Every year, levy-paying employers have until 30 April to submit two documents to their SETA: the Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) and the Annual Training Report (ATR). Get them in, approved, and you can claim your mandatory grant. Miss the date, and that year’s grant is usually gone.
The WSP: your training plan
The Workplace Skills Plan sets out the training you intend to do in the coming year. It typically includes:
- Your employee profile: occupations, occupational levels, race, gender and disability (using the OFO occupation codes).
- Your skills gaps and scarce or critical skills.
- The training you plan to provide, who it is for, and whether it is PIVOTAL (qualification-based) or non-PIVOTAL.
The ATR: what actually happened
The Annual Training Report looks back. It reports the training that was actually completed in the previous period, measured against the plan you submitted. SETAs compare the two, so a believable plan and real records matter.
Tip: the ATR is only as good as your records. If training isn’t captured when it happens (names, dates, course, outcome), it is very hard to report later.
Who submits it
Your registered Skills Development Facilitator (SDF) submits the WSP and ATR on the SETA’s online system. In larger organisations (generally 50 or more employees), the plan should also be consulted on with a training committee, which normally includes employee and union representatives where applicable.
A simple timeline that works
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| All year | Capture every completed course and training session as it happens. |
| January | Update your employee list and demographics; confirm your SDF is registered. |
| February | Agree next year’s training priorities with managers; draft the WSP. |
| March | Compile the ATR from your records; consult the training committee if needed. |
| By mid-April | Submit, so there is time to fix any errors before 30 April. |
Common mistakes
- Leaving everything until the last week of April, when SETA systems are busiest.
- Employee details that don’t match payroll or the levy number.
- Planned training that was never done, with no explanation.
- Forgetting training that was done but never recorded, so it never counts.
How ROI Consultants helps
On the ROI Consultants platform, every course you book sits on your WSP as planned training, and moves to your ATR automatically when the employee completes it. You can add training done elsewhere too. There’s a countdown to 30 April on your dashboard, and on our SDF Managed plans, we do the submission for you. Compare plans or ask us a question.
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules and deadlines can differ between SETAs and change over time, so confirm details with your SETA, SDF or B-BBEE verification agency.