completed Excel spreadsheet of your WSP-ATR (with signatures) via e-mail to wspandatr@mqa.org.za
• The subject line of your e-mail must include the SDL number and province, e.g. L123456789 – Gauteng.
• The e-mail submission must be made before the closing date of 30 June 2010.
• You must keep the completed and signed WSP-ATR/Mandatory Grant Application on file.
• You must keep proof that your submission was submitted by the deadline.

Please note:

Typical reasons for non-approval of WSP-ATRs and non-payment of the Mandatory Grant during the previous years are:

• Incomplete WSP-ATRs – ALL information requested must be completed (Particularly with manual submissions);
• Banking details outstanding – Organisations must provide a copy of a cancelled cheque or a bank statement if the details have changed or if they are submitting a WSP-ATR for the first time;
• No submission of required signatures – either all or some;
• Sub-levy number(s) omitted from application; and 
• Application submitted to the wrong SETA. If you are not sure that you are with the MQA or if you don’t not find your SDL number(s) on MQA-I-Share, please contact the MQA (details provided above).