News release - October 2005                                                                       

Lack of assessment skills, hazy motivations failing learnership objectives

Poor learner assessment skills and unclear understanding of the business case for implementation are two of the main factors stymieing the intended benefits of learnerships.

Sarah Babb, Managing Director of The Skills Framework, one of South Africa’s leading strategic skills development consultancies that has previously consulted to various SETAs and to corporate leaders on the Skills Development Act says, “Learnerships are an amazingly cost effective, tax efficient and flexible way to tap talent and train people to have the requisite skills to enhance an organisation’s resources as well as meet the employment equity criteria for the various charters.

“Plus it upskills large sectors of society and gives them a qualification and the work experience to actively compete for a job and make inroads into our high unemployment situation. And of course it makes South Africa more economically competitive through a more flexible and skilled labour market.”

Babb, who consults to corporates like SAB, MTN, VW, Arivia.com, BANKSETA, FASSET and Total, notes that many companies that have implemented learnerships have done so extremely successfully and are fully supportive of them.

“But sometimes a company will not have the wherewithal to properly assess candidates against their qualification framework - often because they don’t have the time or capacity to do so.  The learnership process could be more effectively managed to firstly recruit and select the right candidates, then to ensure that the appropriate support is in place for the learners, including the appropriate number and training for workplace assessors.. And many businesses don’t identify the business case for taking on people under a learnership programme. They really need to ask themselves why they are taking a learner on board and if they can properly manage them and truly give them the right workplace experience.  Know why you want the learnership, then align all systems with these objectives.

“It’s pointless having them make coffee for a year because no-one has thought through what they should be doing.”

Babb advises companies to assess in advance of learnerships implementation the business case of doing the learnerships which involves planning, development of a holistic curriculum and ensuring there is a registered assessor available for appraisal and feedback.

“Having a sound, strategic reason and coherent plan for a learnerships programme will ensure the drop out rate falls. It’s is very damaging to candidates’ careers and the overall economic development to have people leave.”

Babb notes that many learnership experiences for candidates would be greatly enhanced through effective work readiness programmes as many people enter a business from the ranks of the unemployed and education institutions without any ‘real world’ understanding.

“Work readiness ensures graduates have adequate ‘soft skills’ such as communication, business etiquette, presentation skills,self-management and conflict management skills as well as ‘business’ skills like research, IT know-how, and business writing   before they can apply any learning effectively in the workplace.

“It not only accelerates their development, but it also gives them an immediate sense of achievement and they are able to contribute from the outset at a higher level.”  This works for both the learner as well as the employer.

To get further information on learnership implementation please refer to the National Skills Development Strategy Implementation Report (April 2003 – March 2004) www.labour.gov.za

Ends

Issued by Renee Schonborn Publicity

For The Skills Framework

For more information contact Renee Schonborn on (011) 886 5434 or Sarah Babb on (011) 442 0162.

The Skills Framework

Sarah Babb founded The Skills Framework in 1998 as a company that specialises in assisting organisations to align themselves with the Skills Development legislation and to implement best practice in human resource development. 

With a deep-rooted experience in education and training, The Skills Framework has worked extensively with implementing the new skills development legislation and offers a comprehensive range of training, outsourced and consultancy services customised to meet the specific needs of each organisation, while simultaneously aligning them with current trends and best practice competency-based systems.

The company works with the philosophy of adding value to your business, optimising HRD spend, creating sustainable HRD solutions and conducting lifelong learning. The training methodology adopted by The Skills Framework is in line with the NQF principles and builds on the latest techniques in outcomes based, adult education.

The Skills Framework undertakes ongoing research projects to ensure it remains up to date with the latest industry and business specific drivers as well as legislation.