An employer can get money back from the SETA or the National Skills Fund to use on training and developing their own employees’ skills. To qualify for a Skills Development Grant an employer must:

• Have paid skills development levies
• Have a skills development facilitator
• Follow all the rules and regulations in the Act

An employer can get back 50% or more of the levies they paid to SARS. These grants are called Grants A, B, C and D. This is how the grant system works:

Grant A – When an employer appoints and registers a skills development facilitator, then Grant A is paid back to the employer. This is 15% of the levy paid to SARS by the employer. Employers can only get Grants B, C and D if they have got Grant A.

Grant B – When the employer sends in a workplace skills plan to the relevant SETA and the SETA approves the plan, then Grant B is paid. This is 10% of the levy paid to SARS by the employer. Employers can only get Grant C if they have got Grant B.

Grant C – When the employer sends an annual training report based on the approved workplace skills plan, then Grant C is paid. This is 20% of the levy paid to SARS by the employer.

Grant D – SETAs may pay out grant D for specific sector skills initiatives in the workplace. Grant D is 5% of the levy paid to the Fund by the employer.

If employers do not meet the requirements for recovering a grant then they lose the grant.