Officials have criticised the National Skills Fund for its poor spending practices after reports revealed that expenditure for the 2010/11 financial period was over R600 million, leaving an alarming net surplus of nearly R1.5 billion.

Business survival is based on sound business practices and a strong focus on growth, particularly in times of global economic uncertainty. Allon Raiz goes back to the basics of operating a business and provides guidelines about what to expect during this post-recession period.

Maximising budgets to improve business operations is a skill that every good manager longs for, but many fall short due to poor planning and insufficient data. Noreen Macpherson shares her insights on how to avoid the pitfalls of budgeting.

Prudent companies in South Africa are increasingly turning to new ways of working to fuel growth despite falling business confidence, according to Regus, an international provider of flexible workplaces.

The Extra School Support Programme designed to provide homework assistance and sporting activities to underperforming schools in the province was recently launched by Gauteng Education MEC Barbara Creecy.

There are regulations that companies must adhere to in order to ensure compliance however many fail to meet these legal requirements which leads to costly and time consuming labour action. Des Squire provides guidelines to ensure employers meet the necessary requirements.

Bioentrepreneurship which combines business acumen with medical discovery is growing within the biomedical field and XCell BioConsulting in conjunction with GSB has developed specialised courses to help novices determine the commercial value of their health solutions.

Corporate social responsibility has become a critical component of business strategies as companies recognise the value of using their influence to improve the surrounding communities. Daniel Malan speaks about the importance of corporate responsibility in creating sustainability.

The demise of traditional Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems has become a real possibility. The ERP industry stands at a watershed and is in the process of being redefined and Dr James Robertson discusses some of the key factors that are pointing in this direction.

The new procurement regulations gazetted by the Minister of Finance contains the latest guidelines for determining BEE status, to be used when scoring suppliers in future. Andile Tlhoaιle takes an in-depth look at the scoring system.

The country needs to double the number of accounting professionals it produces and the recent accreditation obtained by the University of Limpopo to develop accounting skills has signalled a breakthrough in the financial sector and accelerated the national drive to develop skills.

Are you making the right choices in your business? Attitudes and emotions can prevent leaders from viewing situations objectively. According to Colin Thompson a 'transcending mind' is needed to choose the best path for the organisation in the current post-recession environment.

As APPETD's representative on the QCTO council, I have been following the debate regarding the QCTO with lots of interest. I have to admit there is a lot to be done before answers will be available on all questions. The problem that providers have is that there is not time available to waste! We need guidance and answers as soon as yesterday.

This is the report of what I have found with my survey inot private training providers experience with quality assurance procedures with Setas and other bodies.

Some private providers who attended a workshop offered by the CHE/HEQC earlier this year claimed that it was stated that private learning institutions will in future no longer be accredited and that those who offer learning without being accredited will be arrested by the police.

My understanding is that if you take away unit standards from a registered SAQA qualification - the unique number of this qualification will change. Why is it so difficult for me to get information on the regulations pertaining to the number and name of a registered qualification?

What I am advocating is that whether you are an assessor, moderator, SDF, provider, facilitatior, HR Practitioner, training manager or whatever we should not have 5 or 6 different bodies representing us and fighting for a share of the market. We need a representative body, preferably with no fees involved, where we can all work together for the common good and in order to achieve our objectives.

The role of the accountant is changing, in future accountants will need to translate what they do with numbers into data patterns. This is according to Graeme Codrington who addresed ACCA members at a recent gala dinner .

Creativity and innovation are key to the survival and success of the 21st century business and internationally recognized leader, Sir Ken Robinson shares his insights on creating a new working culture that will thrive in competitive environments.

Maximising budgets to improve business operations is a skill that every good manager longs for, but many fall short due to poor planning and insufficient data. Noreen Macpherson shares her insights on how to avoid the pitfalls of budgeting.

President Jacob Zuma remains positive that the new regulations under the Preferential Procurement Act, which come into effect in December, will help government meet its job creation targets.

Skills gaps in the mining sector are being addressed by major industry roleplayers, including the Mining Qualifications Authority who has committed to meeting skills targets through comprehensive training programmes. Young people have been urged to pursue careers in the mining sector, particularly health and safety.

Changes to PAYE legislation which will come into effect in 2012 should prompt businesses to review their existing payroll infrastructure, as failure to take heed of inevitable changes and adapt systems accordingly could result in heavy losses for organisations according to Teryl Schroenn.

Winners of the 2010 World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) awards have reiterated the importance of top-level mathematical science training on the African continent.

The concept of cross-border employment is growing in popularity as skills shortages continue to plague the country but many businesses and individuals are unaware of the legalities surrounding foreign workers. Manpower MD, Peter Winn talks about the intricacies of moving and employing staff globally.