Skills development should begin at school level if SA hopes to combat skills shortages in the country according to Mashumi Tutu, who says that business must partner with educators to 'address the core competencies and leadership skills necessary for economic growth'.

Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba has called on state owned enterprises to 'increase the participation of black people in the mainstream economy' making it clear that companies owned by the state have a responsibility to help government achieve its socio-economic goals.

Many companies have not woken up to the reality that lack of commitment to Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE), as required by the new procurement regulations, could result in the loss of business from government and its agencies.

Gordon Cook, who is set to launch a strategic brand marketing course at the UCT Graduate School of Business shares his views on reputation as a metric, being more important than profit; and the importance of brand and marketing strategies in the present business and consumer environments.

Globalisation has necessitated the development of new leadership skills in order to deal with ever-increasing human resource complexities ‘during a time of rapid technological and social change’ says Sandra Burmeister CEO of Landelahni Recruitment Group.

Hillary Magede highlights achievements in the risk management field in SA by relating them to international standards, while raising pertinent questions about this system, on the heels of an economic nightmare that has left many doubting the effectiveness of local risk management practices.

Wage negotiations which result in costly settlements 'inevitably lead to job losses as most employers will not be able to pass this cost on to their customers' says labour law specialist Jonathan Goldberg in his comparative analysis of industrial action in 2010 and 2011.

This week trainer Karen Gray provides creative tips on how to add some flavour to the introductions section of any training workshop. Ask questions about clothing, learning and advice to get the creative juices flowing in the classroom.

Social networks are transforming word-of-mouth communication and business says Liza van Wyk but organisations are warned to first 'determine what it wants to achieve from social media' before jumping head first into the online community whirlpool.

Employment opportunities in the financial sector has driven recruitment company Communicate Personnel to establish a finance niche in its operations, growing it's database of quality, screened candidates who are primed for general and specialist finance postions, from entry to executive level.

Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba has called on state owned enterprises to 'increase the participation of black people in the mainstream economy' making it clear that companies owned by the state have a responsibility to help government achieve its socio-economic goals.

Imagine the person who runs your accounts department is off sick. Would this be a problem for your company? No one else knows how to do the work without making mistakes. It’s month end and the account run must be completed or there will be chaos. Does this sound familiar? How often do we hear of work not being done because the responsible person is off sick or otherwise unavailable?

My recent trip to Soweto and many townships around the East Rand has re-opened my consciousness around the issue of urban poverty. It is a fact that many young people in rural areas still aspires the ‘glittery’ of cities and/or urban areas.

I have been a fully accredited provider with ETDP Seta for some years now and I have successfully presented developed and aligned learning programmes. I have regularly negotiated the increasingly bureaucratic quality assurance system to upload learners with success. But I am having so many problems this year that I am feeling like giving up!

Fasset has decided to fund candidates on the PPE Repeat Programme in order to fulfil its responsibilities within the financial sector by increasing the auditing talent pool, and has already financed 603 of the 1 206 candidates, who have successfully completed the programme.

Are you aware that as an employer you are responsible for the damage caused by your employees? A court can find you "vicariously liable", and this can result in you being sued for damages. Ivan Israelstam explains how this can happen, the employer's duty, and how to manage this risk.

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has made a controversial speech where he called for a tax to be placed on white South Africans because they benefitted so much from apartheid, whether they supported it or not. View the video of his full speech here.

Anja Hartman-Weitz talks about what it takes to keep employees interested and loyal during tough economic times. Using recognition programmes that reward employees for excellent work is one way of meeting employee needs and enhancing job satisfaction.

Anil Salick shares his positive message despite the bleak outlook cast by rising unemployment rates, rioting, ongoing food shortages and soaring prices of basic food and services, by urging the public to 'habituate the mindset of hope, solution and courage'.

Information technology specialists and medical professionals are in demand the world over and school leavers are being urged to move away from traditional jobs when choosing their career path and rather consider some unusual professions that will never go out of fashion.

The Department of Home Affairs’ issuing of works permits to Zimbabwean nationals, under its recent Zimbabwe Dispensation Project, has inflated the number of work permits issued by the department to foreigners, with over 65 000 issued in the first quarter of this fiscal year.

The idea of virtual offices is growing in popularity as more employers look for 'workspace support that is low cost, low risk, and can dramatically increase productivity' according to a Regus report, that showed a 54 percent increase in demand for virtual office sevices.

Provinces have increased their spending by 10.8% which translates to R8.1 billion compared with the same period last year, while education remains the biggest item on provincial budgets reaching a total of R37.9 billion of the R154.2 billion combined education budgets.