Importance of investing in skills development for your employees

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Recruiting talent in today’s working environment has certainly changed for the better. With the new B-BBEE compliance and Skills Development Act regulations, it has now become possible for business owners to make an impact by employing unskilled individuals and training them up to be valuable workplace assets. In such a competitive working environment, investing in one of the many skills programmes can benefit your human capital more than any impulse hire could.

From UIF to skills development levies and more, business owners need to be up-to-date with the latest labour law requirements as they are directly responsible for the growth and progress of their staff. Employer-endorsed skills development plays an important role in the future of your business. The Skills Development Act encourages businesses to invest in training to help contribute to society, and to generally increase their business opportunities with international and local companies.

Individuals who feel that their company is investing in them, personally and professionally, are more likely to be loyal to your company. Beyond the skills shortage in South Africa, employee retention is a major challenge for employers.

While the hiring process might be easy, it becomes an unnecessary expense for business owners when positions aren’t fulfilled according to plan.

Knowing that you can rely on your employees is both beneficial to the Employer and the employees themselves.

Appropriate Skills development

Appropriate Skills development programs increase your BBBEE scorecard rating and create a strong workforce. A company investing in human capital creates new opportunities within and outside the company. Taking the time to upskill employees means that you’re making an effort to support them professionally, as well as contributing to the economy at large.

By implementing skills development training in your business, you’re creating a capable workforce and giving them the tools they need to excel. Employees who don’t feel appreciated or cared for are the ones who tend to come and go. When you provide them with an opportunity to learn and grow, you’re allowing them to challenge themselves.

Most unskilled employees can’t afford tertiary education, so when you give your employees the help they need; they’re more likely to become loyal, motivated and value-adding employees.

When your company partners with a company like MTW Investments (Pty) Ltd (Training), implementing EWSETA and Service SETA Accredited Training interventions, there are many avenues in which your business can save money.

One of the most beneficial ways is through enrolling suitable staff members in any of our Accredited Technical Training Skills Programmes or our recently acquired Service SETA Accredited FET Certificate: Generic Management NQF Level 4. All of our Accredited Programmes are classified as PIVOTAL Training, and expenses in this regard may be claimed against your annual WSP and Annual Training report via your particular SETA.

Implementing Accredited Training

As a result of implementing Accredited Training, there should also no longer be a need to hire and recruit talent as often, since investing in appropriate Accredited Learning Programmes will place your business in the position to build up a pool of trustworthy, motivated employees who could, potentially, add value to your company in the long-run. Not to mention, a trained workforce contributes to a higher productivity and output level in the office.

Create a forward mindset, Employee development is forever changing. Something that worked well this year might not work well next year. The exciting thing is that your team will be up-to-date with the latest trends and innovations. Over time, you will be able to adjust your plan according to the employee and industry’s needs. While it might seem intimidating for employers, it means that you’ll constantly need to think ahead and try new ideas. This type of forward- thinking can also spark many valuable relationships.

Technical training has become an ever increasing requirement with regards to health and safety. Personnel tasked with the operation of medium voltage switchgear are required to be declared competent and “Authorised” to work within this environment. These persons are required to be trained in the regulations and various safety procedures which govern the safe operation of the switchgear.

MTW offers not only accredited training in the above mentioned regulations (ORHVS) but also provide a detailed practical experience where the theoretical aspects are put into practice in the dedicated training bay(Operate on MV Networks). These practical aspects can be safely applied with the guidance from an experienced facilitator, who has hands on experience in this particular field.

 Dynamics of standby generation

The dynamics of standby generation is evolving with the load requirements being constantly increased to accommodate not only critical loads, but non essential loads as well, and this has resulted in medium voltage generation, or the stepping up of conventional 400V generation, a viable option.

This progression has resulted in a new set of challenges, as most electrical personnel are not firstly, familiar with MV systems and secondly do not comply with the health and safety requirements. This position can be remedied through the correct training and application of safe working procedures.

In conclusion, it has been stated that the human resource has become one of the most important aspects of business today and trained personnel are a valuable asset in the promotion of a safe and efficient working environment.

For more information contact:

Pieter Terblanche: 011 298 1802 / [email protected]

Hayley Porter: 072 874 6518 / [email protected]

www.mtwtraining.co.za