Training in the workplace

An increasing number of companies are turning to in-service for employees with potential, a survey of skills shortages in the workplace by recruiting group Manpower has found.

More than 25% of the companies surveyed said they would appoint people who did not have the necessary skills, but had the potential to learn and grow.

Up to 15% said that industry-specific qualifications and certifications in terms of professional staff were a challenge.

In practice, this means that there are thousands of unfilled vacancies because people are not qualified or competent to do the work.

Therefore, opportunities are available, but people need training. And continuing education strengthens job security.

The pressure is, therefore, increasing on the education and training sectors to deliver a quality workforce.

In his budget speech earlier this month, Blade Nzimande, the minister of higher education, said education must be aligned with labour market requirements, which was essential for skills development.

“I believe that the main focus of the Setas [sector education and training authorities] must be training in the workplace, including partnerships between educational institutions and employers.”

He called on Setas to become experts in the field of competence in their sectors and to collect reliable data that could contribute to national planning skills.

But the private sector also has a responsibility to manage workers’ training in line with its strategic objectives. Unfortunately, when the company experiences financial pressure, it is usually easiest for management to decide that training should become a lower priority until things improve.

Although this saves immediate costs, it is not regarded as a sustainable solution.

After the recession in 2009, many African countries’ economies grew strongly and companies that did business on the continent were now experiencing a huge demand for skilled staff, said Anja van der Beek, human resources manager for payroll and human resources management software and services company Sage VIP.

“Many human resource departments in South Africa and other parts of Africa are not well prepared for the situation that their people with scarce skills can now pick and choose from job offers.”

Van der Beek said many human resources practitioners were so caught up in red tape that they could not devote much time to strategic talent management and skills development.

“That puts their business in a weak position to respond to a changing workplace and workforce.”

Today’s employees were ambitious and attached almost as much importance to training and development opportunities as to their remuneration package, warned Van der Beek.

“Employees are generally also more interested in gaining further qualifications because they see this as something that will make them more suitable for new jobs.”