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The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has introduced a new online system that will make it much easier for teachers to apply for jobs in the province.

The online application system was piloted in 2011 for the filling of promotion posts.

Learning from and analysing the findings of the pilot, the WCED has since created a new e-Recruitment System.

Teachers will be able to use the system on the WCED’s web site from 1 December 2012.

We want to recruit the best while reducing the stress and paperwork involved in applying for a teaching post.

The e-Recruitment System allows teachers to capture and store their CVs online. They will also be able to edit and update their CVs using the system.

Teachers can then apply for posts online, linking their latest CVs to their applications. The system will immediately generate a letter acknowledging receipt of an application for a post.

Applicants will not have to make copies of documents for each application submitted. They will not have to pay postage costs nor stand in queues to submit applications before closing dates.

The system will allocate a unique identification number to each teacher profile.

The department has urged teachers to start compiling their CVs on the e-Recruitment System from 1 December 2012 because they will have to submit all applications online from 1 January 2013.

The new system reflects ongoing innovation by the department as it seeks to improve the way in which it recruits staff.

These innovations have included increasing the number of vacancy lists published by the department to at least five a year, compared to twice a year before 2010.

This has enabled the department to achieve much faster turnaround times for permanent appointments while avoiding undue use of contract staff. Previously we waited six months or more to fill a post permanently.

We have also reduced the turnaround times for the filling of principal posts from at least six months to three months on average. All of these measures have helped to stabilise the system significantly.

Recruitment is a major logistical exercise. A vacancy list of 600 posts typically attracts about 14 000 applications.

We have therefore fine-tuned our paper-based systems to manage the numbers involved, taking an advanced step forward with our new e-Recruitment System.