It seems that each morning, with the rising sun, a new training provider is born in South Africa. This makes it incredibly difficult for companies looking for a training provider to take care of what has always been a tremendously important part of their businesses – the upskilling of staff. So how do you go about choosing the correct training provider to service all your needs? Here are a few tips to make sure that you make a wise decision and leave the training of your staff in good hands.
No, this is not the kind of service that you want to get on the cheap and if a company is offering its services for significantly lower than the competition, your alarm bells should be ringing. The reality is that it costs money for a training provider to offer high-quality education. High-quality training material needs to be developed by experts in the field.
This material needs to be accredited by the relevant bodies and it needs to be delivered by a trainer who has both extensive real-world experience and who is also a skilled educator. Obviously, these all come with significant costs. So, if the training you are being offered is cheap, it’s most likely because the quality in one or all of these departments is lacking.
It’s always worthwhile getting accredited training, though just because a training provider has jumped through the bureaucratic hoops of the Setas, doesn’t make them any good – but it does help you rule out those providers who haven’t. If the training you require has to be Seta accredited, obviously look only for providers with that specific accreditation and ask them for proof of the accreditation and where they got the accredited material from.
Accredited material is readily available online and it is not all of the same quality – so make sure you ask for a sample. Remember, a company is not Seta-accredited, but rather a unit standard is accredited and allowed to be delivered by that company. The Seta does not quality control the delivery of the accredited courses.
A training provider is only as good as its facilitators. Always ask for the facilitators’ CVs and make sure that the training provider commits to giving you the facilitator they say they will. High-quality training is not just about the transformation of knowledge; it’s about knowing the best ways to transfer knowledge to a wide range of people, with varying abilities in the most entertaining and effective way.
A good facilitator will teach in such a way that the information sticks. You are not just employing a training company – who should be experts and the project management of training – but a specific individual who will ensure that all your training objectives are met within the scope of training that you have selected.
A good facilitator can sometimes cover up poor-quality material. But it is the material that attendees will take home with them and refer to for years to come. It is vital that this material is up-to-date, well written and well presented. It should be available in both hard and soft copy formats and should be made available before the start of the course.
Accredited material has theoretically gone through the quality control of the Setas, but that standard is a bare minimum and you should expect more from a provider’s training material. Look for a training provider who develops their own material using industry experts and who doesn’t just buy off-the-shelf material. It is also important for the material to be modified to fit your company’s specific situation and uniqueness.
After 20 years of providing high-quality training, we know that flexibility is an important part of what we offer. We are dealing with people and people are seldom predictable. So our services need to be able to adapt to our clients’ needs.
Do you need a course that we don’t have or want to combine two or more courses? No problem, we have an expert design division. Do you want your training to be delivered across multiple provinces, both on- and off-line? Sure, we have the technology to allow this. Last-minute changes to venues, numbers, etc? No problem. Make sure your training provider has the depth of resources to make last-minute changes.
This may seem obvious, but sometimes we forget the obvious! References and testimonials are important. You can feel safe with a company that has been around for a number of years and who have successfully delivered training initiatives similar to your needs.
Because of the low barrier to industry, the training industry is highly competitive. But, like so many services and products, you get what you pay for, and cheap is not always the solution you are after. Be diligent in choosing your training provider you will absolutely be rewarded for this in the long run – you are sending your staff on training for a reason – do everything you can to ensure that they can deliver to your expectations once trained. For more information or to enrol in a course, please contact us today.
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ExecuTrain offers a range of quality training courses that allow you to upskill yourself and prepare for an ever more competitive working environment. Our computer and business skills courses provide you with the knowledge and expertise that you need to stand out in the workplace, build your competencies and benefit from personal and professional growth.
For more information on our courses, please email info@executrain.co.za. Visit our blog section to read relevant articles or follow us on Facebook for our latest news and helpful insights.
Broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) is a points-based initiative introduced by the South African government to distribute wealth more equally. The South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) – the regulatory body that oversees B-BBEE verification agencies – recently issued a change to one of the pillars of the initiative; the skills development denominator.
This change relates to the calculation of the five-point bonus for businesses that offer skills development to employees. “Absorption” bonus points can now be awarded to companies that secure formal permanent or long-term employment for learners, or for helping learners to proceed with further education and training.
This change not only places a focus on training and upskilling black people in South Africa, but it is also an attempt to reduce unemployment rates in the process. Skills development is one of the harder pillars of the B-BBEE scorecard because of the financial costs placed on the business by implementing well-structured learning programmes. This is where Executrain can help your business meet its B-BBEE goals.
Training and development for employees is an excellent step towards transformation and improvement, but it can be hard for businesses in the post-Covid era where budgets are tight. The inclusion of the bonus points to the B-BBEE scorecard will help companies in this regard as they can still meet their B-BBEE goals by sponsoring learners or providing them with jobs.
Skills development should be viewed as an ongoing exercise that makes employees better at their jobs and more proficient in a multitude of business aspects. This not only makes your company more effective and efficient, but it also helps to build confidence and loyalty in your employees. By providing them with various training opportunities, they are more likely to stay with your company and climb the ladder of success.
This is a core tenet of the B-BBEE initiative; bettering the lives of previously disadvantaged South Africans through education and skills development. It empowers citizens to further their knowledge and, at the end of the day, B-BBEE-compliant companies and the South African economy stand to benefit from a more skilled workforce.
The modern business environment is highly competitive so having a motivated staff contingent is vital to success. We give companies and their employees the skills and knowledge they need to seize opportunities and stay relevant in the digital era. These include over 1000 business courses and computer skills programmes.
If you want to include skills development in your business offering to employees, then choose ExecuTrain for your training needs. We’ll help you meet your B-BBEE goals and stay compliant going forward. For more information or to enrol in a course, please contact us today.
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Executrain offers a range of quality training courses that allow you to upskill yourself and prepare for an ever more competitive working environment. Our computer and business courses provide you with the knowledge and expertise that you need to stand out in the workplace, build your competencies and benefit from personal and professional growth.
For more information on our courses, please email info@executrain.co.za. Visit our blog section to read relevant articles or follow us on Facebook for our latest news and helpful insights.