The state of industrial relations in South Africa is negatively impacting GDP revealed the International Monetary Fund. This situation is driving employer interest in courses around conflict management and emotional intelligence.

There are many facets that you have to get to grips with quickly as a new manager, not the least of which is learning to deal with disciplinary issues and following grievance procedures. Here are some tips to help you treat your employees fairly and reasonably.

Female scientists were recently recognised by the Department of Science and Technology for their role in empowering previously disadvantaged communities. They were encouraged to continue their work and prompted to focus on the development of rural women.

A specialised unit has been established to clear applications from educational institutions in order to ensure that applications for teachers and lecturers were prioritised. This would allow applicants to take up teaching and lecturing posts at relevant institutions speedily.

Major shortages in the engineering sector can be seen as a reflection of the poor educational system. Different programs have been set up to accelerate the number of engineers being produced in SA. There are great opportunities in this sector with high possibilities for growth.

To ensure economic growth the principles of BEE must be implemented. The country's economy is currently in the hands of a few elite and these principles ensure the spread of wealth. However, companies are feeling forced to comply rather than proactively working towards becoming compliant.

The number of job applications has increased drastically with the quality of those applications only increasing minimally. Companies need a recognised recruitment and up-skilling solution in order to interpret competencies and recruit the right people for the job.

Marketing plays a vital role in delivering a company's message. Some businesses tend to wrongly focus only on sales and as a result marketing has lost many of its functions such as conferences and conventions. Questions have been raised as to why this has come about.

Members of the Marikana community who require information in relation to the whereabouts of their family members, friends or colleagues, or who may need access to government services, are encouraged to contact the support call centre established by government.

The South African government says police killed more than 30 people during a demonstration by striking workers near a platinum mine. Police say it was self defence when they opened fire on men carrying machetes and sticks. Union leaders accuse the police of a massacre.

According to South African Women in Engineering (SAWomEng), the shortage of engineers is a global issue. The number of women in engineering has been of particular concern as women are still grossly under-represented, with the percentage of women graduates in engineering still below 20% in many countries.

An agreement has been signed to improve and maintain safety and health standards in the construction sector. Specific attention has been paid to the four most dangerous fields in the country. The agreement was acknowledged as a major boost to the improvement of health and safety issues.

CIPS Africa has developed a broad-based competency evaluation system that assists in developing the procurement and supply management profession. The tool defines the competencies of a procurement practitioner and calculates competency levels.

This year, the city of Cape Town will play host to the 14th annual Employee Assistance Professionals Association of South Africa (EAPA-SA) conference to be held from Tuesday 18 to Friday 21 September 2012 at NH The Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset West.

The extent of mis-information circulated relating to accredited training is worrisome. Even more surprising is the number of HR practitioners who do not know what is meant by accreditation. Des Squire explains.

We know from our computer system that approximately twice as many people view the skills-universe as those who are signed up as members. Have you ever wondered about the value of diversity and who benefits from the free membership of the skills-universe?

In an excellent article in the Times Live - under the heading "Clique clings to the delusion" Justice Malala describes how the key player in the strike AMCU the Association of Mining and Construction union was excluded from crucial stakeholder meetings.

If you were to enroll in any online course, what denominator would make you sign up other than cost or subject matter? The reasons for joining a particluar course or study programme can at times be very personal, but there are also some general factors that appeal to our idea of value for money, why not share yours?

Many training providers offer seemingly legitimate training programmes to the public but what are the down falls or implications of using training providers that are not registered nor accredited with the SETA. Is it advisable to make use of them?

Infrastructure development is an important part of raising South Africa's potential growth rate while at the same time, it should not be seen as an easy way to make money out of government says Deputy Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene.

Representatives from the mine workers union AMCU presented their side of the story to Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant during her visit to the Marikana region. The visit forms part of government's efforts to defuse tensions in the area.

The government is currently working on a multi-pronged approach to tackle youth unemployment, rather than having one approach for a multitude of problems. Various principles have been identified to tackle the high unemployent figures.

A national business competition aims to expose potential entrepreneurs to entrepreneurial training and thinking, helping entrepreneurs turn their business or business idea into a success.