FPM SETA Sectors offer career skills in Fibre-Processing and Manufacturing.
Careers in Fibre-Processing and Manufacturing (FPM) sectors
If you’re looking for career opportunities, explore the role of the FPM SETA for jobs in Fibre-Processing and Manufacturing.
Critical Skills in Fibre Processing and Manufacturing Now
To focus your attention on where the precise fibre-processing and manufacturing job and career development opportunities are, you must understand how skill shortages are defined. Skill shortages are common in countries where there are poverty and technology challenges. If you develop scarce skills – you are more competitive when you look for work. Scarce skills often have higher wages at first, then start to decline as the pool of skills grows larger.
Education, Training and Sector Development for Fibre-Processing and Manufacturing
Smart job seekers pay close attention to terms like “scarce,” “critical,” and “relative scarce skills.” Understanding these terms is important for staying informed and competitive in the job market.
“Scarce skills” refer to abilities or qualifications that are in high demand but low supply. Meanwhile, “critical skills” are those deemed essential or vital for a particular job or industry. “Relative scarce skills” are competencies that might not be universally rare but are in short supply within a specific context or field. Check out more on Fibre-Processing and Manufacturing scarce skills at this link.
Understanding these terms helps job seekers identify areas where they can leverage their skills and expertise effectively. By staying informed about the demand for certain skills, job seekers can tailor their resumes and focus their efforts on acquiring or honing the skills most valued by employers in the fibre-processing and manufacturing sectors.
Scarce and Critical Skills in Fibre-processing and Manufacturing Sectors
Scarce Skill: An absolute or relative demand (current or future); for skilled/qualified and experienced people to fill particular roles/professions, occupations / specialisations in the labour market and is measured in terms of an occupation or specific qualification.
Critical Skill: particular capabilities needed within an occupation, e.g. general management skills, communication and customer handling skills, team-work skills, communication technology skills, etc.
The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) defines the terms of an absolute and relative scarcity of skills as follows:
Absolute scarcity – suitably skilled persons not available in the labour market.
Examples where absolute scarcities may arise include:
- A new or emerging occupation;
- Firms / Government / national economy are unable to implement planned growth strategies; and
- Replacement demand reflects an absolute scarcity
Relative scarcity – suitably skilled people are available in the labour market but do not meet other employment criteria,
For example:
- High-level work experience, e.g. project management of large manufacturing sites etc.
- Geographical location, e.g. people unwilling to work outside of urban areas; and
- Equity considerations, e.g. Few/if any candidates with the requisite skills from specific groups available to meet the skills requirements of firms and enterprises (Department of Labour – DoL, 2006c).
SCARCE SKILLS = EMPLOYMENT & TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
New Occupational Certificates for Fibre-Processing and Manufacturing
New qualifications have been developed to meet industry demand, view them here:
- NQF. Level 1 and 2 for those with little or no high school and limited if any work experience.
- NQF Level 3 qualifications for those with some high school and little or no work experience.
FPM SETA Sectors for Fibre-processing and Manufacturing
The FPM sector is broad and includes Primary, Secondary and Tertiary sectors. This means that jobs range from those who like working with raw products to design, factory production …and more!
- clothing
- footwear
- forestry
- furniture
- general goods
- leather
- packaging
- printing
- print media
- publishing
- pulp and paper
- textiles and
- wood products sectors.
These sectors are closely integrated as they collectively convert lumber, pulp, natural or synthetic fibres, animal skins/hides into finished products. For example furniture, clothing, shoes, protective equipment, paper and paper board, printing (books, magazines, etc) and industrial fabrics. These also extend into high-tech applications in many different industries (automotive, health and building construction to name a few).
The products that these sectors create impact on, and add quality to our lives in many ways.
Manufacturing Process in the FP&M Sector
Manufacturing is exciting. You are part of a big intricate process of machinery. You will see the production on a large scale, often where goods start being planned years in advance.
Many of the key professional and artisan skills in the sector are in short supply both nationally and internationally.
