13-JUN-13·	Skills and courage needed for sustainability leadership
	Posted by | skills
	Leaders need to confront the way the world has changed and develop the appropriate skills to keep the boat afloat in a fragile world, say experts from the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business and the World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa.

31-MAY-13·	Fasset has the expertise to meet skills challenges
	Posted by | skills
	Despite the shortage of matriculants with Pure Maths, Fasset has signed over 50 000 learners onto Fasset learnerships over the past 13 years. Fasset has shown the Seta has the appetite and expertise to rise to this challenge.

22-MAY-13·	Enhanced flagship certificate programme in business analysis launched
	Posted by | skills
	Aspiring business analysts are invited to join the new certificate programme aimed at developing a good foundation and competence in the essential skills and techniques of the profession.

26-APR-13·	Study confirms that Work Readiness Programmes add value
	Posted by | skills
	The Fasset Board commissioned a Tracer Study to assess the impact of its Work Readiness Programmes. The research confirms that these programmes are playing an important role in creating sustainable employment for unemployed graduates and diplomates, while at the same time meeting real skills needs within the sector.

09-APR-13·	Higher education: A big price to pay
	Posted by | skills
	Does higher education offer you a brighter future or just a hole in your bank balance? Education, and specifically, tertiary education, is becoming increasingly costly with no guarantee of employment for graduates.

08-MAR-13·	Adults receive English and Maths training
	Posted by | skills
	To help individuals build a foundation for further training and development Triple E Training offers English and Mathematics training at various levels to unemployed adults in the Nelson Mandela Bay area.

21-JAN-13·	Another 600 work ready accounting graduates available for employment
	Posted by | skills
	To fill the gap between what accounting practitioners require and what new graduates are able to offer the six-month Bonani Bridging Programme for Access to Employment (into Work) was devised.

07-JAN-13·	Matric report cards don’t dictate your future
	Posted by | skills
	Former Grade 12 students who performed poorly in 2012, and unemployed young people are receiving opportunities to pursue their passions and begin a lucrative career path through the help of the Career Advice Clearing House established by the higher education department.

07-JAN-13·	Improvements in critical skills subjects gives SA reason to celebrate
	Posted by | skills
	The 2012 matric results have been warmly welcomed by various education departments around the country. Minister Higher Education and Training Blade Nzimande recently added his congratulations, highlighting the improvement in critical skills subjects such as physical science and mathematics.

03-DEC-12·	Empowering students through technology
	Posted by | skills
	A lack of computer and information literacy skills has been identified as one of the major contributors to the poor pass rates witnessed amongst higher education institutions. According to Sandra Dunn students are not being technologically equipped for the future.

16-NOV-12·	CIMA provides opportunity to become global business leaders
	Posted by | skills
	South African students in universities and colleges across the country have the opportunity to gain global exposure and learn valuable skills for the future, through the CIMA Global Business Challenge 2013.

14-NOV-12·	How to build a talent pool
	Posted by | skills
	The importance of skills development in the workplace and its impact to the bottom line is receiving more attention from business leaders. Michelin South Africa creates a new pool of talent as it empowers learners with Progression.

05-NOV-12·	Benefits of E-learning for businesses
	Posted by | skills
	E-learning provides a compelling solution to the increasingly difficult demands that businesses face on a day to day basis. Speed, simplicity and cost-effectiveness are just some of the benefits of e-learning that companies of all sizes can enjoy.

03-OCT-12·	Megaprojects require mega-skilled project managers
	Posted by | skills
	Despite the growing number of megaprojects emerging across a variety of sectors these complex ventures have an alarmingly high failure rate. To combat this trend the IPA Institute has developed their Megaprojects seminar which will be hosted by founder and President Edward Merrow.

26-SEP-12·	Survey reveals half of local workforce ready for change
	Posted by | skills
	There is a growing autonomous and empowered workforce emerging across the globe who feel confident about their prospects despite high unemployment rates. An annual workforce survey confirms that skilled and experienced workers are in high demand giving these individuals a powerful bargaining position.

03-SEP-12·	The methodology of project management
	Posted by | skills
	Since the failure rate of projects is relatively high - and this is due to a number of different factors, - it becomes virtually impossible to deliver a project successfully without a well-established methodology in place.

30-AUG-12·	Cleaning up project management practices
	Posted by | skills
	Since projects have become the major vehicles for delivering outcomes the role of the project manager in local government has come under scrutiny. With this in mind we ask the question, can Operation Clean Audit 2014 be achieved?

22-AUG-12·	Rise in projects requires better management
	Posted by | skills
	Project management, once seen as a ‘nice to have’ is being embraced as a fundamental business function. A surge in projects countrywide is prompting companies to review the impact of project management on service delivery and the bottom line.

16-AUG-12·	Dousing the flames of burning projects
	Posted by | skills
	Skills shortages in South Africa and worldwide result in many engineering projects failing dismally, giving rise to great losses for the investors and shareholders involved. Risk management is a key, often neglected, element of project planning.

01-AUG-12·	The basics of project management
	Posted by | skills
	Projects are found in every area of business and industry so knowing how to manage them is an advantage for any senior executive. While every venture is unique there are some basic principles that you can apply to both large and small projects.

24-JUL-12·	Business Analysts – connecting business and technology
	Posted by | skills
	Why is the global shortage of Business Analysts significant to New Age companies? Faculty Training Institute MD, Steve Erlank gives leaders reason to mark business analysis as a critical skill for the 21st century.

17-JUL-12·	Get a return on your training intervention
	Posted by | skills
	Everyone wants value for money and a return on investment and when it comes to training employees there is no exception. Sadly, many training professionals make the mistake of jumping into training solutions head first which are often not the answer.

13-JUL-12·	Industrialising the nation – is government doing enough?
	Posted by | skills
	Government's R845 billion infrastructure building programme has the potential to create a platform for sustained industrial development and transformation. But government will need to be vigilant about the structure of its tenders and will have to do as much to empower its suppliers as it is asking of the business sector.

11-JUL-12·	Companies penalised for not supporting development
	Posted by | skills
	Points will be deducted from companies that do not invest in skills and supplier development in terms of the Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) Act, says Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies.

09-JUL-12·	Demand for skilled project management grows
	Posted by | skills
	The salaries of project managers around the world are continuing to climb, signalling that organisations are increasingly aware of the value of trained project managers to their overall business goals according to a recent Project Management Salary Survey.

22-JUN-12·	Township youth: ticking time bomb or potential workforce?
	Posted by | skills
	Are the bored and unemployed youth in Gauteng townships a ticking time bomb waiting to explode or a possible 240 000 strong potential labour force? With this in mind the Gauteng provincial government is committing to twenty government-funded job centres.

22-JUN-12·	Jobs fund grant to help entrepreneurs create jobs
	Posted by | skills
	Enablis South Africa announced a grant of ZAR 34 Million from the Development Bank of Southern Africa’s Jobs Fund to support and enhance the job creation skills of 2,500 South African entrepreneurs.

20-JUN-12·	Effective behaviours at work crucial for workplace success
	Posted by | skills
	A number of studies in recent years have indicated that there is a growing need to bridge the gap between educational outcomes and labour market requirements. For this reason Edexcel has introduced a new set of professional qualifications designed to meet current workplace demands.

14-JUN-12·	2012 Annual National Assessments (ANA)
	Posted by | skills
	The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has prioritised ANA, which put the literacy and numeracy skills of the country's young learners to the test, as a pivotal mechanism for monitoring and tracking achievement of our goals as set in the DBE Action Plan.

13-JUN-12·	Artisans with Red Seal qualifications in high demand
	Posted by | skills
	Artisans may have long been regarded as the engineering sector’s poor cousins, but the fact is well-trained artisans are in demand in South Africa today and are commanding higher salaries than ever before thanks to their highly sought-after skills set.

30-MAY-12·	Workplace Training: the greatest investment you will ever make
	Posted by | skills
	A rapidly changing technological environment and increasing market competitiveness is demanding more equipped, skilled and knowledgeable staff. The question is no longer whether you can afford to implement workplace training; it’s whether you can afford not too?

30-MAY-12·	Become a full-time photographer
	Posted by | skills
	As a photographer, you are tasked with making your client’s memories tangible – a monumentally important job. Opportunities in the field are virtually boundless. All you have to do is follow a few simple steps to harness your creativity to produce beautiful photography.

19-APR-12·	Why accountants have it good
	Posted by | skills
	Do you think accounting is boring and dull? If you still believe that all accountants are confined to their seats and spend all day hunched over their desks solving numerical problems it’s time to get a reality check. An accounting qualification can open doors and offer unique opportunities to those who are willing to work hard.

19-APR-12·	Growing need for project management in business
	Posted by | skills
	The project management profession is well suited to those that are looking for a challenging and diverse work environment. Find more about the attributes, skills, and qualities of a good project manager.

12-APR-12·	The mark of the super-facilitator
	Posted by | skills
	What makes an average facilitator great? According to Jan Delmas there are seven key skills that separate the ordinary from the exceptional. Find out how to help individuals and groups deliver the best results by adopting these techniques.

27-MAR-12·	Effective office management skills
	Posted by | skills
	The modern-day office has become a very demanding place that requires more efficient processes, clearer communication and better solutions. Here are 4 important skills that every office administrator needs to be successful.

14-MAR-12·	Business schools must produce qualified leaders
	Posted by | skills
	Future industry leaders will need the skills to deal with the constantly changing social, political and environmental issues of the day and it is the responsibility of Business Schools to provide relevant MBA programmes that will help them cope.

13-FEB-12·	Zuma, business raise funds for trust
	Posted by | skills
	South Africa will not be able to realise its development goals as long the majority of its children are excluded from accessing tertiary education said President Jacob Zuma, as he urged business leaders to pledge financial support to underprivileged children.

08-FEB-12·	Unemployment falls to 23.9%
	Posted by | skills
	Releasing the Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the fourth quarter Stats SA said that employment increased by 365 000 in the fourth quarter of 2011, this is the first growth observed on a year-on-year basis in quarter four since 2009.

03-FEB-12·	NYDA presents youth report
	Posted by | skills
	The status of the education, health and wellbeing of the young people in South Africa was recently brought to light when the NYDA published a document which addresses these and other pertinent youth issues.

02-FEB-12·	Basic Education’s efforts pay off
	Posted by | skills
	Despite the challenges facing education in the country, the Department of Basic Education has managed to scoop Public Sector Excellence Awards across the three spheres of government, government agencies, parastatals and NGOs.

01-FEB-12·	New technology revolutionises tertiary education in SA
	Posted by | skills
	The call for virtual universities has been answered by the latest technological tool called the Telefunken Tablet PC. The device is able to store pre-loaded learning material, a function that will forever change the landscape of tertiary education in South Africa.

30-JAN-12·	Education: the missing piece of the puzzle?
	Posted by | skills
	A lot of emphasis has been placed on the education system and skills development, which has incidentally become one of the country's top priorities, but is education really the answer? Liza van Wyk talks about the role of education in society.

23-JAN-12·	SA economy receives skills injection
	Posted by | skills
	The immense shortage of skilled personnel in the country is being addressed through FET colleges and private institutions. As universities reach capacity prospective students are urged to consider other higher learning options to meet the demand for skilled professionals.

23-JAN-12·	ASDSA hits ground running in 2012
	Posted by | skills
	While confidence in the education and skills development system is at an all time-low ASDSA's newest CEO, Janelle Gravett is determined to redefine public perceptions through its repositioning campaign and initiatives that will coalesce top professional bodies in skills development.

18-JAN-12·	Transforming Seta grants
	Posted by | skills
	The proposed changes which appeared in a recent government notice are set to transform the skills development landscape. Des Squire provides a brief overview of these changes and the impact they will have on skills development grants and other related matters.

16-JAN-12·	Professional bodies to launch skills "confederation"
	Posted by | skills
	Three major role-players in the skills development industry have united to improve governance and standards of practice among frontline workers and are calling on other likeminded entities to join the initiative in order to lobby more effectively.

13-JAN-12·	Sadtu pens development plans for teachers
	Posted by | skills
	The training and development of educators has been listed as the number one priority in 2012 according to the South African Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu). The union hopes to achieve this goal by implementing quality training programmes and addressing some of the ethical issues in the training of teachers.

13-JAN-12·	More student enrolments at colleges
	Posted by | skills
	The plan to increase the number of student enrolments at post-school institutions forms part of the strategy set out by the Green Paper. The vision developed by the Department of Higher Education aims to revive the higher education system by providing school leavers with better access to tertiary education facilities.

12-JAN-12·	Nzimande sets on path to improve higher education
	Posted by | skills
	The Department of Higher Education and Training has launched the Green Paper for Post-School Education and Training, which will see the country move towards producing more graduates with the in-demand skills necessary to grow the economy.

09-JAN-12·	Skills transfer needed for local growth
	Posted by | skills
	Apprentice training topped the agenda when Minister Alan Winde met with German CEO's and businessmen at an event hosted by MTU South Africa. The participants assembled to discuss the possibilities of skills transfer and investment in the local labour force.

09-JAN-12·	ECSA to increase engineering student numbers
	Posted by | skills
	The Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) has embarked on a research campaign, the results of which will aid in understanding the challenges regarding tertiary institutions achieving higher pass rates in Engineering Bachelor’s degrees.

09-JAN-12·	Local youth receive support
	Posted by | skills
	Two organisations working at opposite ends of the employment spectrum in South Africa are giving young people a greater chance of finding a job and gaining the skills and dignity they need to live more purposeful lives.

13-DEC-11·	A case for the preservation of short courses
	Posted by | skills
	Are short courses an asset to the skills development landscape or do they detract from the learning process? Des Squire looks at the value short course and skills programmes bring to the education platform.

07-DEC-11·	Trainer offers Microsoft boot camps
	Posted by | skills
	Bytes Peoples Solutions, a provider of internationally accredited education, training, skills development and people consulting services within the Bytes Technology Group, has put together a series of Microsoft Certification “boot camps” for experienced IT professionals.

05-DEC-11·	Addressing the asymmetries of knowledge
	Posted by | skills
	Former President of South Africa, Mr Thabo Mbeki will present te keynote address to open the Knowledge Management Conference hosted by the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB). The conference, which will span over three days, will address the asymmetries of knowledge in society.

29-NOV-11·	Nzimande calls for better governance at Setas
	Posted by | skills
	Poor governance and corruption have been identified as two pressing issues that Sector Education and Training Authorities (Setas) would need to improve if the entities hoped to recreate a positive public image, according to Minister Blade Nzimande.

24-NOV-11·	Edublox make learning fun for Hout Bay learners
	Posted by | skills
	More than 20% of South Africans are faced with learning disabilities but research shows that brain training exercises helps children learn and read faster. Learning institute Edublox, has introduced a bursary program for learners with learning disabilities in less fortunate communities.

24-NOV-11·	E Cape school infrastructure to improve
	Posted by | skills
	The Department of Basic Education has set aside a total of R8.4 billion to improve the infrastructure of various schools around the country, addressing issues which negatively affect learning such as no electricity, overcrowding and a shortage of teachers.

23-NOV-11·	Quality learning campaign on track
	Posted by | skills
	The education project intiated by government aims to monitor the interaction and performance of teachers and learners in order to 'mobilise society on education' said Project Director Tula Nkomo.

23-NOV-11·	The value of customer relationship management
	Posted by | skills
	Building customer loyalty starts with ensuring a good fit between the customer’s needs and the company’s capabilities, and continues with good customer relationship management. Dr Gerhard van Wyk shares his insights on how to interact with clients.

21-NOV-11·	Strategy to address low literacy, numeracy rates
	Posted by | skills
	The Council of Education has approved an Integrated National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy as part of the Basic Education Department’s response to the need for urgency in addressing the low achievement levels of learners in literacy and numeracy.

17-NOV-11·	Mastering the art of good service
	Posted by | skills
	Poor customer service is one of the root causes of failed businesses, yet appropriate interaction with consumers is often neglected and undervalued. How can staff improve their customer service skills? Kwelanga Training shares some insights on this important issue.

17-NOV-11·	Manuel’s Plan to change people’s lives
	Posted by | skills
	The National Development Plan Vision 2030 will address nine challenges that the country faces including education, which it aims to improve through the establishment of a national skills system and the expansion of Further Training Colleges.

14-NOV-11·	Zuma praises National Development Plan
	Posted by | skills
	The first National Development Plan in South Africa is set to redefine the lives of its citizens by eradicating poverty, reducing inequality and combating the high unemployment rate by the year 2030.The plan has been commended by President Jacob Zuma.

10-NOV-11·	Sasol embraces International Year of Chemistry
	Posted by | skills
	Under the unifying theme “Chemistry—our life, our future”, the International Year of Chemistry (IYC) 2011 has offered a range of educational opportunities which have boosted science education across the world. Sasol brought the dialogue home to South Africa by hosting projects which brought chemistry to life by demonstrating the important role it plays in peoples’ daily lives.

03-NOV-11·	Skills fund under fire for not spending
	Posted by | skills
	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.

01-NOV-11·	SA girls get techno skills
	Posted by | skills
	Approximately 4000 underprivileged South African girls will have the opportunity to experience the working world and learn from seasoned professionals within the STEM fields through a job shadowing project launched by Minister Lulu Xingwana.

01-NOV-11·	Improve mining skills base, says Oliphant
	Posted by | skills
	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.

31-OCT-11·	Create the right skills mix in IT
	Posted by | skills
	Effective software support requires a combination of IT skills and domain knowledge which can only be created by recruiting the best possible skills sets for the job according to management solutions and HR firm, Accsys.

14-OCT-11·	R72m project to upgrade financial skills at municipalities
	Posted by | skills
	A unique R72 million public-private partnership, designed to bring about minimum standards of competence for municipal financial staff, was unveiled in Johannesburg by Dr Blade Nzimande, the Minister of Higher Education and Training.

12-OCT-11·	Write a food and wine feature
	Posted by | skills
	For many people, the idea of combining decadent dining and becoming a feature writer is the ultimate dream job but while the idea might be appealing it’s also very hard work, and few people succeed in becoming fulltime writers.

11-OCT-11·	Skills programme pays off for Mpuma youth
	Posted by | skills
	498 graduates have been recognized for their 12-month artisan training at the National Youth Service skills development programme which provides opportunties for unemployed youth to contribute to their communities, while improving their skills, education and employment propects.

11-OCT-11·	Developing a culture of learning
	Posted by | skills
	Do you enforce training or create an atmosphere of learning in the workplace? If you are battling to gain support from employees your approach to skills development may be the problem. Des Squire argues that 'for training to be effective there must be a perceived need in the minds of the recipients.'

04-OCT-11·	Private training providers attend 2011 skills conference
	Posted by | skills
	Issues such as post school education and training, the role of SETAs in relation to the National Skills Development Strategy III implementation, and the SETA funding models will be addressed by Minister Blade Nzimande alongside representatives of business, labour, community and providers at the 2011 skills conference.

03-OCT-11·	HRD Expo to open doors
	Posted by | skills
	The annual Human Resource Development Expo endorsed by The Star will launch its biggest show to date when it opens its doors on Tuesday 4 October at the Sandton Convention Center. The event will bring together a network of over 90 exhibitors alongside HR, training and business solutions professionals.

30-SEP-11·	Roleplayers in one accord over education
	Posted by | skills
	The signing of the Accord on Basic education marked an historic moment in education as it signified the start of a collaboration between role players, stakeholders and social partners to support the drive to achieve quality teaching and learning in South Africa.

30-SEP-11·	Siyandza skills public course
	Posted by | skills
	Siyandza Skills Development is an accredited, full service call centre training and middle management training provider that was created to bridge the gap in these industries through its unique training methodology.

22-SEP-11·	Rural educators receive accreditation
	Posted by | skills
	Footprint has partnered with the ETDP Seta and Green Rainbow to help community based educators become fully fledged accredited facilitators using an online electronic portfolio of evidence which saves costs and speeds up the assessment process.

22-SEP-11·	Rise in degree mills means business must be vigilant
	Posted by | skills
	Do you verify the qualifications of new recruits? Recent scandals have brought to light the issue of degree mills, a concern that has been intensified by reports that since June 'two thousand five hundred people have been less than truthful about their qualifications'.

22-SEP-11·	Important lessons for new leaders
	Posted by | skills
	Are you battling to engage your subordinates? The shift from managing self to managing others can be a tricky one and Sue Bennie says it is imperative that new leaders undergo training beforehand to learn the basic leadership skills that no manager should go without.

22-SEP-11·	Increasing the skills pipeline for economic growth
	Posted by | skills
	Skills shortages within the engineering and IT sectors is one of the major impediments to economic growth, and the key to reducing unemployment as Sandra Burmeister says 'each skilled professional has the capacity to create jobs on an exponential basis.'

16-SEP-11·	Fasset meets targets
	Posted by | skills
	Fasset celebrated eleven years of successful operation highlighting that all unclaimed funds, amounting to R 55 034 000 for the period under review, have been allocated to strategic projects identified by Fasset’s Management Board.

14-SEP-11·	Global competition will benchmark artisans
	Posted by | skills
	Team SA is ready to battle it out at the 41st WorldSkills Competition where 1 000 artisans from 50 countries will compete for the top honours in their trade, the contest is ideal for benchmarking skills across the globe and South Africa is currenlty ranked 47 out of the 54 participating countries.

14-SEP-11·	Africa gears up for HRD Expo
	Posted by | skills
	The three day Human Resources Development expo hosted by The Star will bring together HR, training and educational professionals to share the latest insights, solutions, technologies and services that will add value to the skills development industry.

01-SEP-11·	Reaching a 2020 goal
	Posted by | skills
	The Open Learning Group has received provisional accreditation which is part of its Vision 2020 strategy, allowing students to gain entry at various points on the NQF learning path while enabling clients to upgrade their service by investing in an employee’s skills set through the workplace skills plan.

01-SEP-11·	Empower your workers with new skills
	Posted by | skills
	Upskilling employees increases productivity and staff morale while expanding the skills pool in the organisation, and training in booking keeping, project administration, customer service and computer literacy can make a huge difference to the overall performance of staff.

23-AUG-11·	Renewed focus on SA teachers
	Posted by | skills
	The education department has started campaigning for fresh young talent to join the teaching profession through the Funza Lushaka Bursary initiative in an effort to strengthen the education system, and equip the South African labour market with the right skills.

19-AUG-11·	Skills development starts at school
	Posted by | skills
	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'.

18-AUG-11·	Fasset funds future financiers
	Posted by | skills
	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.

15-AUG-11·	Changing workforce needs new leaders
	Posted by | skills
	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.

28-JUL-11·	More pilots needed in Africa
	Posted by | skills
	In light of global projections that 'the world would need over a million pilots and maintenance staff in the next 20 years', african aviation authorities have declared that 1 500 aviation operators, 600 aircraft maintenance personnel and 4 000 airport operators were urgently needed to fill the skills shortfall in Africa.

14-JUL-11·	Officials address skills shortage with National Skills Accord
	Posted by | skills
	The National Skills Accord and the Accord on Basic Education and Partnerships with Schools which will see R6 billion injected into skills development and education and boost training within the New Growth Path framework was officially signed by government, business and labour.

11-JUL-11·	Tooling industry launches national programme
	Posted by | skills
	National Tooling Initiative Programme (NTIP), has introduced the TDM Powered Programme, which equips aspiring toolmakers with the skills to start their careers. The programme will address the technical skills shortage in the country and meet South Africa’s future tooling manufacturing needs.

08-JUL-11·	Common training pitfalls
	Posted by | skills
	As the management of people and resources becomes more 'precious' to the success and competitiveness of business, organisations must learn to accurately identify and resolve common employee issues such as clarity around roles, poor skills and low morale says Deolinda Delcarme.

04-JUL-11·	Driving growth and employment in SA
	Posted by | skills
	The global recovery in growth has not yet translated into a recovery in employment, CEO of the Landelahni Recruitment Group, Sandra Burmeister says we need a two-pronged approach comprised of SME support and technical skills development to address this anomaly.

21-JUN-11·	More midwives needed to prevent millions of deaths
	Posted by | skills
	New report shows the significant gap between the number of midwives practicing and those needed to save lives. Findings confirm that 112 000 more midwives need to be trained if developing countries hope to reach the targets on maternal health as set out in the Millenium Development Goal 5.

13-JUN-11·	Voucher project a gift to SMEs
	Posted by | skills
	As part of their skills development programme directed at the SME sector many of the Setas have introduced the voucher project which allows SMMEs to apply online to their specific Seta and request funding in order to train employees on selected skills programmes.

13-JUN-11·	Mentorship makes real business sense
	Posted by | skills
	Teryl Schroen, Accsys CEO, defines mentorship and shares the benefits of using this method of facilitation to enhance skills development in the workplace.

08-JUN-11·	R9bn Job Fund launched
	Posted by | skills

07-JUN-11·	Government launches R9bn Jobs Fund
	Posted by | skills
	Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan has announced that the National Treasury’s R9 billion Jobs Fund, which aims to create 150 000 jobs over three years, is now accepting applications from companies and non-governmental organisations with innovative job creation projects. He told a media briefing before his Budget Vote in Parliament that the aim was to give out R2 billion in grants to the private sector this financial year.

06-JUN-11·	SA stands firm against global migration trends
	Posted by | skills
	Despite recent amendments to the Immigration Act which have impeded the ability of foreigners to find work in SA, labour migration is being seen as a means of relieving the global skills and talent shortage. But is this the answer to economic growth?

02-JUN-11·	SOMAFCO Beacon of Excellence Award ceremony
	Posted by | skills
	Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe will on 03 June 2011, deliver a keynote address at the Solomon Mahlangu Freedom Collage Trust (SOMAFCO)'s Beacon of Excellence Awards ceremony to be held in Kempton Park Johannesburg.

31-MAY-11·	Siyakha Consulting educates industry
	Posted by | skills
	Did you know you that can claim back 50% of your levy once you submit your Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) to the relevant SETA? Siyakha Consulting held a WSP workshop to ensure that its clients and members of the industry are familiar with how and why they need to submit to SARS by the 30 June deadline.

23-MAY-11·	Manpower survey: No skills no job
	Posted by | skills
	The annual Manpower survey revealed 14 percent of employers in South Africa are struggling to fill jobs compared to the global average (34 percent) due to skills shortages. This should be a wake-up call for organisations, the education sector, government and individuals cautions Manpower managing director Peter Winn.

19-MAY-11·	DVT joins bid to boost ICT capacity
	Posted by | skills
	IT solutions firm DVT has joined the initiative known as CapaCITi1000 programme to address critical shortages of ICT skills and boost the IT industry.

12-MAY-11·	Skills trade idea a winner
	Posted by | skills
	Swop your employee for an apprentice and positively contribute to the technical skills landscape through the exchange and placement programme initiated by the National Skills Development Academy.

21-APR-11·	BEE gets a facelift
	Posted by | skills
	Rob Davies, Minister of Trade and Industry, will be revising the BEE codes to ensure "greater participation by black people in productive activities and tackle complex practices of fronting". Skills Development is anticipated to be the biggest beneficiary of the re-evaluation and will certainly be worth more points.

20-APR-11·	SA joins forces to build skills
	Posted by | skills
	SAP Africa recently joined forces with the German government and CPUT to launch the erp4school programme which aims to build critical ICT and business skills in South Africa. The programme uses SAP’s enterprise resource planning software to enable teachers to actively integrate SAP software in their teaching methods.

08-APR-11·	Toolmaking lecturer recognised for moulding talents
	Posted by | skills
	The National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) in the United State has selected Mr Darryl Ebrahim from the Lephalale FET College as one of the top ten lectures in the world for foundational level toolmaking.

07-APR-11·	Business can help create tech-savvy learners
	Posted by | skills
	Will students have the high-level skills needed to analyse and synthesis vast quantities of data in this information age? Private companies are urged to invest in the education of students from poorer communities in order to 'create a technologically savvy new generation of learners.'

06-APR-11·	Revised IPAP critical to New Growth Path supports job creation and skills
	Posted by | skills
	The new version of the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) is set to create 129 000 jobs, bringing the country one step closer to realising its job creation plan, says Trade and Industry (dti) Minister Rob Davies. The IPAP forms a critical component to the new growth path.

06-APR-11·	New era for professional managers
	Posted by | skills
	South Africa requires greater numbers of professional, world-class managers so that it can play its full role on the global stage of business and commerce. The Services SETA (SSETA) launched the Chartered Management Institute of South Africa (CMISA) on 5th April in Johannesburg, to herald the start of a national drive to develop and recognise these managers.

01-APR-11·	'Skills development paramount in SA workforce'
	Posted by | skills
	Dr Mathews Phosa re-affirmed the government’s commitment to making education and skills development a top priority when he addressed prominent business people at a prestigious awards dinner held in Cape Town. He urged the public to recognize and support contributions to “upskill the South African workforce”.

22-MAR-11·	SDFs voice concerns over new Skills Strategy
	Posted by | skills
	With little more than a fortnight to go until phase three of the National Skills Development Strategy and the new Seta landscape kicks in, more and more questions are arising writes Gill Connellan, chairperson of the Association for Skills Development Facilitation in South Africa - ASDFSA.

17-MAR-11·	Internship and learnerships launched for unemployed Free State youth
	Posted by | skills
	The Free State Education Department is calling on graduates to send in applications for the 2011 internship programme, which will give the province's unemployed graduates a chance to gain practical skills in various fields, and in a second initiative is launching an end-user computing learnership, in conjunction with the ISETT SETA.

09-MAR-11·	See the fruits of your labour
	Posted by | skills
	Have phrases like 'human capital', 'skills development' and 'employee training' been grabbing your eye more often than not in the media? National support for skilled employees has reached fever pitch as SA strives to combat its skills shortage while competing with highly competitive global markets.

09-MAR-11·	City of Johannesburg creates more than 150,000 jobs
	Posted by | skills
	Executive Director: Economic Development at the City of Joburg, Jason Ngobeni, says that Johannesburg has already been created more than 150,000 jobs, by making use of all the opportunities created by government’s Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) to grow employment through labour intensive projects. Unemployed matriculants, graduates, and ex-combatants are given a range of practical skills - and the city benefits.

26-FEB-11·	Public Works Department calls upon retired engineers and artisans
	Posted by | skills
	Are you a retired engineer or artisan? There is an urgent need to boost the current practical skills base in the field of engineering -and particularly the built environment, and the public service has started a drive to bring back retired professionals to provide practical skills and training to a growing number of trained but as yet unqualified engineers and artisans. Join the department's database.

10-DEC-10·	EuroSkills: South Africans watch how it’s done
	Posted by | skills
	A delegation from the Manufacturing and Engineering-related Services Sector Education and Training Authority (merSETA) and a research team comprising Independent Newspapers’ Workplace editor, Theo Garrun, and the Skills Portal’s JIM FREEMAN are in Portugal for the biennial EuroSkills competition.

19-NOV-10·	Statistics on educational level, employment and skills
	Posted by | skills
	Pali Lehohla - statistician-general of South Africa and the head of Statistics SA provides information on the relationship between education and working life. While 85% of employed whites had completed matric or tertiary education, almost 60% of employed blacks had less then matric, and 55.5% of employed people classified as coloured had less than matric.

08-NOV-10·	dti promotes capital investment and skills development
	Posted by | skills
	The manufacturing sector stands to benefit from a new Department of Trade and Industry (dti) Tax Incentive programme that supports investment in existing and new capital projects, and the creation of direct employment within South Africa, and promotes productivity and skills development.

05-NOV-10·	HR task team targeting skills bottlenecks
	Posted by | skills
	Government's HRD Council is focusing on identifying, and then removing, bottlenecks in the skills pipeline. After a meeting in Pretoria the Council announced that one of their priorities developing mechanisms that provide students with placements in order for them to attain educational qualifications.

23-OCT-10·	Wetland contractors learn management skills
	Posted by | skills
	The Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) has started management training for contractors in the Working on Wetlands programme in Gauteng,Limpopo and the North West. To date they have only had first aid and fire training. This programme provides them with marketing and financial skills. Read further details of the project ...

22-OCT-10·	More research funds to produce high level skills
	Posted by | skills
	Naledi Pandor, Minister of Science and Technology, has announced that more of the department's current financial year budget will be allocated to the National Research Foundation to promote research at universities.

13-OCT-10·	Are changes to strike law needed or negotiation & mediation skills?
	Posted by | skills
	South Africans have watched with rising concern media reports of professional workers – particularly teachers and nurses – behaving in a violent or overly aggressive manner during the recent public sector strikes. Academics and labour law professionals and union representatives gathered to consider whether our strike law should be changed - or is it a lack of skilled facilitators, negotiators and mediators?

17-AUG-10·	SA companies not investing enough in training
	Posted by | skills
	A World Bank survey has found that despite the massive skills shortage that local companies are facing, they have not increased their spending on skills training. Liza van Wyk explains that her training organisations find too much focus on management training and not enough investment in improving the skills profile of essential support services staff.

12-AUG-10·	President Zuma on two-day visit to Lesotho
	Posted by | skills
	President Jacob Zuma has touched down in Lesotho for a two-day visit which will look into how South Africa can further assist the kingdom overcome its socio-economic challenges. The economies of South Africa and Lesotho are interdependent with Lesotho providing a strategic resource to South Africa in the form of labour and skills.

05-AUG-10·	Africa needs "green" skills to draw on climate cash
	Posted by | skills
	Africa's unified stance at the Copenhagen climate summit last December showed that the continent has woken up to potential 'climate cash' from international mitigation and adaptation programmes and confirmed African leaders' political commitment to tackling climate change. However, Africa will need to develop the "green" skills needed to secure the "climate cash".

19-JUL-10·	Training & skills development needed to avert mine disasters
	Posted by | skills
	The leadership of the mining industry in South Africa agrees that training and skills development should be done on a regular basis to avert further disasters in that sector. Chief Executive Officers of the mining industry have met in Pretoria at the request of Mineral Energy Minister Susan Shabangu to discuss safety issues in the sector.

12-JUL-10·	International leaders sing SA praises
	Posted by | skills
	South Africa got the thumbs up for its role as host nation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup as international leaders sang the country’s praises. FIFA President Sepp Blatter was among the most vocal, describing the country and its citizens as role models while addressing the 1Goal Education for All Summit in Pretoria.

10-JUL-10·	SA Brazil Strategic Partnership Agreement includes education and skills development
	Posted by | skills
	SA and Brazil have also agreed to deepen cooperation in areas such as: trade and industry, science and technology, agriculture and rural development, arts and culture, defence, education and skills development, health, sport and recreation, tourism, water and environmental affairs.

07-JUL-10·	Zuma drums support for 1Goal
	Posted by | skills
	President Jacob Zuma has called on soccer fans to help make the legacy of the 2010 FIFA World Cup last beyond the soccer spectacular by supporting the 1Goal initiative. Zuma says the World Cup must focus global attention on "education for all,” with a planned summit on the cards to solidify this.

02-JUL-10·	Bandwidth Barn bridges the Cape's skills gap
	Posted by | skills
	Vital new blood has entered the Cape economy with the graduation of 15 extraordinary new ventures from the intensive enterprise development programme of Cape IT initiative (CITi) subsidiary Bandwidth Barn. The programme targets high potential start-ups that have been trading for a while.

28-JUN-10·	Demand for top black HR talent
	Posted by | skills
	Changing corporate climate, coupled with an evolving HR industry, is creating a strong demand for business-minded, strategic HR executives across South Africa. So says one of the country’s top headhunting companies, who report that HR professionals in the current era need to be armed with a set of strategic and commercial skills that differ quite substantially from the type of administrative-focused HR practises of the past.

25-JUN-10·	Africa open for business - Zuma
	Posted by | skills
	Addressing the G20 business leaders in Toronto on the eve of the G8 and G20 Summits, President Jacob Zuma has declared to world leaders that Africa is open for business, and can no longer be viewed only as a destination for development aid.

02-JUN-10·	We offer great conference packages
	Posted by | skills
	Great conference packages offered by Business Communication Skills.

28-MAY-10·	Jump start you career today!
	Posted by | skills
	Jump Start is a work readiness programme designed to guide young new entrants into an appropriate career, give them the skills to succeed in the process of becoming employed and accelerate their entry into the world of work. Jump Start is based on the highly successful Thusanani work readiness programme that has been presented by Stanley Hutcheson & Associates for the past six years.

11-MAY-10·	Counting on Book Power – Chartered Accountants make provision for the future
	Posted by | skills
	The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) launched a far-reaching project to help South Africa’s children. “Books without borders” aims to put books in the hands of pupils to help encourage vital reading and literacy skills.

12-APR-10·	Finance skills lead to better business decisions
	Posted by | skills
	A new training course aims to give non-financial personnel the financial literacy to make better business decisions. “The reality today, as South Africa battles its way out of a recession, is that these non-financial personnel are challenged to be more careful with money. Gaining basic financial literacy will be vital to their ability to do so,” explains Professor Colin Firer.

16-FEB-10·	Training Venue for Hire in Woodmead
	Posted by | skills
	The Siyandza Training Centre is available for hire and fully equipped for all your training / workshop and meeting needs. Suitably located in Woodmead Business Park, it is easily accessible for all modes of transport available.

12-FEB-10·	Refined take on labour market information analyses
	Posted by | skills
	It is common perception in South Africa that problems with skills shortages in our labour market can be resolved by further investment in the country’s education systems. But is this solution enough to address skills supply and demand in the South African economy? Professor Hoosen Rasool thinks not.

04-FEB-10·	Leadership Training: Are leaders born or made?
	Posted by | skills
	Leadership is a process of influencing people while operating to meet organizational requirements and improving the organization through change, explains QED Marketing Director Rufus Ledwaba. Leadership training is the foundation of all organizations, whether corporate, nonprofit or government.

01-DEC-09·	New skills and development course for pest control
	Posted by | skills
	If you have a passion for keeping the environment safe and healthy and the idea of working with the earth’s weird and wonderful eight legged creatures everyday does not faze you, then you should consider a career in pest control.

19-NOV-09·	Food manufacturers look forward to growth
	Posted by | skills
	South Africa is over the worst of the global economic downturn, but attention to input costs should remain a priority for manufacturers. This was the message of economist Mike Schussler during a presentation FoodBev Seta conference at Sun City.

13-NOV-09·	In My Culture: TAKE TWO
	Posted by | skills
	We get to know the world and the people around us through our five senses (hearing, smell, taste, touch and vision), as well as through the joint effort of all five senses thus making up a kind of ‘sixth sense’. Apart from sensual knowing, we also get to know many things through the ways our minds and brains organize reality, and what we experience (e.g. people understand the world in remarkably different ways from other animals, who might even have better sensory equipment, e.g., the eyes of birds of prey, or the noses of bloodhounds).

20-OCT-09·	ICT program to benefit unemployed youth
	Posted by | skills
	The Department of Communications has officially launched an e-Cadre Program which offers Information Communication Technology (ICT) skills to unemployed youth from rural areas. Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda said through the program, thousands of youth will be recruited to provide technical support in respective service deployment areas such as clinics and police stations where they can assist communities to access government services through the use of ICTs.

14-OCT-09·	Bus drivers boost service skills
	Posted by | skills
	Metrobus drivers are being offered customer service training sessions as part of Public Transport Month, which is held nationwide each October. The municipal-owned entity is holding training for all its bus operators, to enhance customer service etiquette and to discuss customer service related issues.

14-OCT-09·	Recession hampers insurance sector transformation
	Posted by | skills
	Data just released by the Insurance Seta has revealed the insurance sector in South Africa is largely weathering the worst effects of the economic recession – but there is still a danger that transformation imperatives could be put on the back-burner as training budgets are cut.

29-SEP-09·	Seta Voice debates future of Setas
	Posted by | skills
	The inaugural Inter-Seta Conference is underway in Midrand. Seta CEOs, staff and stakeholders have been discussing the most effective strategies for Setas in the current economic climate.

21-SEP-09·	Ernst & Young top firm for skills development
	Posted by | skills
	Ernst & Young has been awarded the Fasset "Making Best Practise Count Award for 2009 for skills development in South Africa. The award runs in tandem with the Department of Labour National Skills Development for Good Practice Awards.

21-SEP-09·	The future of education and training in South Africa
	Posted by | skills
	Everyone involved in education, training and skills development have, as Theo Garrun recently said in an article appearing in The Workplace, “a vital task on their hands and need to change their mindsets if they want SA to compete on the global stage” My appeal to all is – let’s work together to get it right once and for all.

17-SEP-09·	Minister urged to assist unemployed youth with skills
	Posted by | skills
	The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education has raised concerns about fragmented skills training in the country, highlighting that young people need more information on where to go for skills training. According to Chairperson Marius Fransman, about 2,5 million young people are unemployed and lacking relevant skills, leaving them "marooned unemployable".

02-SEP-09·	Is Zuma's R2,4bn training initiative well-conceived?
	Posted by | skills
	"A separate generous training fund needs to be created to address the critical lack of skills in areas targeted at delivery in government at all levels, in particular municipalities and major parastatals especially Eskom, or Transnet, or those devoted to water, sanitation and road maintenance - areas that have seen increasingly angry protests in recent years," says Rob Dersley.

01-SEP-09·	R120m to help retailers weather the recession
	Posted by | skills
	W&RSeta has announced it will allocate R120 million to assist wholesale and retail sector companies and employees affected by the economic recession through the Training Layoff Scheme. Dept of Labour Guide to the Training Layoff Scheme

30-AUG-09·	Order a copy of the ebook or printed book
	Posted by | skills

19-AUG-09·	Using the downturn to maximise talent
	Posted by | skills
	From previous experience of long downturns we know that two types of companies emerge. There are those who simply dig in, waiting for better days and when their former customers' spending power is restored, they simply expect them to return. The others are the smart ones, writes Malcolm A. Birkin.

18-AUG-09·	Intl aviation organisation to help boost SA aviation skills
	Posted by | skills
	Government and the International Civil Aviation Organisation will address the skills shortage in the local aviation industry through a training plan emphasising safety, security and development.

07-AUG-09·	Make good on your workplace skills plan to train your office professionals
	Posted by | skills
	The Second Annual National Secretaries Conference in September is an excellent opportunity for organisations to make good on their Workplace Skills Plans to train office professionals.

05-AUG-09·	University of Witwatersrand invests in skills development
	Posted by | skills
	The University of the Witwatersrand has announced it will invest R1.4 million over the next year towards the further development of its financial staff through the Association of Accounting Technicians.

22-JUL-09·	Helping hands for those in debt
	Posted by | skills
	The National Debt Mediation Association is non-profit association designed to deliver free, confidential advice and resources to consumers worried about debt. Its mandate is to: “help and relieve over-indebtedness one person at a time”.

22-JUL-09·	Training the foot soldiers of accounting
	Posted by | skills
	“By improving the skills levels of the people who are in effect the foot soldiers of the accounting sector, the quality of local government accounting can be dramatically improved. Skilled people, coupled with formal processes, also means less opportunity for error and is a step towards eliminating dishonest or corrupt practices,” says Chantyl Mulder.

21-JUL-09·	Management must take control
	Posted by | skills
	Managers are becoming more aware of the power of emotional intelligence and how they can use it as a management tool. Kim Kemp asks, is talent pattern development the answer for human capital challenges?

30-JUN-09·	Govt to increase access to higher education
	Posted by | skills
	The 18 percent of students who pass matric and gain entrance to universities is not a true reflection of South Africa's potential, said Dr Blade Nzimande. With 40 percent of people between 18 and 24 neither in employment, education institutions nor in workplace training, something needs to be done in terms of access.

30-JUN-09·	Skills revolution gets a shot in the arm
	Posted by | skills
	By working through the Setas and what is going to be called the Occupational Qualifications sub-Framework of the QCTO, learners will be able to engage in a progression of skills programmes that are academically on par with those offered by colleges and universities … all the way up to post-graduate level, writes Jim Freeman.

29-JUN-09·	Leading differently in tough times
	Posted by | skills
	Now is the time to show courage, to swallow pride and ask for cooperation. Now is the time to ask for commitment and increased productivity. Now is the time to take cognisance of the brain power available and to train these brains to think differently, to be innovative and creative and to develop each individual to his or her full potential, writes Des Squire.

17-JUN-09·	Can skills development practitioners survive without research?
	Posted by | skills
	Research entails much more than retrieving information and writing a report. When following a proper research procedure, information collected will assist in justifying decisions and proposals, add value and create solutions to specific problems, writes Mark Orpen.

10-JUN-09·	UCT GSB launches pioneering Centre for Emergent Markets
	Posted by | skills
	UCT GSB is proud to announce the opening of the Centre for Emergent Market Business, which will build on a deeper understanding of business in key global markets and facilitate business opportunities and skills development, particularly in Africa.

08-JUN-09·	Learning how to learn with Education Alive
	Posted by | skills
	“Our training methods are very interactive and personal. No dry, stuffy, boring lectures. Every one is geared to one objective: understanding," says Dick Turpin from Education Alive; an NGO that helps school children and adults resolve personal and study difficulties.

05-JUN-09·	Facing new challenges in the immigration arena
	Posted by | skills
	Visa applications for foreigners who have needed skills are being delayed because the new list, which was due in February, has not been released. Leon Isaacson predicts increasing protectionism for current businesses or industries that are suffering because of the global economic downturn. “We hope this will not lead to the closing down of opportunities for foreigners to work in South Africa," he says.

03-JUN-09·	Staff motivation through education
	Posted by | skills
	“As we simultaneously cope with the paradox of plummeting economic markets, unstable labour markets and serious skills-shortages due to unbalanced education policies of the past and skilled emigration, education may well be the key that unlocks your staff’s potential and keeps your company going,” says Johan Wasserfall.

03-JUN-09·	Job seekers want to come home
	Posted by | skills
	"Whereas in the past returning South Africans could expect the pick of top career opportunities and several competing job offers within a short space of time, this is unlikely to be the case now," cautions Debbie Goodman-Bhyat.

01-JUN-09·	Negotiation fosters long-term business relationships
	Posted by | skills
	"Negotiating is about gaining insight into another's point of view, and through compromise and collaboration, to work at building strong, mutually-beneficial long-term relationships," says Nicky Lillywhite.

27-MAY-09·	Social networking online – taking virtual corporate presence to the next level
	Posted by | skills
	“It was simply a matter of time before businesses copped on to the strength of online social networking forums to up levels of exposure, generate leads and encourage referrals. The nature of the Internet is such that it lends itself very well to businesses as an automatic, cost effective and simple way to advertise and attract attention,” comments Teryl Schroenn.

19-MAY-09·	Become an accredited manager while you work
	Posted by | skills
	Dionysus, which is a skills development organisation offering learnerships, has announced a National Certificate in Management intended for team leaders, supervisors, first line managers and foreman already employed around South Africa.

18-MAY-09·	Social work declared a "scarce skill"
	Posted by | skills
	Now that social work has been recognised as a "scarce skill", what strategies has the government put in place to combat this problem? Over R210 million has been set aside for 2009/10, but government needs to see that South Africa relies too heavily on its current social workers, says Dr Zola Skweyiya.

07-MAY-09·	Change management as a basis for accelerating skills development
	Posted by | skills
	By using the same concept an individual uses when she wants to stop smoking - by changing the entire way she goes about her life - she can leverage good patterns and break bad ones. By making this choice to change and integrating it with business effectively, between 70 and 90% of people can be successfully changed.

04-MAY-09·	The reversal of SA’s ‘brain drain’
	Posted by | skills
	What can local employers do to represent themselves as companies of choice, as talented expatriates return from a frozen job market overseas? Birgit Thümecke says to keep them motivated with an innovate incentive scheme.

30-APR-09·	Electrical and engineering skills training available in Durban
	Posted by | skills

30-APR-09·	Deadline for Annual Training Reports and Workplace Skills Plans for ETDP Seta
	Posted by | skills
	Employers, claim your 50% of total levies contributed to SARS by submitting your WSP/ ATR to the ETDP Seta before the deadline specified. A failure of this submission may result in a forfeiture of the mandatory grant for the relevant year.

20-APR-09·	The youth vote against failure of our leaders
	Posted by | skills
	Obama understands them, and so does BMW - even Andrew Carnegie has a few things to say about them. But as our elections loom this week, what can our leaders learn from BizTech training about working together to address young people's concerns?

20-APR-09·	Controversy over SA hiring decisions
	Posted by | skills
	"The company’s internal Recruiter was asking him about basic accounting principles...and he was a senior company executive!" There has been a lot of talk in the news and around the water cooler about skills shortages, and perhaps ineffective hiring decisions here at home are more to blame than we're willing to admit.

31-MAR-09·	KZN brings education closer to communities
	Posted by | skills
	An FET College has been established in Clermont, cutting travelling costs and bringing access to education and training to an area that was significantly under-skilled.

30-MAR-09·	Will Manuel's billions improve our education?
	Posted by | skills
	"As the job market becomes increasingly competitive, qualifications need to equip candidates for their chosen fields better than ever before," says Ian Yoell of Edexcel. Which is why, in this time of recession, government needs to ensure that local qualifications translate into better skilled, work-ready people.

17-MAR-09·	Do you know how much your employees are learning?
	Posted by | skills
	Are your training investments delivering the returns they should be? Investing in employee learning is both a legal obligation and necessary for success, but a lot of it depends on improving past mistakes, and understanding current pitfalls. Siyandza Skills Development has designed a way of tracking development using Learning Exchange.

11-MAR-09·	Making sense of the latest 2008 changes to FAIS legislation
	Posted by | skills
	The latest amendments to the FAIS Fit and Proper regulations that were published in October 2008 bring both amnesty to financial service providers who were first registered with the Financial Services Board (FSB) before 2008, and the realisation for others that a full qualification is now the minimum requirement.

05-MAR-09·	Personal Mastery for self-management and personal effectiveness
	Posted by | skills
	This action-learning programme is highly interactive and will involve you in exercises and experiences to take your life and work to a new level of effectiveness and fulfillment

04-MAR-09·	Ivor's comments do hold some water
	Posted by | skills
	In many instances, employers manipulate figures and information to ensure that they can get access to skills funding via the SETA’s irrespective of whether it is actually achievable.

04-MAR-09·	This is a totally misleading statement
	Posted by | skills
	For this reason, many employers in the general industry of banking, insurance, mining, and technology, found the fruit of good skills courses, dedicated to the growth of, and not the pandering to window dressing skills training.

03-MAR-09·	ICT entrepreneurs skill-up
	Posted by | skills
	Cape Town's business accelerator for technology company, the Bandwidth Barn, had teamed up with the Provincial Government to offer in depth training programmes to ICT start-ups.

27-FEB-09·	I lost a training contract because of alll the complications
	Posted by | skills
	Maybe the Setas should get in touch a little bit more with what’s really going in practice and not just sit in there offices thinking out new templates, forms, formats, processes to overload Providers with already back-breaking red tape and paperwork.

26-FEB-09·	Is the law maker going a little over board
	Posted by | skills
	Parenting is the duty of the parent, no amount of time off, will force parents to learn to love and care for their children. There are 4-8 hours of the day left to acquire and interact with your child, this is the duty of the parent, If they choose not to use this time to acquire these skills why must they be afforded time off work

25-FEB-09·	Thinking, and Thinking About Thinking
	Posted by | skills
	There is good money to be made in offering to improve people’s critical powers, their thinking and problem-solving skills, and even their (whole) brain (function).One can nowadays get hold of everything from vitamins to improve ‘intelligence’ and dubious ‘medicines’ for ‘injured’ cells, to courses on thinking skills, ways to exercise the brain, and how to use the whole brain or at least both hemispheres.

16-FEB-09·	Education is critical in developing skills: Molewa
	Posted by | skills
	In order to expand the economy of the North West, Premier Edna Molewa has focussed the provincial government’s attention on skills development. She said the opening of over 252 ABET centres between 2004 and 2008 formed part of their efforts towards attaining a 100 percent literacy rate in the province.

21-DEC-08·	2000 police graduates to boost crime-fighting
	Posted by | skills
	More than 2000 police members graduated in Pretoria and will soon be deployed to police stations around South Africa to help tackle crime head-on. The graduates, who have completed phase one of the police’s basic training and learning programme, held a passing out parade at the Pretoria West Training college.

17-DEC-08·	South Africa, South Korea venture set to boost vocational training
	Posted by | skills
	The government's intensified drive to place artisan development as the vital cog of economic growth strategy Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa (AsgiSA) was last night further boosted when South Africa and South Korea committed to exchanging further expertise on empowering trade assessors.

03-DEC-08·	Census shows school leavers lack proper skills
	Posted by | skills
	Despite improvements in literacy and educational levels, a large number of young people leave schools each year without the necessary skills to compete for gainful employment in the formal sector, according to Census 2001.

03-DEC-08·	Foundation Phase learners show improvement
	Posted by | skills
	The second cycle of Systemic Evaluations at the Foundation Phase shows a positive improvement in the performance of learners in both literacy and numeracy levels. The report released by Education Minister Naledi Pandor showed that the overall mean performance in literacy improved by 6 percent, from 30 to 36 percent while the numeracy levels improved by 5 percent, from 30 to 35 percent.

27-NOV-08·	Market in dire need of business skills
	Posted by | skills
	When thinking of IT training companies tend to focus on the strictly technical areas. But On-Site Training's Richard Rayne has identified a substantial need for skills that cover the entire spectrum of professional business management. On-Site Training are running a special offer on their Certified Business Professional courses to meet this demand.

26-NOV-08·	Roodepoort rewards Konitek
	Posted by | skills
	The Roodepoort Chamber of Commerce and Industry honoured training provider Konitek at the ROCCI 2008 Business of the Year Awards. Connie Jonck, the founding member of the Company, received the Lady ROCCI Business Woman of the Year 2008 – Silver Winner award, and there were a number of other awards for them.

26-NOV-08·	Communities, companies and the state need to work together
	Posted by | skills
	The career advise is a challenge on its own. If we look at both scenarios, i.e. the shortage of skills and the passion of an individual, they are vitally important. Following a career that you do not have a passion of is a frustration for the individual and his surrounding.

26-NOV-08·	Is the govenment doing enough?
	Posted by | skills
	The government is not doing enough to address the problem of skills shortage across all industries, whether it be accounting, engineering social services etc. the biggest problem is that the government is ignoring the people in rural areas and only concertrating in urban arears.

24-NOV-08·	Career guidance for the youth
	Posted by | skills
	As an HR Practitioner, I believe we should give our young people guidance to follow careers that fall within the scarce skills category.One should however look at signs / indications that the individual will enjoy what he/she is will be doing since it is important to find meaning in what you do.

20-NOV-08·	Mpuma Youth Service trainees to graduate
	Posted by | skills
	The NYS is a national government programme that aims to provide youths with skills that will help them find jobs. Spokesperson for the provincial Public Works Department, Ina Georgala, explained that the NYS participants have undergone 12 months of intensive classroom and on-the-job training.

19-NOV-08·	Shortage of accountants requires action
	Posted by | skills
	South Africa currently faces a shortage of over 22 000 accountants which the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA) believes that the shortage could potentially impact on the sound functioning of the economy. They are calling for accounting bodies, tertiary institutions, educators, government and the public and private sector to join hands to devise strategies to train accountants on an unprecedented scale.

10-NOV-08·	South Africa not training effectively to pull economy
	Posted by | skills
	Matric exams begin this week and finals are underway in universities, last year half of matriculants failed and companies report that many graduates have below par skills all of which poses challenges for business and one which not enough are rising to meet.

07-NOV-08·	Train the youth for a better country
	Posted by | skills
	I think as you rightfully say that through training young people can acquire relevant skills to take our country forward but I think the present old generations of South Africans do not create an environment where young people can get trained. Once young people get into the working environment then that is it.

05-NOV-08·	Education Dept to release learner achievement results
	Posted by | skills
	Education Minister Naledi Pandor will release the literacy and numeracy learner achievement results from the Systemic Evaluation Survey conducted at the Foundation Phase in 2007. The baseline measures at grades three and six were established in 2001 and 2004. This is after the department conducted the second cycle of Systemic Evaluations at the Grade three levels in October 2007, with technical support from an independent agency, JET Educational Services,

05-NOV-08·	Labour minister to donate to computer centre
	Posted by | skills
	The unique Mzingazi Computer Training Centre, run by people with disabilities in KwaZulu-Natal, will this week receive a computer center worth R500 000 from Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana. According to the Department of Labour, the minister’s handing over of the cheque will enhance the centre’s reputation as the area’s longstanding provider of technological and other related skills to its largely unemployed community.

03-NOV-08·	Service excellence critical to sustainable tourism growth
	Posted by | skills
	The report titled Leadership in Customer Service that was released in 2007, ranked South Africa’s service delivery standards as the lowest in the world. South Africa’s lack of customer service did not relate to business processes, but to soft skills such as business etiquette, customer care, and service attitude, reported the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT).

03-NOV-08·	SAPS anti-riot water truck to manage crowds during 2010
	Posted by | skills
	The South African Police Service (SAPS) launched a technically advanced water cannon truck which aims to effectively manage unruly crowds and promote stability during the 2009 Confederations Cup and 2010 FIFA World Cup.

29-OCT-08·	Establishing the workplace as a place of learning
	Posted by | skills
	Learning at work encompasses many different learning processes. These are difficult to categorise and compare as they are grounded in different paradigms of learning. In addition they have different goals and are associated with different kinds of activities.

29-OCT-08·	Where should our priorities lie
	Posted by | skills
	I agree, in these tough economic times we are all encouraged to focus less on ‘things’ and more on ‘people’. For example some ways of cutting costs include spending time with friends and family at home rather than going out for entertainment.

29-OCT-08·	Training and skills development is an investment
	Posted by | skills
	It is great to find that our Minister of Finance is rather hopeful and optimistic about ours and the rest of the world’s current economic state. However it is my personal opinion that South African’s generally tend to see training and skills development as an expense rather than an investment in themselves and in their future

28-OCT-08·	FET College helps reform offenders
	Posted by | skills
	Prisoners at the Ekuseni Youth Correctional Centre have been urged to use the learning programmes at the centre to better themselves so they can walk out of the facility with a bright future ahead of them.

27-OCT-08·	Recruitment giant opens specialist ICT division
	Posted by | skills
	A new Information Communication Technology (ICT) Specialist has opend in the the talent management arena. Part of the leading Kelly group, Kelly ICT promises to meet the needs of clients through their specialist Account Managers who have expertise in software development, infrastructure and funcational ICT.

23-OCT-08·	Professional development for trainers and facilitators
	Posted by | skills
	The current view in management thinking across the world is that skills development should be better integrated with line management, and that skills development practitioners should play a more strategic role within workplaces.

21-OCT-08·	IDC adopts 15 Dinaledi schools
	Posted by | skills
	South Africa's Industrial Development Corporation has pledged over R7-million to support the Education Department's Dinaledi schools programme, which is dedicated to improving mathematics and science education in the country. The IDC has adopted 15 schools, and has pledged to support each with R100 000 over the next three years, reports Southafrica.info.

20-OCT-08·	Gautrain takes shape in Nigel workshop
	Posted by | skills
	Many motorists across Gauteng have seen the Gautrain route taking shape along the highways and its stations begin to look less like rubble and more like buildings, but in a workshop in the east of Johannesburg, the Gautrain itself is beginning to take form, writes Nthambeleni Gabara.

20-OCT-08·	SA must communicate its economic achievements
	Posted by | skills
	The International Investment Council (IIC) has said South Africa must actively communicate its economic achievements and its potential to the global investor community.

20-OCT-08·	Declaration of the alliance economic summit
	Posted by | skills
	The Alliance Economic Summit met on the 17th and 18th October. The focus of our Summit was to consolidate the economic policy perspectives that will inform our common election manifesto as we move towards an ANC-led election campaign in the coming months. The ANC government, with a renewed popular mandate, must be able to hit the ground running after next year's elections.

15-OCT-08·	Housing dept offers matrics scholarships
	Posted by | skills
	In an effort to create a pool of highly competent housing professionals, the Department of Housing is offering matriculants scholarships in the field. The National Housing Scholarship Programme is aimed as meeting the demands of South Africa’s complex housing environment, the capacity requirements and the need for more competent housing professionals.

07-OCT-08·	The Performance Management Challenge
	Posted by | skills
	An understanding of the complexity of a full Performance Management programme. The identification of the building blocks and “OD Processes” that must be in place for PMS to succeed. Knowledge of the different “models” of PMS and their benefits.

01-OCT-08·	Honesty rules in salary negotiations
	Posted by | skills
	In today’s business climate it’s important not to price yourself out of the market or be misleading in any way about your package when approached by a headhunter. Madge Gibson, a partner at Jack Hammer Executive Headhunters, says candidates who inflate their salaries let themselves down, as the truth always comes out.

01-OCT-08·	Social intelligence is a crucial skill for your workforce
	Posted by | skills
	Kelly MD Ian Robinson tells us that the social intelligence of a workforce is often linked to the extent to which workers are able to accept and operate in a culturally diverse work environment. The concept of social intelligence is therefore a very important one, and closely related to emotional intelligence.

18-SEP-08·	Project to improve communities, skill youth
	Posted by | skills
	The Masupatsela Youth Pioneer Programme, which will see youth actively trying to improve their communities and the lives of the people around them while learning skills, is to be launched next month. The youth programme aims to develop the youth into "agents of change" by giving them the tools to conduct community service.

17-SEP-08·	Aviation, defence industries can help attract investment
	Posted by | skills
	The South African aerospace industry has the capability to grow and attract investment, says the Minister of Defence Mosiuoa Lekota. The minister was speaking at the opening of the Africa Aerospace and Defence 2008 exhibition at Ysterplaat Air Force Base in Cape Town.

17-SEP-08·	Scientists to find ways of training South Africans
	Posted by | skills
	Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka has urged scientists from around the world to assist South Africa in finding ways to increase the number of skilled scientists in the country through human resource development programmes.

10-SEP-08·	Risk Management skills are in great demand
	Posted by | skills
	The tough economic times have created greater demand for highly skilled technicians in the risk management field. So says Debbie Goodman-Bhyat, who notes that senior and executive-level skills remains a top challenge facing businesses in SA, with one of the high-demand areas being risk management.

08-SEP-08·	SA making progress in providing ICT to rural areas - Mbeki
	Posted by | skills
	South Africa has made some progress regarding the provision of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to South Africans, especially those in rural areas, says President Thabo Mbeki.

07-SEP-08·	Salga aims to improve skills in municipalities
	Posted by | skills
	The South African Local Government Association (Salga) has implemented a wide-range of education and training programmes aimed at improving competence in local municipalities. Spokesperson Mogomotsi Mogodiri said the interventions were impacting positively in the form of better managed municipalities.

03-SEP-08·	Mandela Rhodes Fourndation partners with Oxford Press to promote scholarship
	Posted by | skills
	The Mandela Rhodes Foundation (MRF) and the United Kingdom-owned Oxford University Press (OUP) have signed an innovative partnership which will seek to promote leadership and scholarship in Africa.

02-SEP-08·	Nampak Chooses Training Partner
	Posted by | skills
	In these times of uncertainty brought about by the chronic shortage of skills, particularly in the Supply Chain Arena, it makes enormous sense to form a partnership with a training provider.

29-AUG-08·	Health care training improves job prospects
	Posted by | skills
	Through programmes such as the Ancillary Health Care Training Programme, the Gauteng Department of Health is to ensure that Community Health Workers (CHWs) are provided with comprehensive training that will stand them in good stead as they expand their career paths.

28-AUG-08·	Innovation in technology stimulates economic growth
	Posted by | skills
	Innovation in the world of science and technology is important in stimulating shared economic growth, says Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

28-AUG-08·	National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Bill passed in National Assembly
	Posted by | skills
	The National Assembly passed the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Bill on 19 August and it will become law later this year.

26-AUG-08·	Students invited to take part in website competition
	Posted by | skills
	The ThinkQuest Website Competition 2009, sponsored by the Oracle Education Foundation (OEF), is now open to teams of students, ages 9-19, from anywhere in the world. Each team must be coached by a teacher or school employee

21-AUG-08·	Programme launched to produce more health workers
	Posted by | skills
	Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang will unveil the Clinical Associate Programme, which aims to produce mid-level health workers and improve the health system. The three-year programme will produce a cadre of health professionals who will work mainly in community health centres and district hospitals.

19-AUG-08·	SAPS, Netherlands forged partnership to curb crime
	Posted by | skills
	The South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Netherlands police service have forged a partnership to create a platform to share ideas, skills and training.

03-AUG-08·	Workplace forums and employee committees: Are they worthwhile?
	Posted by | skills
	Employee unhappiness and apparent lack of loyalty is caused, in many instances, by the failure of companies to communicate adequately with employees.

29-JUL-08·	Mastering the Art of Training - Training Course
	Posted by | skills
	Being a specialist in a certain field does not necessarily mean that you can train someone effectively in that field. When imparting your knowledge effectively, you need to communicate clearly and with the confidence that will capture and hold the attention of your audience.

29-JUL-08·	Fasset recognises Best Practice
	Posted by | skills
	“Fasset would like to recognise member organisations that have embraced Best Practice in the area of skills development. To this end Fasset has launched its Making Best Practice Count Awards,” says Fasset CEO, Cheryl James.

29-JUL-08·	High-speed Gautrain couches to be built in Nigel
	Posted by | skills
	Gauteng's East Rand is set to benefit from the spin offs of the Gautrain, with 81 out of 96 of the high-speed train's coaches to be assembled at the Union Carriage and Wagon (UCW) plant in Nigel, to the east of Johannesburg.

28-JUL-08·	Many people have the skills but not the qualifications
	Posted by | skills
	I believe we have enough people to can cover this gap because when I look in the construction industry there are people who have acquired artisan skills. It is just that they don't knowledge as to how they can get the qualifications.

28-JUL-08·	PetroSA opens centre to bolster scarce skills
	Posted by | skills
	A R500 000 state-of-the-art communications centre has been opened at a rural school in the Eastern Cape to help boost the pupil’s expertise and address the skills shortage in the oil refining sector.

24-JUL-08·	Another R9 billion needed for artisan training
	Posted by | skills
	The mining industry has met many of the employment equity and skills development challenges it has faced over the past few years and far exceeds other industries in its commitment to training, says Landelahni Business Leaders CEO Sandra Burmeister. These were the findngs of a survey the organisation ran, which also inidicated that the country needs to train 120 000 artisans and this could cost and addititional R9billion.

22-JUL-08·	South Africa gives rise to a new force in training
	Posted by | skills
	Europe’s largest in-house training academy, Ricoh Linc, the successful training division of global office automation and document imaging leader Ricoh International Corporation, has launched its ICT and Business Academy in South Africa, SkillsLinc, in an effort to improve the massive skills shortage in the country.

21-JUL-08·	Education on social work must improve to meet demand
	Posted by | skills
	Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya has challenged delegates attending the International Schools of Social Work Congress to look at ways of improving the relevance of studies in social work to meet the increasing demand for services.

21-JUL-08·	Residents of Diepsloot to be empowered with skills
	Posted by | skills
	Diepsloot, one of Johannesburg's poorer townships with an estimated half of its 150 000 residents unemployed, will receive a R2-million cash injection for skills development.

20-JUL-08·	Win a skills library from the HSRC Press
	Posted by | skills

17-JUL-08·	Heineken plant to help Gauteng fight poverty
	Posted by | skills
	Dutch brewer Heineken’s R7-billion brewery, which is being built in the Sedibeng District Municipality, will go a long way in helping the provincial government fight poverty and create more jobs.

15-JUL-08·	Unique skills venture helps elevate rural community
	Posted by | skills
	A unique skills empowerment pilot project, conceived two years ago, has enabled the remote Ntabankulu rural folk in the Eastern Cape to boast engineers, information technology specialists and even seasoned rural administrators among their own.

15-JUL-08·	Mdladlana launches scarce and critical skills projects
	Posted by | skills
	Education and skills development remain key to increasing chances of employability and productivity, Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana said during the showcasing of scarce skills training projects in Johannesburg. "Investment in training is the responsibility of all stakeholders, government, enterprises, social partners and individuals," he told the gathered guests.

15-JUL-08·	Government and business not doing enough to slow emigration
	Posted by | skills
	Research undertaken by Manpower South Africa has revealed that 82% of employers think that governments and business are not doing enough to slow the outward migration of talent.

09-JUL-08·	Unleash your communication potential
	Posted by | skills
	A specialist organisational communications course, to be held in KwaZulu Natal next month, will equip participants in strategic and creative skills to ensure optimal ways in releasing the power of organisations. The highly-interactive course is run by communications specialists, Quo Vadis Communications, and sets out to transform the way in which people convey important messages both externally, and internally within a company or organisation.

08-JUL-08·	Workforce energy – releasing potential through coaching
	Posted by | skills
	Research indicates that a massive 70% of the working population are neither engaged nor committed1. Put this in other terms if this were the Springbok rugby team then only about 3 of the squad are ready to get out onto the field and play their hearts out.

05-JUL-08·	New dawn beckons for technology investment in Africa
	Posted by | skills
	Potential investors now experience something vastly different in their dealings with the Africa market claims Lance Fanaroff, joint managing director at the Integr8 Group and its associate companies.

04-JUL-08·	Ready to Read targets young children
	Posted by | skills
	"Many of our children come from homes and schools without books and they do not have the attitudes and skills that come from living in a language- and print-rich environment," Ms Carmichael said, adding that the Ready to Read programme will provide such a platform.

01-JUL-08·	Integr8 IT proves why women now lead in IT
	Posted by | skills
	Tami Sussman, regional director at Integr8 IT, Africa’s leading 400+ people strong ICT managed services provider, has been selected as a potential recipient of the African ICT Achievers ‘Top ICT Business Woman in Africa’ Award.

30-JUN-08·	Find out if you qualify to attend FREE training at CSTI!
	Posted by | skills
	The MFMI (Microfinance Management Institute) network, of which CSTI (Credit Skills Training Institute) is a member, was recently selected by the MasterCard Foundation as one of six organisational recipients of its 2008 Scholars’ Program funding.

30-JUN-08·	Careers in Credit – Debt Counsellor
	Posted by | skills
	Currently there are 294 debt counselors registered in South Africa, having to cater for over 22 000 individuals who have already sought the help of these debt counselors. This shortage could mean debt counselors will be stretched to their limits to help any added consumers

30-JUN-08·	Personal Financial Health Workshop
	Posted by | skills
	South Africa is experiencing a shift in economic policy, entrenched with uncertainty about future prospects, job losses, interest rate hikes, increased food/petrol prices and much more.

19-JUN-08·	Nation building through skills development
	Posted by | skills
	“Setas have a key role to play in assisting South African companies to meet economic growth and job creation targets," explains Fasset CEO, Cheryl James. "By improving finance, accounting and management consulting skills, Fasset is not only contributing to the sound functioning of the economy, but to nation building.”

19-JUN-08·	Eskom to open their own University
	Posted by | skills
	State electricity utility Eskom will spend R800 million per year running its own tertiary institution to train its staff in the hope of reducing its skills shortage. Lack of skills at the utility has been partly blamed for the country's electricity crisis. The Eskom Corporate University, as it is temporarily known, is an extension of the existing Eskom Learning Institution (ELI).

19-JUN-08·	UCT gives SA business leaders tools for tough times
	Posted by | skills
	To help senior business leaders get to grips with local and global business challenges and find innovative ways of creating value during hard times, the UCT Graduate School of Business (GSB) is offering its Executive Leadership Programme (ELP) this August.

17-JUN-08·	AIDS Prevention Programme to be Officially Commended
	Posted by | skills
	The South African youth AIDS prevention project Star School which operates under the auspices of Thanda Lodge’s, The Jobs AIDS Conservation (JAC) Initiative, Star School is being commended the runner up in the Global Business Coalition (GBC) Award for Business Excellence on HIV/AIDS in Community Philanthropy at their annual Awards for Business Excellence in New York City.

17-JUN-08·	Award for chemical industries Seta
	Posted by | skills
	A merit award was conferred on the chemical industries Seta, Chieta, in recognition of consistent attainment of a standard of excellence in the practice of co-operative education. The award was received by Rajen Naidoo, Regional Manager of KZN/E Cape, on behalf of Chieta at the “Co-Operative Education@work” conference, held recently in Durban.

17-JUN-08·	Best practice in assessment and moderation
	Posted by | skills
	Fasset (the Seta for Finance, Accounting, Management Consulting and Other Financial Services) recently hosted a Best Practice in Assessment and Moderation workshop at the Park Hyatt Hotel, in Rosebank, Johannesburg. Well supported by assessors and moderators in the sector, the highly-interactive workshop was presented by the Assessment College’s Managing Director, Gerda Magnus and associate, Abraham de Vries.

17-JUN-08·	Turn newly acquired knowledge into skills with CSTI’s Mentoring Service.
	Posted by | skills
	“Mentoring is to support and encourage people to manage their own learning in order that they may maximise their potential, develop their skills, improve their performance and become the person they want to be.” – Eric Parsloe (The Oxford School of Coaching and Mentoring).

13-JUN-08·	SA’s young entrepreneurs to hone their skills
	Posted by | skills
	Young entrepreneurs will be given the opportunity to debate and hone their skills when the Umsobomvu Youth Fund hosts its 5th Annual Entrepreneurship Development Conference. The four-day conference will create a platform for the entrepreneurship development sector to share and debate ideas, practices and models.

13-JUN-08·	Eskom resumes new connection quotations above 100kVA
	Posted by | skills
	Eskom has announced that it will resume issuing quotations to potential customers who apply for new connections or upgrades above 100 kVA. The announcement follows an earlier decision to review the issuing of new quotations where Eskom continued with connections for projects with a contractual obligation to supply.

13-JUN-08·	Project Management for Non-Project Managers
	Posted by | skills
	Project-based business is growing bigger and bigger every single day. No longer is modern business strictly operations based. More and more key business initiatives are now subject to a defined project plan, with specified deliverables and time constraints.

12-JUN-08·	Skills, Batho-Pele vital for public service: Mbeki
	Posted by | skills
	As South Africa is a developing nation, it needs a public service which is adequately skilled and driven by the principles of Batho-Pele, says President Thabo Mbeki. Despite the challenges faced by government in providing services to the people, the state has over the past financial year improved the integration of monitoring and evaluation systems across national departments, said Mbeki.

09-JUN-08·	Lets stop skills shortage in our country
	Posted by | skills
	I believe employers affected by skills shortages are already very willing to pay competitive salaries to Young Talent, and most of them recruit learners from tertiary institutions, by offering bursaries with a work back period so that there is a guarantee that the youngsters will work for them after completion of studies.

09-JUN-08·	Today a girl child, tomorrow, an African leader
	Posted by | skills
	Firmly committed to women’s development, the BANKSETA joined with employers and service providers to host young ladies from the Mosupatsela Senior Secondary School on the West Rand as part of the BANKSETA Cell C “Take a girl child to work programme”.

09-JUN-08·	St Stithian pupils encouraged to attain high marks
	Posted by | skills
	All learners should strive to broaden and deepen their understanding, skills and knowledge to become informed and attain the highest possible marks in all subjects, says Education Minister Naledi Pandor.

09-JUN-08·	The BANKSETA reaches out to the Eastern Cape
	Posted by | skills
	His Excellency, King Zwelonke Sigcawu, Minister of Labour, Membathisi Mdladlana, MEC for Education: Eastern Cape, Johnny Makgato, representatives from South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), representatives from the BANKSETA and educators from the Eastern Cape attended the launch of the BANKSETA’s Thuthuka Resource Centre Project, in Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape.

08-JUN-08·	Subsidizing the youth-brilliant!
	Posted by | skills
	Yes, we as a company would be taking in young people knowing that we will be only paying half their salaries and the government the other half, we will then use the SDL funds that we claim back to see that they get the necessary training to ensure that their skills be lifted to suit the needs they must deliver within our company.

08-JUN-08·	SA not competitive enough in global skills crisis
	Posted by | skills
	South Africa needs to up its game as a competitive career base for skilled professionals from around the world, given the global shortage of engineering, IT and financial services skills, says Madge Gibson from Jack Hammer Executive Headhunters.

08-JUN-08·	Why sympathize for a wage subsidy
	Posted by | skills
	We at Toyota have a Learnership programme that is proving very successful. Most of the Learners after a six month program are either employed directly into the factory, appointed with our suppliers or enter into apprenticeships, some seek work elsewhere taking their newly acquired skills to other employers and some have entered other programmes elsewhere that take them to NQF level 3 & 4.

08-JUN-08·	Have we lost the 'old fashioned' values
	Posted by | skills
	It is not necessarily the money that motivates but the skills that they have or don’t have and the fact that the youth today are not prepared to work and that includes starting at the bottom on a low wage and working hard and proving yourself.

07-JUN-08·	How about FREE training for the youth
	Posted by | skills
	Once again its management by crisis. A much better way to employ the money would be for the government to turn their attention to better education for all so that the youth are employable once they have finished school.

07-JUN-08·	On the flip side of the coin
	Posted by | skills
	What business person in their right mind would be willing to take the risk of employing these youth, subsidised or not? Many of the so called youth in the country, when given the opportunity of university education lack discipline, respect and self control.

07-JUN-08·	Charity is simply not the answer
	Posted by | skills
	There must be focus on developing youth to do the jobs that are advertised in the media everyday and get them into those joibs once they are skills. There must also be some form of discipline of the youth of this country.

05-JUN-08·	Travel businesses help learners fly!
	Posted by | skills
	“We wish to thank the participating Host Employers who have embraced this skills development initiative” says Don Leffler. “The experience which Learners receive will be most valuable for their future careers” says Don “and will contribute to meeting the demand for specific skills identified as scarce in the travel sector”.

05-JUN-08·	UCT claims victory in varsity business challenge
	Posted by | skills
	Four students from the University of Cape Town have become the first winners of the inaugural FNB Universities Business Challenge (UBC) of South Africa. Coordinated by UBC Worldwide, the competition is aimed at helping university students jump start their careers through realistic simulations of business challenges.

04-JUN-08·	Fifty bursaries for previously disadvantaged learners
	Posted by | skills
	The initiative forms part of a skills development partnership, between the provincial Office of the Premier and the Education, Training and Development Practices Sector Education Training Authority (ETDP SETA), on bursaries for critical and scarce skills.

03-JUN-08·	Skills development initiative
	Posted by | skills
	Effective poverty alleviation will ultimately depend on the personal orientation of the poor: And we as the Saint Vincent de Paul society, a lay charity organisation within the Catholic community have put our capacity where our mouths are.

03-JUN-08·	SA scholars win awards at Model UN debate
	Posted by | skills
	Young South African ambassadors have made the country proud in the recent Model UN debate in New York by taking home the Best Delegation Award and earning two Honourable Mentions.

03-JUN-08·	NW allocates R153m to FET colleges to improve skills
	Posted by | skills
	The North West Department of Education has budgeted R153 million to Further Education and Training colleges (FET), which will intensify its programme of improving skills.

03-JUN-08·	Over R200m to improve working conditions for educators
	Posted by | skills
	In an effort to boost the morale of educators, the North West Department of Education has allocated R245.7 million to upgrade salaries of educators and school principals.

02-JUN-08·	Netcampus launches exciting Certified Contact Centre Professional Program
	Posted by | skills
	Netcampus, in partnership with Microsoft, has developed a welcome new job skills and job placement program in the rapidly growing Call Centre industry. This course has evolved out of the increasing need for proficient and adequately trained staff.

28-MAY-08·	Creativity and Innovation
	Posted by | skills
	In working with people/ groups /teams from many different walks of life – Individuals searching to understand life and themselves more adequately; teams wanting to work more effectively together, enhancing their skills, discovering their passions; teachers integrating creativity into their curriculums; youth seeking to find their voice in society; children trying to take back the freedom of creative play – I witnessed how empowering it is to engage in a creative process.

28-MAY-08·	Actions speaks louder than words
	Posted by | skills
	Will our government be able to see the need to develop our own country first if they see that more skills are required instead of foreigners being important than us?

27-MAY-08·	Skills development, transfer vital for SA defence strategy
	Posted by | skills
	South Africa's soldiers need to be equipped with skills that they can impart to the populace of countries where they perform peacekeeping operations, says Defence Minister Mosioua Lekota.

27-MAY-08·	Train the Trainer project for the DRC
	Posted by | skills
	COOL IDEAS in association with Cowan International recently completed the training of a number of Facilitators from a large mining company in the DRC. The training was run in French, this being the mother tongue of these learners from the Rpublique Dmocratique du Congo. COOL IDEAS can run its training programmes in French.

27-MAY-08·	Peer educators play a pivotal role
	Posted by | skills
	In recent months there has been much debate over the effectiveness of peer education training programmes. Some people are of the opinion that it is a waste of time.Others say we need to possibly rethink some aspects of the process.

26-MAY-08·	The need for skills training on and around Xenophobia
	Posted by | skills
	Recent events in South Africa perpetrated against foreign residents, immigrants and others has come to highlight the degree to which difference can be turned into conflict. It almost goes without say that South Africa is a significant node for urban migration.

26-MAY-08·	Only way out of poverty
	Posted by | skills
	There is no way to lift the millions of the world's poorest people out of the ghetto of poverty other than through sustained economic growth, writes Shaun Benton. This according to a report, by an international group of leading economists, which was released in Cape Town, London, Cairo, New York and the Caribbean island state of St Kitts and Nevis.

26-MAY-08·	People living with disabilities to showcase their skills in eThekwini
	Posted by | skills
	The two-day exhibition, which is to take place at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre on 3 and 4 June, is being hosted by the municipality.

23-MAY-08·	STOP Xenophobic attacks
	Posted by | skills
	It is about time that we as South Africans - and Africans as such - realise that we are part of the global economy, where skills are being transferred frequently from one country to the next.Africans must immediately stop the mentality that everyone not of your specific culture and language, is seen as an alien and a threat

22-MAY-08·	Skilled Zimbabweans heading to South Africa
	Posted by | skills
	The qualifications authority, Saqa, has found that almost 60% of the foreign qualifications they evalute are from Zimbabweans. For nine months last year almost 10 000 Zimbabweans were applying for work permits and required recognition of their qualifications to obtain skilled positions in South Africa.

20-MAY-08·	When business coaches come a-knocking
	Posted by | skills
	Consultants at the Centre for Conscious Leadership (CCL), a South African networked consulting organisation specializing in leadership learning and transformation, say the trend is growing, driven by the positive results gained by both individuals and companies.

20-MAY-08·	Circle of Excellence recognises top South African schools
	Posted by | skills
	The Allan Gray Orbis Foundation has launched a new programme recognising 73 of South Africa’s top secondary schools. Through its Circle of Excellence initiative, the Foundation aims to support and encourage South Africa’s centres of educational excellence to ensure that their high standards are maintained.

20-MAY-08·	Time to change the game plan: play or get off the park!
	Posted by | skills
	"Turn the levy-allocation system on its head," says Jim Freeman. "Instead of giving 20 percent of what is collected to the National Skills Fund and 80 percent to the Setas, do it the other way round.” Freeman believes that in light of SA falling from 38th to 50th in the international productivity ratings it is time for drastic action.

19-MAY-08·	Should the Seta's be replaced
	Posted by | skills
	One would have hoped that with the skills crises in South Africa spanning so many decades, someone at the higher echelons of the education and training arena would by now have had the courage to make the long overdue announcement that.

19-MAY-08·	Cape Town Business School launches wine marketing course
	Posted by | skills
	The University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB) is launching an innovative wine marketing course this June that programme designer Graham Knox calls the “world’s first practical hands-on course in wine marketing”.

19-MAY-08·	Gauteng seeks solutions to skills, capacity challenges
	Posted by | skills
	Senior managers from the Gauteng Provincial Government, including provincial municipalities, are attending a two-day conference to explore various ways of responding to challenges of skills development and capacity of the state.

16-MAY-08·	Become a High Achiever
	Posted by | skills
	Time management and self-management are two skills which once mastered can have the single-most impact on overall job performance and effectiveness.They are essential skills for all successful people irrespective of your career choice.

15-MAY-08·	Is Broadband in SA true?
	Posted by | skills
	Whilst South Africans have had to deal with the reality of load shedding and consistent power cuts, online users remain mindful of the state of another precious resource: broadband – and the issue of access, cost and quality.

14-MAY-08·	Technical high schools to set up committees
	Posted by | skills
	Technical high school principals have been urged to set up committees to develop strategies to address the challenges facing these schools. Addressing the Symposium of Technical High School Principals at Kempton Park, Education Minister Naledi Pandor challenged the principals to propose ways in which the schools could emerge as centres of excellence offering a high demand of education and training.

14-MAY-08·	SAA making strides with restructuring
	Posted by | skills
	Addressing the media at the airlines headquarters, he said: “SAA has made good progress towards achieving its restructuring target and has to date reduced company costs by R1 billion.”

14-MAY-08·	Community of expert practice for ETD Practitioners
	Posted by | skills
	Since 2000 the National Sills Development Strategy has gathered R42 billion in skills development levies to be allocated for training projects. Yet there are only 98 education and training practices (ETD) professionals registered up to NQF level 5. A new initiative is attempting to address this shortage.

13-MAY-08·	Writing & Communicating for Results
	Posted by | skills
	With an ever increasing shift towards less personalized business communications in the form of e-mail and reporting, the demand for quality writing skills has become immense. Effective and concise writing is crucial if you want to add value to your company and achieve your career goals.

13-MAY-08·	R1.3 million for maths and science learners
	Posted by | skills
	The university will use the donation of R1.3 million to enhance the provision of maths and science programmes through its Vuwani Science Centre to schools in the surrounding communities.

13-MAY-08·	The art of negotiating
	Posted by | skills
	According to course director Barney Jordaan, the UCT GSB course is the distillation of years of experience in negotiation and addresses an important shortfall in skills development in the field and offers expertise that can be applied to any role that involves striking deals.

12-MAY-08·	Feature: SA on track to receive 10 million foreign visitors by 2010
	Posted by | skills
	With nine million foreign visitors coming to South Africa in 2007, South Africa can attain the government’s goal of having 10 million tourists in the country ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, writes Michael Appel.

09-MAY-08·	Education is a salary determining factor
	Posted by | skills
	Education has emerged as the greatest determining factor in South Africa when it comes to salaries, economist Mike Schüssler said at the release of the 7th United Association of South Africa (UASA) Employment Report. Graduates with a Bachelors degree will earn 350% more than someone with only Matric.

07-MAY-08·	Networks - breathing digital life into ICT
	Posted by | skills
	Amidst higher levels of local technology infrastructure roll out and adoption, the corporate network has emerged as the pinnacle of Information Technology control and sustainability in the workplace.

06-MAY-08·	Technological and developmental cash-up
	Posted by | skills
	I believe South Africa is chasing the pack and probably what we see is the land scape of dust. The government has entrusted employees with much trust in this skills partnership. However, it seems the relationship is not cosy and cordial.

06-MAY-08·	ORT learners ask panel tough questions
	Posted by | skills
	ORT SA recently hosted a networking breakfast, followed by a panel discussion, for learners on the Fasset-funded CAT Work Readiness Programme. Panelists included representatives from Fasset, ACCA, Boston, ORT, PAT, Kelly and Absa.

05-MAY-08·	Is the work you do giving you the blues?
	Posted by | skills
	Kereeditse, a 33 year old Personal Assistant from the West Rand has been asking herself a similar question. For eight years she has experienced high levels of discontent and suffered a variety of physical symptoms accompanying her unhappiness - chronic fatigue, loss of concentration and regular headaches.

29-APR-08·	Unversity offers opportunity to aspirant lawyers
	Posted by | skills
	The University of Pretoria’s Law Faculty is giving aspirant lawyers, learners currently at high schools across Pretoria an opportunity to use their existing knowledge of legal arguments at mock court sittings.

29-APR-08·	Kick start your career!
	Posted by | skills
	Do you see yourself as someone with a creative flair? Do you have a natural ability to interact with people? Can you imagine yourself organising events like product launches and promotions?

22-APR-08·	Unions must protect workers against HIV/AIDS discrimination
	Posted by | skills
	Trade unions must ensure that their members are not discriminated against HIV and AIDS and that they benefit from the awareness programmes available, says Minister of Social Development, Zola Skweyiya.

21-APR-08·	Skills centre to support SA’s building sector
	Posted by | skills
	The newly launched construction skills training centre in Midrand is to address the skills shortage in the construction industry ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

21-APR-08·	Give persons with disabilities a break
	Posted by | skills
	Umsobomvu Youth Fund hopes to raise awareness of the challenges faced by people with disabilities through their ‘Invite a Person with a Disability to Work’ campaign. The initiative will see unemployed young people spend two days at participating companies with the aim of exposing them to the workplace.

21-APR-08·	Why Invest in Training ?
	Posted by | skills
	Even though most executives say that their employees are their greatest asset, the fact remains that investments (such as training) in human capital are considered expenses, and not necessarily an investment.

21-APR-08·	Career choices in debt collection - The debt collector
	Posted by | skills
	Have you ever considered starting a career within the debt collection environment? In the following section we will discuss what the duties and responsibilities of a debt collector entails and how CSTI can help you achieve success within this career.

18-APR-08·	Making better SETAs
	Posted by | skills
	Much have already been said about the performance of SETAs and much will still be said.I read the article by Jim Freeman with interest, searching for solutions.

18-APR-08·	Online marketing the primary step in business evolution
	Posted by | skills
	Entrepreneurs who would like to expand their business operations and ventures will not go very far if they fail to establish online presence. That being said, however, it is wise to exercise caution when selecting a service provider in this ultra competitive market suggests Abby Wakama, MD at Real Africa Netevolution (Pty) Ltd., a national digital marketing agency based in Gauteng.

17-APR-08·	But the emperor has no clothes!
	Posted by | skills
	In the final article of this three-part series, Jim Freeman reflects Nedlac’s views on Seta capacity, monitoring and performance management. He discusses some of the implications of the draft amendments to the Skills Development Act and comes up with a couple of ideas of his own.

15-APR-08·	e-Learning the ropes by example pays off in payroll
	Posted by | skills
	The principle of gaining experience and developing skills sets from within a company and through mentorship and coaching is taking root on a national basis within HR and payroll administration. This is one of the core principles behind the service offering conceptualised and applied by Accsys, a provider of HR and payroll management software.

15-APR-08·	Go for Gold has proven its success
	Posted by | skills
	Go for Gold, a unique educational initiative with a proven track record in training and placing recently skilled graduates in key technical positions in the construction industry, is reaching out to new partners and supporters in the Gauteng and the Western Cape.

14-APR-08·	Equality, empowerment and excellence through e-learning
	Posted by | skills
	In keeping with its corporate policy of equal opportunity, in-house training and skills development, Human Resource representatives from IEMAS (Co-Operative) Ltd. have helped to carve out an opportunity within payroll administration within the company for Noel Lotter, a 22-year old hearing impaired student from Pretoria.

13-APR-08·	'Business unusual' for finance Seta
	Posted by | skills
	“While Fasset’s eight year of operation has proved another very successful year for the Seta, external environmental factors have meant that it is a case of business unusual,” says Fasset CEO, Cheryl James.

12-APR-08·	Female entrepreneurs get R95 000 boost
	Posted by | skills
	Three young female entrepreneurs in the hospitality and tourism industries have received a cash injection from the South African Breweries (SAB) Ltd totalling R95 000. This through a pilot initiative called the Women in Business which was recently unveiled by the company.

12-APR-08·	Deadline for schools pledge submissions extended
	Posted by | skills
	The new Bill of Responsibilities for the youth of South Africa, which will be taught in all schools as part of life orientation skills, was unveiled by the Minister of Education Naledi Pandor in February.

10-APR-08·	Neotel Academy to address skills shortage
	Posted by | skills
	South Africa’s new telecommunications services provider Neotel has launched a training academy in an effort to respond to the critical ICT skills shortage in the country. “ Our aim is to develop a pool of expertise in response to the current and future skills needs and competency gaps of the growing South African telecommunications market,” said Ajay Pandey CEO of Neotel at the launch of the Neotel Telecommunications Academy

09-APR-08·	Bontle ke Botho to bring employment to youth
	Posted by | skills
	Unemployed youth of Bronkhorstspruit and surrounding areas are to benefit from a government campaign which employs the youth in waste management and recycling. The Bontle ke Botho Clean and Green (BkB) campaign was unveiled at the Bronkhorspruit Sport Centre.

02-APR-08·	White males still clinching top jobs
	Posted by | skills
	White male professionals are still securing top jobs and in certain sectors account for the majority of candidates placed by headhunters – particularly at senior management level - according to Jack Hammer Executive Headhunters. A majority of all placements in the country are for white males.

01-APR-08·	Signs of an impending winter of discontent
	Posted by | skills
	Young industrial relations practitioners are likely to find themselves in new territory this year; as wage negotiations commence and union organizers submit the wage increase demands of their members – not for many years have employers been faced with potential settlement percentages in double digits.

31-MAR-08·	Another extremely popular skills development simulation
	Posted by | skills
	Do you find implementing Skills Development a challenge and are not seeing results, then this incredibly powerful one day simulation workshop is for you. You will analyse a real business scenario, work through the phases from auditing to analysing the cost/benefit on the organisation and then learn how to apply this to your organisation.

31-MAR-08·	The Kha ri Gude Mass Literacy Campaign: two weeks to first classes
	Posted by | skills
	The South African Literacy Campaign, launched by the Minister Naledi Pandor, is intended to enable 4.7 million adults to become literate between 14 April and the end of 2012. It is through this campaign that the developmental state welcomes new learners to the portals of learning.

31-MAR-08·	PBS College: Introducing the new-look
	Posted by | skills
	PBS College has gone through a great deal of transformation over the last three months and they are now launching their brand new image. They have expanded their focus to include more skills based courses, while still maintaining a high professional standard in their academic subjects.

31-MAR-08·	Live Your Passion
	Posted by | skills
	I was reading about a "new" technique that can help you deal with many fears, including stage fright.I became so excited knowing I will get to share this during Powerful Presentations.

30-MAR-08·	A few things you should know about Umbani Training Centre
	Posted by | skills
	Our training is professional, hands on, result driven training. Our aim is to ensure that our candidates leave the centre with not only a qualification but also knowledge. Our facilities are some of the BEST around according to clients and students

29-MAR-08·	The challenge of leadership is living up to promises and delivering
	Posted by | skills
	Major training company finds interesting trends in what courses business is demanding. It is not only in politics that leadership issues are being hotly contested, business is doing more to build more effective leaders too.

29-MAR-08·	Second Thuthuka Small Practices Project launched
	Posted by | skills
	A group of learners from the Eastern Cape were so enthusiastic about being accepted onto the programme, that they persuaded SAICA to provide them with funding so that they could hire a Toyota Quantum to enable them to drive through the night from Port Elizabeth to attend the launch.

29-MAR-08·	Deutsche Bank funds SA youths’ financial literacy
	Posted by | skills
	Deutsche Bank has invested R500 million into a partnership programme to empower young South Africans with skills in financial literacy. Operation HOPE has announced their partnership with Deutsche Bank, whose investment will be ploughed into Banking on Our Future (BOOF) South Africa.

29-MAR-08·	Teachers praised for education excellence
	Posted by | skills
	Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka has praised educators for their commitment to education as well as the impact their work was having on addressing the country’s skills shortage.

28-MAR-08·	To progress in your career consider a “Personal business trainer”
	Posted by | skills
	Progression in your career, like anything else in life, may require the assistance of others. Many people have a personal trainer at the gym to assist with physical development.

28-MAR-08·	Programme puts SA business on the road to success
	Posted by | skills
	Entrepreneurs who graduated from the International Trade Management (ITM) Programme are to become emerging South African businessmen and women with the necessary skills to grow, develop and establish companies that are locally and internationally competitive.

19-MAR-08·	Academy to enhance ICT skills
	Posted by | skills
	President Thabo Mbeki has praised the new e-Skills Academy of South Africa, saying it has an important role to play in training the youth of the country. ”It has the ability to brighten the prospects for the youth and offer them opportunities that they would have never had access to before,” Mbeki said.

18-MAR-08·	Qualifications awarded to women and black learners
	Posted by | skills
	A Saqa document sheds light on the trends in universities over the last decade. While the proportion of qualifications awarded to Black and women graduates has increased substantially, the majority of these qualifications are still at relatively low levels – 6 and 7 on the National Qualifications Framework.

17-MAR-08·	SA not able to use its material wealth to undo past damages
	Posted by | skills
	According to Ehrenreich, who represented labour at the debate, South Africa has not been able to use its material wealth to undo the damages of the past. Big business deals between multi-national organisations don’t help to solve social problems.

17-MAR-08·	Facing up to the challenge
	Posted by | skills
	People Solutions is the result of a combination of three individuals' passion for people development, understanding of job competencies and the power of training.

17-MAR-08·	Your excellence makes you indispensable!
	Posted by | skills
	I find that the biggest problem with the development of skills in our country is MOTIVATION. People are looking for ‘a job’ not any level of ‘meaning’. There has to be a passion for what you do, not just the promise of a paycheck.

17-MAR-08·	Students must lead energy conservation in SA
	Posted by | skills
	Students at the University of Fort Hare have been urged to lead the country in cultivating a culture of energy conservation.

17-MAR-08·	Property group invests millions in agent training
	Posted by | skills
	Over the next three years the Pam Golding Property group will invest in excess of R30 million in training all its agents. The aim is to ensure that they are fully compliant with the requirements of the new national curriculum for education and training and meet the growing demands of an increasingly demanding and sophisticated marketplace, according to CE Dr Andrew Golding.

17-MAR-08·	The Big Conference: Time for a value reassessment ?
	Posted by | skills
	"Big conferences are back in fashion. Many are presented by organisations that are in the conference business rather than in the business of education and training, and so have the profit motive as their driver," comments Malcolm Birkin. "Shouldn't they be trying to find the best route for the dissemination of information - rather than profit, as their primary objective?" he asks.

13-MAR-08·	The good, the bad and the ugly
	Posted by | skills
	It is not easy to select the ‘best fit’ between what your company needs, and the trainers and/or courses on offer. As a rough and ready guide, every available option will be good enough for something or someone’s needs; the question is, is it the best choice for you or your organization? A great deal of time and other resources are wasted on misdirected interventions.

12-MAR-08·	Setas urged to assist disabled people
	Posted by | skills
	The Sector Education and Training Authorities (Setas) should develop a common vision around strategies aimed at assisting disabled people to access the highest skills empowerment opportunities, says Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana.

12-MAR-08·	Searching for skilled South Africans abroad
	Posted by | skills
	The Homecoming Revolution is to hold a recruitment exhibition in Dubai. The exhibition is part of a strategy to encourage South Africans working in Dubai, of which there could be as many as 100 000, to return home.

11-MAR-08·	Western Cape learners to get computer skills
	Posted by | skills
	Primary school learners in the Western Cape are to receive training in an internationally recognised information technology (IT) programme.

11-MAR-08·	Med students must invest their skills in SA
	Posted by | skills
	South African medical students have been urged to invest their skills in the country and not take them abroad after completing their studies.

11-MAR-08·	North West awards 23 enviro interns
	Posted by | skills
	The North West Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment is to award certificates to 23 interns who successfully completed a 12-month internship programme on environmental management.

11-MAR-08·	Nedbank launches R15m bursary scheme
	Posted by | skills
	Financial services group Nedbank has launched a R15 million bursary programme aimed at addressing skills shortages in the banking and finance sector.

10-MAR-08·	Cuban engineers to impart skills in North West
	Posted by | skills
	Cuban engineers have arrived in the North West province to help fast track infrastructure service delivery and to empower their technological skills to local residents.

10-MAR-08·	SAA to strengthen African routes
	Posted by | skills
	South African Airways (SAA), a member of the Star Alliance Network, will continue to expand its African route network to new destinations while adding capacity on various routes.

10-MAR-08·	CDC secures funding for its skills programme
	Posted by | skills
	The Coega Development Corporation has signed a cooperation agreement with the Food and Beverages SETA which will see the opening of 150 apprenticeships and learnerships in the electrical and mechanical engineering trades.

06-MAR-08·	Coaches training institute introduces a no risk guarantee
	Posted by | skills
	Johannesburg, Gauteng March 5, 2008 The Coaches Training Institute (South Africa) (“CTI-ZA”) announced that it has introduced a No-Risk Guarantee for its Co-active Fundamentals Program in South Africa.

06-MAR-08·	Polestar PM makes Project Management Training easy
	Posted by | skills
	Foster-Melliar, a wholly owned subsidiary of Simeka Business Solution Group is introducing a dynamic new training program that is aimed at enhancing the understanding of effective project management in a fraction of the time by adding G2G3’s Polestar PM to their bouquet of comprehensive training offerings.

06-MAR-08·	How to stop e-mail clutter at work from immobilising you
	Posted by | skills
	In today's high-pressure business environment, many people feel unable to cope with the volume of work they are expected to get through each day. This sense of being overwhelmed is compounded when they find themselves facing a flood of new e-mail messages every time they open their inboxes, sending stress levels soaring.

06-MAR-08·	KwaZulu-Natal educ gets the largest budget
	Posted by | skills
	The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education has been allocated R2.8 billion, which is the largest share of the provincial budget, to further advance its mission of providing equitable access to education.

05-MAR-08·	Gauteng invests in skills and job creation
	Posted by | skills
	Investing in skills development, job creation, ensuring faster economic growth and fighting poverty have been set as priorities for the Gauteng provincial government for the next year.

05-MAR-08·	North West govt addresses scarce skills in health
	Posted by | skills
	North West MEC for Finance Maureen Modiselle has allocated R181 million towards ensuring that health care workers with critical and scarce skills are built and retained in the province.

28-FEB-08·	Pre-employment screening as a critical risk-management tool
	Posted by | skills
	In today's competitive economic environment, companies cannot afford to be side-tracked by employee problems such as dishonesty, theft, false CV’s, fraud or harassment.

28-FEB-08·	Happy Hello's and the battle for top talent
	Posted by | skills
	Last year almost every senior management professional placed in the financial services sector by leading SA executive headhunting firm, Jack Hammer, received a sign-on bonus. And hand-in-hand with that came a significant increase in recruitment expenditure last year.

28-FEB-08·	Colleges Simply do not deliver
	Posted by | skills
	Since the start of the SETAs I was very involved in their activities because I really believed that they could make a difference – just to be proofed wrong again.

28-FEB-08·	There has been a steady shift away from the concept
	Posted by | skills
	Originally, levy-payers received 60% of their levies back through mandatory grants, with 20% going to the national skills fund, 10% for SETA administration and the balance going to sunrise developments.

27-FEB-08·	UCT business school launches HR course
	Posted by | skills
	Human Resources practitioners will have a unique opportunity to sharpen their practical HR skills on a new programme launching at the UCT Graduate School of Business (GSB) this April.

27-FEB-08·	Africa’s international arrivals up 44 million
	Posted by | skills
	International arrivals to African totalled 846 million in 2006, representing an additional 44 million arrivals over the preceding year with the same growth imminent for 2007

26-FEB-08·	Affirmative Action is dead
	Posted by | skills
	Trade union Solidarity began to publish a series of national advertisements announcing the death of affirmative action.

21-FEB-08·	Mehl: Employers must promote workplace learning
	Posted by | skills
	At the Workplace Learning conference, presented by the chemical industry Seta, Chieta, employers were challenged to participate in the processes that will lead to a new-look Seta landscape. There are many changes in store for the skills landscape over the coming years and they have the potential to energise the 'skills revolution'.

21-FEB-08·	Pre-employment screening as a critical risk-management tool
	Posted by | skills
	In today's competitive economic environment, companies cannot afford to be side-tracked by employee problems such as dishonesty, theft, false CV’s, fraud or harassment.

21-FEB-08·	Foreign investment to create jobs in KZN
	Posted by | skills
	The KwaZulu-Natal government has embarked on a foreign investment strategy to woo investors into the province, in order to create thousands of permanent jobs for the unemployed.

20-FEB-08·	SA will weather the storm - Manuel
	Posted by | skills
	Whilst much of the world is suffering from soaring oil, gold and platinum prices in the midst of a global slow down, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel is confident South Africa will weather the storm

20-FEB-08·	Manuel wants skills levies for FET Colleges
	Posted by | skills
	Finance Minister Trevor Manuel has announced in this budget speech that the government is looking at ways for the Skills Development Levy to be used to support state-owned FET Colleges. He estimated that by 2010 the levy would raise more than R9 billion.

18-FEB-08·	Coega plans skills development centre
	Posted by | skills
	One of South Africa’s most exciting industrial hubs, the Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ), will soon have its own skills development centre.

18-FEB-08·	Mpuma Tourism, Parks body seeks new CEO
	Posted by | skills
	The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) is searching for a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to take over the helm.

18-FEB-08·	Training plan to boost govt managers’ skills
	Posted by | skills
	A training project which aims to improve the skills of junior, middle and senior managers in the public service will be unveiled in Mpumalanga

18-FEB-08·	Eastern Cape budgets R85m for needy students
	Posted by | skills
	The Eastern Cape has invested more than R85 million in supporting financially needy students to obtain their basic qualifications

15-FEB-08·	Millions for construction training
	Posted by | skills
	The Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) plans to spend at least R70 million this year on education and training in the construction sector

14-FEB-08·	Chef Academy to boost skills
	Posted by | skills
	Thirty-six aspirant chefs from disadvantaged backgrounds were officially welcomed to the Compass Group Chef Academy by Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka

13-FEB-08·	Chefs Academy unlocks international opportunities
	Posted by | skills
	The Compass Group Chef Academy has guaranteed top achieving learners an opportunity to work abroad, for the Compass group, which operates in 64 countries around the world

13-FEB-08·	Computer programme shows positive results
	Posted by | skills
	An International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) programme at the St Mary’s Diocesan School for Girls which started two years ago has shown positive results

13-FEB-08·	Ensuring that the office frontline is not a war zone
	Posted by | skills
	For many of us the worst wars we will ever endure are getting past the warriors, thinly disguised as switchboard, reception or frontline staff.

13-FEB-08·	The new role of HR in corporate South Africa – time to sink or swim
	Posted by | skills
	HR as a function and a profession is transforming – willingly or unwillingly. No more the traditional administrative and process-focused role of the past.

12-FEB-08·	All SA learners now on same curriculum
	Posted by | skills
	This year marks the first year that all learners will be on the same national school curriculum

12-FEB-08·	Learners could be reciting pledge by March
	Posted by | skills
	Schoolchildren could be reciting the National Schools Pledge at their morning assemblies by March, to coincide with Human Rights month

08-FEB-08·	Business Unusual prioritises education and skills
	Posted by | skills
	More efficient FET Colleges and Setas, as well as a national Abet rollout were some of the highlights of the State of the Nation speech delivered by President Thabo Mbeki. 300 000 adults will be targeted in the mass literacy campaign.

07-FEB-08·	Africa must retain skilled professionals to industrialise - Mbeki
	Posted by | skills
	To achieve all our industrial development objectives, skills development and mobilisation of human resources, both on the continent and in the Diaspora...attention needs to be given to the retention of skills within the continent

07-FEB-08·	Cuban building experts share skills
	Posted by | skills
	Construction experts from Cuba have been deployed in the North West to assist in addressing the province’s skills shortage in the building sector. The agreement entailed South Africa employing Cuban technical advisors in the fields of architecture, engineering, project management and other fields in the building and property industries.

07-FEB-08·	To few students have the right attitude
	Posted by | skills

31-JAN-08·	World class PC skills for education officials
	Posted by | skills
	Staff at the Western Cape Education Department are to receive an internationally recognised computer training course

31-JAN-08·	North West students awarded 52 bursaries
	Posted by | skills
	Delighted North West students were awarded 52 bursaries by Premier Edna Molewa to further their studies at tertiary institutions of their choice across the country

31-JAN-08·	Cape Town sees economic growth in 2006/7
	Posted by | skills
	The City of Cape Town has made progress in economic growth, according to its Annual Report for 2006/2007 financial year.

31-JAN-08·	Leading coach training school now in Kwazulu-Natal
	Posted by | skills
	CTI's pioneering Co-Active model is founded on the core principle that people are naturally creative, resourceful and whole and completely capable of finding their own answers to whatever challenges they face

31-JAN-08·	Education a foundation for the future - Moseneke
	Posted by | skills
	Tertiary education must lay an ongoing foundation for young future leaders of the South Africa, the Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke said at the opening ceremony of the University of South Africa’s academic year.

31-JAN-08·	Major skills drive underway in Letaba Municipality
	Posted by | skills
	More then 150 municipal workers in the Greater Letaba municipality in Limpopo will receive basic training in typing and computer, first aid, communication, house-building, plumbing and roads and signage

31-JAN-08·	Ekurhuleni, engineering sector partner to grow skills
	Posted by | skills
	The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality will be meeting with stakeholders from the engineering sector to discuss programmes to develop priority skills in the industry

28-JAN-08·	Tourism plan to outline scarce skills needed
	Posted by | skills
	A Tourism Skills Sector Plan for 2008/09 is to increase South Africa's skills base by outlining the scarce skills required in the tourism industry

25-JAN-08·	New HR/payroll internship bursary from Accsys
	Posted by | skills
	Accsys, a national provider of Human Resource and payroll management software, is delighted to announce the introduction of the Accsys Payroll Internship Bursary Programme.

24-JAN-08·	The re-branding of HR
	Posted by | skills
	"In many companies HR has a credibility problem," writes Dr. Edmund Rudman from the Maccauvlei Learning Academy. "The solution is not to broaden or deepen the range of products and services, but rather to engage in more meaningful relationships with the line management," argues Rudman.

24-JAN-08·	Open season for the headhunting industry
	Posted by | skills
	The headhunting industry is bracing itself for its busiest period as companies bed down annual strategies and identify crucial human resources gaps. It is also the time of year, says Debbie Goodman-Bhyat, in which highly skilled individuals are much more willing to hear about new employment opportunities as they take stock of their careers.

24-JAN-08·	IoD Awards Bursary Fund to UCT Graduate School of Business
	Posted by | skills
	With a view to further developing managerial capacity within South Africa, the Institute of Directors (IoD) has increased its bursary funding to the UCT Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB) in 2008 and pledged to continue its funding for a further three years

23-JAN-08·	What is the role of the union rep in the skills development committee?
	Posted by | skills
	One reader wants to know what the role of the union rep should be on the skills development committee. "I am asking that question because the union that I deal with is always objecting to everything". In our Asked and Answered feature we provide both the legal and the practical answer.

16-JAN-08·	Feature: Irish-SA partnership going strong
	Posted by | skills
	Following talks between a South African delegation consisting of President Thabo Mbeki and Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka amongst others, and Mr Ahern’s delegation, both parties agreed that they would be taking their relationship to the next level

15-JAN-08·	Make sure your career solutions are mapped out
	Posted by | skills
	It is important to assess your career goals at least once a year. Whether you are happy in your job, seeking to change employer or career or trying to find a job, assessing how you can improve is crucial to sustain an effective career balance.

15-JAN-08·	Beating the job searching blues
	Posted by | skills
	Doing the groundwork is the key to beating the job searching blues. In fact, according to SA’s top people organisation, Kelly, the start of your job searching should include a thorough audit of your CV and research into what jobs are on offer that match your skills and experience.

15-JAN-08·	Dept awards 25 bursaries for agri, land courses
	Posted by | skills
	Twenty-five matriculants in Mpumalanga have been given bursaries to study towards various careers in the fields of agriculture and land administration.

14-JAN-08·	OD-ETD programme and Assessor training programme
	Posted by | skills
	COOL IDEAS are specialist in the field of Occupationally-Directed Education, Training & Development Practices, as well as development of high quality training and assessment materials.

11-JAN-08·	Continuous learning is key to a brighter furture for office professionals!
	Posted by | skills
	In order to be successful in a career, one needs to be aware that continuous learning in your chosen profession is of utmost importance. You need to be up-to-date with the ever increasing technological changes and the current trends in the workplace

11-JAN-08·	Dugmore encourages young people to opt for FET Colleges
	Posted by | skills
	Western Cape Colleges will begin in earnest next week with the National Vocational Certificate (NVC) programmes entering their second year. The NVC offers renewed opportunity for young people to complete the equivalent of matric and acquire vital skills, which could make them almost immediately employable

11-JAN-08·	Mastering Time Management & Self Management
	Posted by | skills
	Time management and self-management are two skills which once mastered can have the single-most impact on overall job performance and effectiveness. They are essential skills for all successful people irrespective of your career choice.

09-JAN-08·	Youth Fund supports matrics, job seekers
	Posted by | skills
	The Umsobomvu Youth Fund’s (UYF) new “Start Here” campaign is to offer training and support seminars to last year’s failed and passed matriculants, and new job seeking graduates.

15-DEC-07·	Companies invited to help people with disabilities
	Posted by | skills
	For some, two days in a workplace is not enough but for a person with a disability who never had such an experience, it is an opportunity of a lifetime. In an attempt to address this challenge, Umsobomvu Youth Fund (UYF) has launched the Invite a Person with a Disability to Work Campaign aimed at creating awareness among employers and employees regarding disability issues in the workplace.

13-DEC-07·	Education – Start planning for it early on
	Posted by | skills
	Planning for your child’s education should start as early as possible – long before your tiny mite has even had his or her first taste of rice cereal – because unless you start planning and saving well in advance, a quality education could become unaffordable.

12-DEC-07·	UCT Develops Management Expertise in SA Call Centre Industry
	Posted by | skills
	The Advanced Programme in Call Centre Leadership, launched in 2007, harnesses the knowledge of industry experts, explores the latest industry research and best practice, and involves enlightening industry visits to both in-house and outsource call centres.

10-DEC-07·	Stress, the Call Centre environment and Employee turnover
	Posted by | skills
	I was recently chatting to a colleague over lunch and she was bemoaning the fact that once again she had gone through the training program for a fresh bunch of recruits and once again she had been let down by 2 out of 10 of them leaving when they decided "this isn't really for me.

10-DEC-07·	Restraint of Trade: The Battle to Retain Skills
	Posted by | skills
	It is in a company’s best interests to prioritise proactive staff retention, rather than concentrating efforts exclusively on creating barriers to exit for employees who wish to leave.

06-DEC-07·	Analysing trends in skills training
	Posted by | skills
	South Africa’s skills shortage is biting deep with a top training company seeing a dramatic rise in training courses for management support staff and methods to assist new managers to cope. A new determination to deliver on projects is also clear from training courses opted for.

06-DEC-07·	Skills training will help honour grandmother
	Posted by | skills
	A young woman from Ivory Park hopes to honour her grandmother’s memory by purchasing a tombstone for her, once she returns from skills training in India.

06-DEC-07·	Taking the virtual route to payroll qualification
	Posted by | skills
	Industry leaders are encouraged by a noticeable increase in interest in the Internet as a medium for education.

05-DEC-07·	HIV/AIDS Counselling
	Posted by | skills
	In order to make an informed or educated decision about having an HIV test it is important to understand what is involved, why you should have a test, or why not. This is one of the reasons for counselling. There are emotional issues to deal with.

05-DEC-07·	The Changing Face of Leadership in Business
	Posted by | skills
	Whilst it is encouraging to note an improvement in the ratio of women who are positioned at executive level in the boardrooms of companies, there is still much work to be done to reinforce gender equality in business.

04-DEC-07·	Distance learning, via Lyceum College, is a good option
	Posted by | skills
	The national skills gap is a common news headline ahead of 2010 with areas such as management, metro police, construction, engineering, tourism and the creative arts all high on priority lists. Distance learning from Lyceum College can help.

04-DEC-07·	Paralegal-Take the law into your hands
	Posted by | skills
	The profession which made Erin Brokovich a household name, helped land Julia Roberts an Oscar and exposed a major contamination case which resulted in the largest settlement paid in US history – could just be the career for you.

03-DEC-07·	Workshop uplifts disabled people
	Posted by | skills
	Pretoria Workshop for the Blind has changed so many lives of disabled people while also managing to break stereotypes around people living with disabilities, writes Luyanda Makapela

30-NOV-07·	Innovation central to Africa’s Renaissance
	Posted by | skills
	Technology and innovation is imperative to the success of initiatives aimed at reconstruction and development within Africa. Socio-economic programs, such as the state-backed New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD), have some degree of dependence on connectivity and infrastructure.

30-NOV-07·	New Programme Launched for Developing Management Skills in the Events Industry.
	Posted by | skills
	The first programme of its kind to run at a local business school, it will play a role in building capacity so that South Africa can host 2010 FIFA World Cup events with aplomb and also fully capitalise on event hosting opportunities post-2010.

27-NOV-07·	Colleges central to delivery of priority skills
	Posted by | skills
	Further Education and Training colleges are central to the delivery of priority skills needed in South Africa, according to the Minister of Education, Naledi Pandor.

27-NOV-07·	Arts and Culture inaugurates 89 interns
	Posted by | skills
	Learners should use the internship programmes to advance their chosen career paths in the “exciting and dynamic” fields of arts and culture, says Arts and Culture Deputy Minister Ntombazana Botha

27-NOV-07·	UK lures graduates from the SA financial sector
	Posted by | skills
	Figures recently released by Stats SA show that there are still far too few people graduating with tertiary qualifications to adequately address the scarce skills gap in South Africa.

22-NOV-07·	Men, boys urged to march against violence
	Posted by | skills
	Men and boys must stand up and be counted in the campaign to end violence against women and children by taking part in the marches that are being planned as part of this years 16 days campaign, says Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

22-NOV-07·	Accsys PeoplePlace – in the business of placing the right people
	Posted by | skills
	It has been four months since Accsys, a national provider of HR and payroll management solutions, first established its HR/payroll industry-focused recruitment division called Accsys PeoplePlace.

20-NOV-07·	Knowledge, empowerment in the spotlight
	Posted by | skills
	Knowledge and empowerment are in the spotlight during the annual Knowledge Week of the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA). There are three key areas of focus this year, namely

15-NOV-07·	Diversity management drives business in the modern era
	Posted by | skills
	The debate intensifies with some demanding “the death of affirmative action”, and others accusing, blaming, defending, and excusing the lack of progress. Diversity management is the key to business success.

12-NOV-07·	ICC satisfied with SA’s preparation for 2010
	Posted by | skills
	The International Investment Council (IIC) is satisfied with South Africa’s preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup

12-NOV-07·	Task team to improve SA - Cuba trade
	Posted by | skills
	South Africa and Cuba are to establish a task team to improve the trade relations between the two countries

09-NOV-07·	Labour Minister meets Congolese counterpart
	Posted by | skills
	Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana today accepted an official invitation to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as part of working relations between his Ministry and that of the DRC.

09-NOV-07·	Skills development will empower communities
	Posted by | skills
	Previously disadvantaged groups will be empowered if government helps to develop local enterprises, says North West MEC for Economic Development and Tourism, Darkie Africa

08-NOV-07·	It’s All In The Mind
	Posted by | skills
	The man jumped up and down from one foot to the other as he spoke gesturing his arms wildly in the air like Rupelstiltskin.

08-NOV-07·	Watch out for death by power point
	Posted by | skills
	Power point, yet another amazing addition to our office tool box. A very useful tool to use when presenting. But are you using it to help your presentation, or are you suffering from death by power point.

08-NOV-07·	Steel import tariffs removed to boost competitiveness
	Posted by | skills
	Tariffs on imported steel have been removed in a bid by government to make steel cheaper for users, writes Shaun Benton.

08-NOV-07·	Are Your Sales Executives Marketing Or Selling?
	Posted by | skills
	How much business is you company losing due to sales executives using the marketing approach when meeting with existing or potential clients.

06-NOV-07·	Student Village to address soft skills shortages
	Posted by | skills
	A new programme for talented young graduates will enable them to be their best – while also relieving pressure on human resource departments

06-NOV-07·	People first, then technology
	Posted by | skills
	Information & Communication Technology (ICT) companies continue to place a premium on recruiting the best skills available -

05-NOV-07·	Inhouse training courses capture the market
	Posted by | skills
	As the skills shortage bites, companies are not only boosting training budgets but bringing trainers into their offices rather than sending employees out A fast growing economy with dramatic skills shortages has seen companies and government boost training budgets –

05-NOV-07·	SA, DRC labour ministries to improve ties
	Posted by | skills
	Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana on Friday accepted an official invitation to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as part of improving working relations between his Ministry and that of the DRC.

01-NOV-07·	Opposition calls for entire skills system to be scrapped
	Posted by | skills
	Democratic Alliance Labour spokesperson Anchen Dreyer is proposing that the entire skills development landscape should be razed and a new system put in place.

31-OCT-07·	Local email archiving solution turns heads overseas
	Posted by | skills
	Preserv8, a hosted Web 2.0 electronic mail archiving and backup solution developed by Integr8 IS, an associate of the Integr8 IT Group and specialized information solutions & development business entity, has captured the interest of commercial enterprises in global markets.

30-OCT-07·	Seta challenges are governance and stakeholder involvement
	Posted by | skills
	I believe there is a need to understand the challenges that seta’s are faced with and their origins before we quickly jump to move the bug somewhere else. In my opinion the top most challenges of SETA’s are two fold, that is, the governance issue as well as the stakeholder participation issue.

29-OCT-07·	HR, payroll at the forefront of trade increase in Africa
	Posted by | skills
	Technology is at the heart of business expansion in Africa. So claims Teryl Schroenn, MD at Accsys, who says that the continued integration of infrastructure designed to improve human resource operations within companies is an ongoing trend and catalyst for socio-economic change. Opportunities are expected to materialize in the form of job creation, skills development, foreign investment and business lead generation.

29-OCT-07·	Home Affairs bridging SA’s skills gap
	Posted by | skills
	The Department of Home Affairs is to bridge the country’s skills gap by streamlining the process of applying for scarce skills permits and business permits for foreigners.

26-OCT-07·	Joint Policy Statement- Part Three
	Posted by | skills
	With these considerations in mind, the revised architecture will be based on the following principles:An integrated approach to education, training and skills development will be served through the incremental registration on the NQF of qualifications and competency standards acquired throughout the learning system, the recognition and appreciation of distinctions between different forms of learning and their specific contributions to the entire spectrum of education and training and expanding access,progression and mobility within and across all learning sectors.

26-OCT-07·	Joint Policy Statement- Part Two
	Posted by | skills
	The Consultative Document elicited a diverse range of views and positions from concerned individuals, organisations, public entities and departments of state. The Minister of Education and the Minister of Labour accepted the concept of Quality Councils, but agreed that the proposal to establish a QC for Trades, Occupations and Professions (TOP) required further consideration.

24-OCT-07·	Corporates urged to address scarce skills
	Posted by | skills
	The shortage of scarce skills in South Africa cannot be solved by government alone, says the eThekweni Mayor, Councillor Obed Mlaba. In a press statement the mayor urged corporate sector players to assist government and come up with interventions aimed at bridging the yawning skills gap in the fields of engineering and science.

24-OCT-07·	Labour Minister honours Bankseta as one of the top performers
	Posted by | skills
	The Bankseta, Fasset and ISETT Seta were recognised by Minister of Labour, Membathisi Mdladlana, at the 2007 National Skills Conference in Boksburg, for being the best performers among all 23 SETAs.

23-OCT-07·	Launch of Business School
	Posted by | skills
	An innovative business school will be launched in Cape Town on Thursday 25th October to meet the need to develop world-class managers and entrepreneurs in South Africa. The Real Institute for Sustainable Entrepreneurship will assist managers and business owners to achieve both personal as well as business goals.

23-OCT-07·	Labour dept trains 20 000 ABET learners
	Posted by | skills
	The Department of Labour has trained almost 20 000 unemployed Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) learners for the 2006/07 financial year. Addressing the Labour and Public Enterprises Committee on its 2006/07 annual report, Deputy Director-General Les Kettledas said, “the total funds available was R2.2 billion, and of this, R37.8 million was paid for the training of 20 000 unemployed ABET learners.”

22-OCT-07·	Developed world poaches Africa for skills
	Posted by | skills
	Africa and the rest of the developing world has become the training ground for developed nations in areas such as engineering, teaching, health services and the financial sector. Finance Minister Trevor Manuel believes globalisation and growth have accentuated shortages of skills for engineers, doctors, nurses, plumbers and other skilled artisans.

22-OCT-07·	Running of Setas -Not the unions
	Posted by | skills
	Definetly not the Unions. They don't understand the concept of Skills Development and how important it is to train the employees.

22-OCT-07·	Fasset impresses on the learnership front
	Posted by | skills
	Fasset has recently completed its seventh year of operation and the Seta continues to impress on the learnership front. “Demand for Accounting, Management Consulting and Other Financial Services skills is high in our growing economy and this is reflected in the number of learners signed onto learnerships.

22-OCT-07·	South African Breweries - An Examplar Of Excellence
	Posted by | skills
	Earlier this year, a group of superb candidates graduated with an NQF level 6 SAB certificate - as CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT PRACTITIONERS.

22-OCT-07·	Changes to skills setup!!
	Posted by | skills
	A third question must then be asked: Which jobs are we talking? And the answer can be: scarce and critical jobs within the first and second economies.

19-OCT-07·	Set up for success or failure
	Posted by | skills
	HR publications often carry discussions and surveys on the value and reputation of human resource and personnel services; these articles invariably are critical of the contribution of these personnel within the company. The response invariably centers on these personnel becoming more strategically aware or business oriented. How valuable are these analyses?

18-OCT-07·	Skills conference begins with neither bang nor whimper
	Posted by | skills
	When the last National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) conference took place in May 2005, substance immediately took a back seat to style when it was revealed that the event – attended by some 2000 people – had cost a phenomenal R45 million to stage. This year's conference is going to be different, explains Jim Freeman.

18-OCT-07·	Artisan skills for Limpopo youths
	Posted by | skills
	The first intake of young people from across Limpopo will start their artisan skills training with the Department of Public Works. Some 574 young people from Limpopo's poorest areas will be trained in everything from welding, to brick laying, electrical work, landscaping and painting, and then get a chance to practice their new skills on public works maintenance projects.

16-OCT-07·	Bosses say unemployed graduates lack assertiveness
	Posted by | skills
	Two hundred thousand South African graduates lack work in one of the most skills-poor nations in the world, and a primary reason bosses give is a lack of assertiveness and confidence.

16-OCT-07·	Dinaledi schools on track, says dept
	Posted by | skills
	The Dinaledi schools project is on course to increase the mathematics and science skills pool in the country, said Director General at the Department of Education Duncan Hindle.

16-OCT-07·	SA’s productivity averages 3% annual growth
	Posted by | skills
	Between 1996 and 2005, South Africa’s real output grew on average by an annual rate of 3.9 percent, while multifactor productivity grew at an average annual rate of 3 percent across all sectors of the economy.

15-OCT-07·	SA skills road-show a success in India
	Posted by | skills
	A high-level South African delegation has returned to the country after holding a successful skills road-show in India, where they showcased business opportunities available in South Africa.

15-OCT-07·	SA preps to host second IBSA Summit
	Posted by | skills
	South Africa will be hosting the second India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Heads of State summit this week, where several agreements on cooperation in strategic areas will be signed.

15-OCT-07·	North West identifies priority skills
	Posted by | skills
	The North West has identified priority skills after its 3rd Provincial Skills Development Conference. The conference recommended to amongst others, focus on addressing the critical and scarce skills’ needs in the province, in order to build the capacity of the workforce and ensure the employability of graduates.

12-OCT-07·	A better route to business education and skills training
	Posted by | skills
	We need an organisation capable of dramatically updating the content of our business education and training programmes. Given the failure not only of our business schools but of our regulators as well, we cannot use them in this part of the process. Their failure to embrace the best of international practice has disqualified them

11-OCT-07·	Vested interests wanting to get there hands on the money
	Posted by | skills
	The idea behind the formation of SETAs was sound and they could have worked, provided a lot of the beaurocracy could have been eliminated. The concept of enlarging the skills training base from purely technical base to cover all trades and professions is very good.

11-OCT-07·	Should businesses leave training to be educators.
	Posted by | skills
	I believe that training should be left to those qualified to do so (namely accredited training providers) and I support the idea of having only three ETQAs who can attend to the accreditation issues.

11-OCT-07·	Are companies serious about training and skill development?
	Posted by | skills
	After 20 years in the corporate world I have come to the conclusion that most (Not All) companies are not serious about training or Skills development. This is not because they don’t care, I think most do, but it’s a question of training not being seen as a core or strategic function.

11-OCT-07·	More Setas could face the axe
	Posted by | skills
	Personally I feel this is long overdue as some SETAS have for a long time become a law unto them-selves. Many SETAS do nothing to work in association with the very employers they represent. This has led to resentment, frustration and a hatred for the system. Many companies will not participate in the skills development process as a result. I can site instances where double standards exist within the SETAS and where it is a case of “Who you Know” if you want anything done.

11-OCT-07·	Labor increase lacking skills
	Posted by | skills
	Labor still embarks on mass action demanding more money, what they should be doing is demanding more skills development and relevant in house training against unit standards, this gives the worker more skill (credits) with more skill / education CHOICES can be made.

11-OCT-07·	Should we give up on Setas being run by big business?
	Posted by | skills
	My opinion is that the initial aims of the skills strategy have been side lined and that SETA’s have become involved in a fight between the Department of Education and The department of labour. They both (DOL and DOE), want the glory for saving the lost souls in the battle for education.

05-OCT-07·	write off...or sweep under?
	Posted by | skills
	To my mind the whole thing reeks to high heaven! Who gave the mandate to Seta to use trust money and place it with Fidentia… The Seta’s forget that they are not in the business of making money, but in the business of enriching peoples minds.

04-OCT-07·	Critical Skills Shortages Set To Dominate Discussions At Upcoming Conference
	Posted by | skills
	The scarce and critical skills phenomenon that continues to dog South Africa is set to take centre stage at the upcoming two-day National Skills Conference in less than a fortnight. The convention is scheduled for Gauteng’s Birchwood Executive Hotel from October 18.

04-OCT-07·	Labour brokerage needed to address the rampant workplace fatalities
	Posted by | skills
	A government intervention in the labour brokerage system was urgently needed to address the rampant and unnecessary workplace fatalities, Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana said in Richards Bay.

27-SEP-07·	Its not the funds that are lost, but the skills
	Posted by | skills
	Let the doors of learning be opened to all. Allow me to say in every generation there is a revolution and ours is the skills revolution. People need to understand that it’s not the funds which are lost. It’s the skills that people were supposed to acquire which was compromised.

26-SEP-07·	New nurses to help address shortages
	Posted by | skills
	69 nurses have graduated from the Mpumalanga Nursing College in Kabokweni, outside White River, along with 238 other nurses who had upgraded their qualifications and 49 newly qualified specialised as midwives. The new graduates will help address the nursing shortage in Mpumalanga.

25-SEP-07·	Managing the gap between what companies want and what they can get
	Posted by | skills
	The shortage of talented people is a global phenomenon, so the battle to find and retain skilled staff is a battle in all markets. Dr Anita Craig highlights some of the stategies that companies are using globally to manage their talent gap.

19-SEP-07·	Expanding higher education can boost job chances for early school-leavers too
	Posted by | skills
	More widespread university education means more prosperous economies and provides rich rewards in the labour market for those who graduate. Furthermore, the job prospects for the less well qualified do not appear to be damaged by the expansion of higher education and may even be improved, according to the latest edition of the OECD’s annual Education at a Glance.

19-SEP-07·	Trainers need better training to beat SA’s skills crisis
	Posted by | skills
	The millions SA’s companies and public sector pay on upgrading skills each year are only as good as the skills of their trainers, says Astro Tech CEO Liza van Wyk. Finding many trainers burnt out, van WYk encourages them to recharge their energy and take on new tools to help them cope better and facilitate more effectively.

05-SEP-07·	Pandor sets challenges for FET Colleges
	Posted by | skills
	The FET College sector has been placed in the limelight as one of the possible answers to the national skills shortage

29-AUG-07·	Science, tech needed to lead Africa’s development
	Posted by | skills
	Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka says science and technology should not be viewed as “elitist” but rather as sectors whose growth can spearhead Africa’s development. The Deputy President was addressing the first African Union (AU) Conference of African Women in Science and Technology in Sandton.

14-AUG-07·	Too much reliance on foreign skills not good for growing economy
	Posted by | skills
	South Africans should invest heavily in the training of their own people in skills most needed for the country's growing economy, Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana said. The Minister made these remarks while visiting the Fluor Training Centre in Secunda, Mpumalanga where he inspected artisanship equipment at one of the country's long-standing training facilities.

03-AUG-07·	Growth expected in FET sector
	Posted by | skills
	As the impact of the recent teacher’s strike on matric results is still anxiously being debated and matric students frantically try to recoup lost weeks of study in the run-up to their final examinations

31-JUL-07·	SA to tackle skills shortages
	Posted by | skills
	Naledi Pandor, the minister of education, says the workplace can be used as a way to speed up the provision of skills for the country

30-JUL-07·	Education MEC looking to strenghten ties between grass-roots and FETs
	Posted by | skills
	MEC for education in the Western Cape Cameron Dugmore has stated that he is looking to start an initiative linking grass-roots literacy and numeracy courses with the FET colleges in an attempt to try and speed up the process of addressing the crucial skills shortage currently hampering our country's growth

21-JUN-07·	Over 400 bursaries to increase social workers in Mpuma
	Posted by | skills
	Mpumalanga’s Social Services Department will award over 400 social work bursaries to students in an effort to increase the number of social workers in Mpumalanga. Delivering his department’s budget vote speech, MEC Sipho Lubisi said this was an attempt to improve numbers of social workers in the province.

21-JUN-07·	Correctional Services to recruit, retain scarce skills
	Posted by | skills
	The Department of Correctional Services is to recruit and retain scarce skills in regions to ensure appropriate deploying of services where they are needed most. “Part of the problem was the imbalanced access of various correctional centres to services of medical practitioners, psychologist, pharmacists and other health care professionals,” said National Commissioner Vernie Petersen.

21-JUN-07·	Evidence from the corporate coal face confirms skills shortage
	Posted by | skills
	Confirmation of the serious effects of skills shortages in the South African economy is offered by a recent survey conducted amongst forty South African businesses by the Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE). Interviews with senior company officials confirmed that shortage of skills is one of the most costly and troublesome issues affecting the management of South African businesses over the last two years.

16-JUN-07·	Young people acquire skills in broadcasting
	Posted by | skills
	Young people who participated in a six-week broadcasting training programme in the Western Cape will receive their certificates as part of the Youth Day commemoration. The learners completed the short course that was a joint venture between radio station 94.5 Kfm and the Provincial Youth Commission.

16-JUN-07·	Infrastructure investments help to create jobs
	Posted by | skills
	Infrastructure investments have contributed to creating jobs and attracting investments said Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa at the 16 June commemorations. “The Automotive Industry Development Centre (AIDC) has given both formal and vocational training in the automotive industry to previously unemployed youth,” Premier Shilowa said.

14-JUN-07·	Integr8 IT at the forefront of Microsoft technologies
	Posted by | skills
	Integr8 IT, South Africa’s largest privately owned national BEE-Information Technology network integration and infrastructure management specialist, has been commended for its display of innovation in the running of an early adoption program based on the latest Microsoft technologies.

07-JUN-07·	ETDP Seta R74 million audit investigation
	Posted by | skills
	The education Seta has issued a statement to update stakeholders on the audit investigation that was commissioned in early 2006. The audit was related to a R74 million discretionary grant project where concerns existed about how the funds were spent. The report found that governance problems did exist and that certain staff did not perform their duties correctly.

28-MAY-07·	Unprecedented opportunities for skills facilitators to make major contribution
	Posted by | skills
	The dearth of skills as well as the slow pace of transformation is offering skills development facilitators (SDFs) with unprecedented opportunities to act as change agents for both their employers and the overall South African economy. But do they have the resources they need to do their job properly? The issue will be considered at the upcoming conference of the skills development faciliatation association.

23-MAY-07·	Chartered accountants must increase interns
	Posted by | skills
	Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka called on chartered accountants to increase the number of interns in their organisations. “I would like your help for us to significantly increase the number this year of the young people that we can place,” she said, addressing the South African Institute for Chartered Accountants (SAICA), celebrating their 21 years of “excellent work” in community development.

22-MAY-07·	Skills shortage, biggest constraint to economic growth
	Posted by | skills
	Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka says the shortage of skills is the biggest constraint to accelerating economic growth and sharing the benefits of that growth. Addressing a Skills Revolution Indaba Gala Dinner in KwaZulu-Natal, Mlambo-Ngcuka said another challenge facing the country was creating and generating employment at all levels of the private and public sectors.

18-MAY-07·	Dept puts measures in place to deal with shortage of doctors
	Posted by | skills
	The Department of Health is introducing measures to deal with the shortage of doctors in the country that may arise as a result of an increase in the period of internship from one to two years in 2008. The period of internship for student doctors should be increased to two years to ensure that doctors gained sufficient practical competencies to serve the South African public before they qualified.

16-MAY-07·	Mdladlana defends National Skills Fund disbursements
	Posted by | skills
	Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has defended the operations of the National Skills Fund, and his decision last year to allocate R100 million to each of the provinces. Rejecting claims that this was keeping money from Setas, he highlighted a recent allocation of R316million to 13 of the training authorities.

09-MAY-07·	Learnerships key to addressing skills shortage in IT industry
	Posted by | skills
	South Africa’s IT industry is facing a huge skills shortage and unless radical changes are made the industry will soon be left high and dry. This is according to Rudi Jansen, CEO of MWEB, who believes that addressing the skills shortage crisis in the IT industry is the most critical challenge the industry faces. The company is currently recruiting learners for IT learnerships and plans to have double the number of positions available this year.

02-MAY-07·	Recycling creates jobs and skills
	Posted by | skills
	An environmental initiative is not only urging communities to recycle, but has shown them how they can improve their lives and gain skills by caring for the environment. The Johannesburg-EcoCity initiative is a needs driven people’s programme aimed at addressing poverty alleviation through local economic development.

02-MAY-07·	Skills shortage caused by government defaulting on delivery
	Posted by | skills
	The only reason why there is a skills shortage, is the SA Goverment is defaulting delivery, and being more specific the Setas are not making use of good SA finance to address the skills shortage.

02-MAY-07·	Gauteng to develop youth skills in aircon sector
	Posted by | skills
	The Gauteng provincial government is involved in a partnership set to develop the rare and much needed skills required by the airconditioning sector, amongst its young people. “The programme is a direct response to the need for us to address the skills challenge facing the provincial economy,” said Gauteng MEC for Finance and Economic Affairs Paul Mashatile at the establishment of the Ifihlile Training Academy.

01-MAY-07·	SA and France form skills development partnership
	Posted by | skills
	A team of 12 South African engineers have left for France to receive training at the AREVA University, considered among the world’s best institutions in the field of nuclear science. The team will also study nuclear technology at the Sorbonne University as part of a Jipsa exchange programme.

25-APR-07·	New work permit system to ease hiring of foreign skilled workers
	Posted by | skills
	The Home Affairs Department has announced that 34 825 work permits will be available for foreign citizens who posess skills which are considered scarce in South Africa. Applicants with the relevant qualification and work experience will be able to secure a work permit without first obtaining a job offer - if they fall within one of 53 different areas of scarcity.

16-APR-07·	President Mbeki welcomes initiative to recruit SA engineers
	Posted by | skills
	President Thabo Mbeki has welcomed an initiative by Gauteng government to recruit South African engineers working outside the country. He said the initiative would add the much needed engineering skills in the Gautrain project. “I am glad that you are attracting some of South Africa’s engineers who had gone to find work some where else,” the president said.

12-APR-07·	Western Cape’s flagship skills project extended
	Posted by | skills
	One of the Western Cape’s flagship initiatives under the government’s Expanded Public Works Programme has proved so spectacularly successful that it has been extended by a year. The Department of Environment Affairs and Tourism’s R35 million social responsibility programme, which focused primarily on building paths and tented camps in the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP), started three years ago and was scheduled to end on March 31.

10-APR-07·	KZN and Health & Welfare Seta to help secure skills
	Posted by | skills
	In line with government’s drive to produce and procure critical skills, KwaZulu-Natal will open a provincial office of the Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority. KwaZulu-Natal’s acting Premier Zweli Mkhize will deliver the keynote address at the official launch of the provincial office in Durban.

28-MAR-07·	19th April for Scarce Skills Summit
	Posted by | skills
	Business and training leaders will gather in Cape Town in April for the one-day National Critical and Scarce Skills Summit. Speakers including Dr Raymond Patel from Mersata, Chieta CEO Kelebogile Dilotsotlhe and the Chief Director of Education Planning, Dr Sigamoney Manicak Naicker. Registration is now open if you would like to attend this important conference.

20-MAR-07·	Content essential to drive your Intranet to meet business needs
	Posted by | skills
	Does your business consider its investment in its Intranet as more than a marketing tool? Have you considered that your Intranet could be a powerful tool to communicate Legal, Safety, Industrial Relations or Quality issues to your workforce? Rival industrial have some advice on making your intranet more closely linked to you HR, skills and training requirements.

15-MAR-07·	Mdladlana says local skills will come first
	Posted by | skills
	The government would never overlook qualifying South Africans in preference of foreign skills in its ongoing economic transformation drive, Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has said. "If we cannot acquire the skills or the necessary experience required locally, for example engineers, only then should we look elsewhere. Employers and citizens must remain vigilant in order to ensure that this happens," he said.

14-MAR-07·	Treasury’s 2010 head calls for skills importation for stadia
	Posted by | skills
	The head of the 2010 unit in the National Treasury expressed his concern Wednesday, at the shortage of skills needed to implement key 2010 FIFA World Cup infrastructure projects including the construction or building of the 10 stadia. The potential impact on the country's current account deficit of importing material and skills was not significant, said Malcolm Simpson, when weighed against the additional infrastructure that would be delivered as a result.

12-MAR-07·	Teta still confident they will get their money back
	Posted by | skills
	Although the curators of the Fidentia group are struggling to find enough money to meet the company's monthly payroll, transport Seta, Teta are still confident that they will be able to retrieve the nearly R250m that was invested with the group. The board of the training authority have welcomed the arrest of J Arthur Brown and continue to co-operate with all investigative authorities involved in the matter.

06-MAR-07·	Awareness course addresses safety issues for tourists
	Posted by | skills
	To address the critical skills that are needed for the tourism industry, a leading training provider in the sector has developed a health and safety awaremess programme for the tourism industry's needs. Don Leffler explains that the programme is intended for all who will interact with foreign visitors.

26-FEB-07·	A1 Grand Prix a success
	Posted by | skills
	The success of the 2007 A1 Grand Prix held in Durban at the weekend showed further that South Africa was capable of hosting successful international events. “We have no doubt that an event of this magnitude, particularly coming before we host the 2010 FIFA World Cup, gives us a chance to reconfirm our mettle as organisers and hosts of such international events,” KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sibusiso Ndebele said on Sunday.

16-FEB-07·	KZN spends its R100 million on literacy and basic skills
	Posted by | skills
	Illiteracy and shortage of basic skills need to be urgently addressed as a way of empowering communities. Speaking during his state of the province address, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sibusiso Ndebele said the provincial government has secured R100 million from the Department of Labour to embark on literacy and basic skills development project.

23-JAN-07·	Why do we expect training providers to be qualified SDFs as well?
	Posted by | skills
	We have an excellent legislative and strategic framework in place to support skills development, says Elaine Folscher. But she is concerned that there are still factors that are causing confusion and obstructing our efforts to skill the nation. One is a confusion of responsibilities where training providers are expected to have the competencies of an SDF.

22-JAN-07·	WANTED: Individuals with Critical Skills for 21st Century
	Posted by | skills
	Are students ready to successfully make the transition from high school to an institution of further education? Are graduates equipped with the necessary skills to find jobs after receiving their diplomas and degrees? The answer, in many more cases than not, to both these questions is an emphatic NO. Brian Kleinsmith introduces a new programme aimed at addressing this problem.

22-JAN-07·	SANDF enrolls 4000 in skills training programme
	Posted by | skills
	The Military Skills Development System (MSDS) was started in 2003 to ensure the enhancement of the SANDF's mission readiness through the systematic rejuvenation of its human resource composition through yearly intakes of the country's youth. The MSDS also ensures a continuous provision of personnel to the SANDF reserves.

13-DEC-06·	We must make sure a job is available
	Posted by | skills
	I have no problem with spending R1 billion on skills development but I question what the learning should be and the per head cost. If we spend an average of R34 000 per learner we need to be sure that the skills are needed and that a job will be available for the learner at the end of training.

07-DEC-06·	Funding available for community-based organisation development
	Posted by | skills
	The National Skills Fund has opened applications for funding projects that support community-based co-operatives. Training providers, implementing agencies and associations may apply for the funds which aim to support capacity building projects at 400 community based co-operatives.

04-DEC-06·	R1 billion payout to benefit 26 000 in rural areas
	Posted by | skills
	Rural communities throughout the country are set to benefit from a R1 billion skills development programme by the Department of Labour. The funding has been made available by the National Skills Fund and will be used to train 26 000 learners over three years.

29-NOV-06·	Calls for more skills development to ensure sustainable tourism growth
	Posted by | skills
	Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk has welcomed the continued growth in the tourism sector. However, in order to sustain this growth and contribute to the goals of Asgisa, he emphasised the importance of continuous investment in skills in the sector. He identifies Ireland and Thailand as countries that can provide examples for South Africa.

22-NOV-06·	SA needs engineering skills to boost growth
	Posted by | skills
	As South Africa gears itself to achieve 6 percent economic growth by 2010, a top Japanese businessman has highlighted the need for the country to develop engineering skills in order to achieve this, writes Bongani Mlangeni. Managing Director of Isuzu South Africa has called for the establishment of an engineering university.

15-NOV-06·	Mdladlana plays Santa with R1bn for skills development
	Posted by | skills
	The Minister of Labour will be distributing nearly R1 billion from the National Skills Fund for skills projects in all nine provinces, at a ceremony to be held in the Eastern Cape. The projects aim to help provide various critical and scarce skills to about 360 000 South African rural youths between 2007 and 2009.

09-NOV-06·	Construction sector partners with Education Dept & FET Colleges
	Posted by | skills
	The Education Minister has announced a ground-breaking partnership with a consortium of leading players in the construction sector.

25-OCT-06·	Jipsa might have to tread on sensitive toes
	Posted by | skills
	While there are political sensitivities about bringing highly skilled émigrés and retirees back into mainstream employment in South Africa – because these will more often than not be white people – there is a growing realisation that this is a critical step in accelerating and sustaining economic growth, says Jim Freeman.

25-OCT-06·	Seta CEO resigns before disciplinary action
	Posted by | skills
	The Labour Minister has announced the actions which lead to the departure of the CEO and CFO of the Health and Welfare Seta. When financial irregularities reported by the Auditor-General were not acted on as required, the board instituted a disciplinary enquiry. However before the enquiry could be completed, the individuals approached the board for a settlement.

24-OCT-06·	Death threats for Seta CEO
	Posted by | skills
	Labour Minister, Membathisi Mdladlana has confirmed that the CEO of the Mappp Seta has received death threats and is receiving protection from a private security firm. Mdladlana expressed concern that funds meant for skills development were being used to pay for this protection.

20-OCT-06·	SA to learn from Irish and Thai examples in tourism sector
	Posted by | skills
	South Africa could learn from the experiences of Ireland and Thailand on how to address the shortage of skills in the tourism industry. A preliminary skills report in the sector released by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism found that, like South Africa, Ireland and Thailand had in the past experienced similar challenges regarding skills shortages and relatively high levels of staff turnover.

19-OCT-06·	Call to accelerate skills development in tourism sector
	Posted by | skills
	Delegates at a tourism-sector skills conference heard that 90 percent of the scarce skills in the tourism sector are in the high-skills level band. The main areas with shortages include technical management skills; information and knowledge management; product knowledge and language communication skills.

18-OCT-06·	Calls to develop skills in air quality management
	Posted by | skills
	In order to minimise air pollution, government in partnership with relevant stakeholders, needs to develop sustainable approaches to skills development in air quality management. This is one of the declarations made by delegates who concluded a two-day Air Quality Governance Lekgotla in East London.

17-OCT-06·	Graduates are being ignored although they have the skills
	Posted by | skills
	It is apparent that most of the time graduates are being ignored although they have the skills it is dificult to gain experience and indeed not that easy to go into business business, because of the education received was not enough to let graduate just go into business.

17-OCT-06·	SA urged to attract African skills for 2010
	Posted by | skills
	Namibian Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Bernhard Esau, says South Africa should consider approaching other African countries to acquire skills needed to prepare for a successful 2010 Soccer World Cup. Esau believes that including skills from other countries will lead to the event being seen as a truly African occasion.

12-OCT-06·	Manuel poses tough questions for HR fraternity
	Posted by | skills
	The South African skills shortage is restricting the growth of the country. Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, speaking at the IPM Conference, said that HR must take part of the blame. "Companies and the HR industry in particular have not been proactive enough to develop the human capacity that companies need in order to increase capacity and profitability. We are experiencing this skills crisis…on your watch!" We have the full text of Manuel's speech.

20-SEP-06·	Strategic Skills Planning vs the Workplace Skills Plan
	Posted by | skills
	You have to complete a Workplace Skills Plan for your skills initiatives but it shouldn't replace a strategic skills development plan, says Sarah Babb of The Skills Framework. While you have to be aware of the short-term details of how many people have been trained, and who they are, the long-term strategy for the development of staff is just as important.

20-SEP-06·	Learn win-win negotiating skills
	Posted by | skills
	Combining theory and practice, a new short course at UCT Gradaute School of Business explores different approaches to negotiation and teaches negotiators how to advance their interests in a co-operative manner. The programme is targeted at key groups such as employers, trade unionists, lawyers, mediators and financial advisers.

13-SEP-06·	Local radiologists to benefit from international skills
	Posted by | skills
	Local radiologists, sometimes known as X-ray technicians, are to receive a skills boost from international knowledge to be shared at a conference underway in Cape Town. The 24th Congress of the International Society of Radiology (ISR) will provide a platform for hands-on training workshops for foreign and local radiologists.

07-SEP-06·	Seta participation by employers jumps to 92%
	Posted by | skills
	The Department of Labour has announced that, with Seta activities now focused on medium and large employers, the participation rate of employers has jumped from 50% to 92%. The Department has also introduced an initiative to develop specific skills development initiatives for small businesses, in collaboration with the Small Enterprise Development Agency - Seda.

23-AUG-06·	When is it all going to stop?
	Posted by | skills
	When is it all going to stop? We have the National Skills fund” the Setas, Asgisa. Fet colleges, Private providers, JIPSA, DOL and DOE and then the Honourable Minister Mdladlana calls on all parties to work together as there is “enough skills development pie for everybody”. Have these bodies ever sat together or do they even know of each others existence?

23-AUG-06·	'Art of Conversation' programme supports managers' mentoring skills
	Posted by | skills
	The UCT Graduate School of Business (GSB) is launching a new programme this September that will provide leaders with powerful tools to optimise their skills development efforts through mentoring. The programme, MENTOR – The Art of Conversation, has been designed by Craig O’Flaherty, in partnership with the School’s Executive Education unit which recently received a global top ten rating from the Economist Intelligence Unit for its executive short courses.

16-AUG-06·	Some Setas face ‘serious financial trouble’ – Mdladlana
	Posted by | skills
	Concerns about skills funding are continuing, with the Minister of Labour highlighting inconsistent financial practices by Setas. While he believes that some are not spending fast enough, he is concerned that others are in "serious financial trouble".

15-AUG-06·	Impossible to access funds from the National Skills Fund
	Posted by | skills
	Since NSDS 2005 -2010 was launched with its emphasis on scarce and critical skills, I am finding it increasingly difficult to access funding for the training of scarce and critical skills. Setas have been doing their research, but have not always come up with the identification of the real needs.

09-AUG-06·	Mdladlana calls for more money for skills fund
	Posted by | skills
	While requests to the National Skills Fund for money to support skills development projects are likely to rise significantly, the Labour Minister says that the demands of small businesses cannot be addressed with current funds. He is concerned that the this key employment-generating sector will suffer unless an alternative source of funding can be found.

09-AUG-06·	Specialist skills needed in correctional centres
	Posted by | skills
	The Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services says a skills retention policy has to be implemented in the Correctional Services Department to attract and retain key specialist skills relevant to the department’s services and programmes, and enable the establishment of more diverse rehabilitation programmes.

02-AUG-06·	Cabinet calls for Education and Labour Depts to co-ordinate
	Posted by | skills
	The mid-year Cabinet lekgotla saw the President and national ministers address the question of economic growth and the roll-out of the Asgisa programme. The Cabinet identified the need for the programmes of the Departments of Labour and Education to be more closely co-ordinated as one of two priority objectives.

02-AUG-06·	Mdladlana calls on business to match government's investment
	Posted by | skills
	Labour Minister, Membathisi Mdladlana, has called on private sector companies to employ more young graduates. Mdladlana praised his government colleagues for the number of young people they had employed.

26-JUL-06·	R133m for skills development in the North West
	Posted by | skills
	A conference has been held in the North West province to co-ordinate skills development initiatives in the region. Funding from the provincial government and other sources will be focused on the crucial skills needed in sectors that form the backbone of the provincial economy such as mining, agriculture, tourism and manufacturing.

26-JUL-06·	Time to turn your organisation into a 'talent developer'
	Posted by | skills
	The global human capital development revolution means that employees are no longer commodities - they are assets. Organisations will need to invest in the acquisition, development and retention of their own talent resources, and become open, learning based environments where talent is recognised, nurtured and utilised effectively. The question is how! A new programme has the answers.

19-JUL-06·	People become more capable - companies become more profitable
	Posted by | skills
	I do work in skills training as I have a strong passion for helping people to become more able to achieve a better position in life for themselves.

19-JUL-06·	Even small businesses can benefit from RPL and skills development
	Posted by | skills
	In a guest column, Shannon Davidoff expresses the concern that formal skills structures such as Setas, Saqa etc are out of reach of the small businesses that really need them. Davidoff's efforts at RPL for current staff have lead to increased company profits - as much as 300% in some cases.

08-JUL-06·	Retail sector invited to priority skills talks
	Posted by | skills
	The W&RSeta has called on business leaders in the wholesale and retail sector to attend a one-day workshop that will speed up the acquisition of the critical/prioroty skills that are needed in the sector. The workshop is in response to the Department of Labour's call for Seta plans to be aligned with Asgisa and Jipsa objectives.

28-JUN-06·	Asking some tough questions of Seta boards
	Posted by | skills
	Who serves on Seta boards? Who puts them there and what relevant experience do they have? Do unions have the resources to fully participate in all Seta boards and do employers have a responsibility to monitor the work of the board representatives? Skills development expert Sylvia Hammond poses some questions about Seta governance systems.

28-JUN-06·	W&RSeta introduces Sector Skills Plan research process
	Posted by | skills
	The W&RSeta has started the process of compiling a sector skills plan to address skills shortages in the industry. Price Waterhouse Coopers have been appointed to assist in the process, which aims to promote employment equity and broad-based BEE through skills development.

21-JUN-06·	Facing the reality of job creation and training
	Posted by | skills
	The future of the South African economy in part depends on the creation of jobs in the SMME sector. Mark Orpen from the Institute of People Development believes that private training providers hold the key to developing this group.

19-JUN-06·	Consultant SDF's have no vested interest in the company
	Posted by | skills
	The position of SDF should be a key performance area of Training Management and / or HR staff within organisations, rather than contracting a part-time consultant to fulfil this role.

19-JUN-06·	Biggest problem is with the Setas themselves
	Posted by | skills
	The biggest problem is with the SETA'S themselves. They include/expect a lot of clerical duties in the activities of an SDF and it is this vast clerical tasks that are likely to discourage Senior Management into becoming SDF's.

15-JUN-06·	Guidance of the SDF on training remains imperative
	Posted by | skills
	The guidance of the SDF in getting training off the ground remains imperative. In this particular instance, the HR role is best put use in an administrative capacity but still requires the advisory capacity of a knowledgeable SDF.

15-JUN-06·	The SDF is really the Equity Manager
	Posted by | skills
	Most businesses view the SDF as an administrator and not as the transformation driver of the organisation to ensure not only compliance to legislation, but also to drive skills development and equity within the organisation, as the one supports the other.

15-JUN-06·	Being an SDF is extremely hard work
	Posted by | skills
	It is extremely hard work - both challenging and fulfilling work. Any one who thinks that an SDF does not contribute to strategy is obviously not interested in the contribution of people to company objectives.

14-JUN-06·	Conference ponders future of the skills development facilitator
	Posted by | skills
	The annual conference of the Association for Skills Development Facilitation (ASDFSA) held a panel discussion with three Seta CEOs and a number of leading SDFs to discuss the future of the skills development facilitator.

08-JUN-06·	We need to learn from best international management practices
	Posted by | skills
	Dr Malcolm Birkin has a tough questions for us: "How we can be possibly become internationally competitive if we continue to fail to adopt ANYTHING from international management in general, or from South East Asia in particular?"

08-JUN-06·	Database to gauge scarce skills levels in services sector
	Posted by | skills
	A new database launched by the Services Seta aims to gather accurate information on the level of skills scarcity in their sector. Unemployed or underemployed graduates are invited to list their details on the database which can be accessed by sector employers wishing to fill vacancies for skilled positions.

08-JUN-06·	Skills investment a matter of survival, says Deputy President
	Posted by | skills
	South Africa's private sector must see the investment in skills not as part of corporate social responsibility but as a fundamental business imperative for their survival, Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka has said.

06-JUN-06·	Skills acquisition is really about behaviour change
	Posted by | skills
	Dr Robin Stead from SkillWise believes that skills acquisition is about more than acquiring, its mainly about behavioural change and he believes that this means that certain key ingredients have to be present in the 'training mix'.

02-JUN-06·	Loss of skills to other countries is really a non-issue
	Posted by | skills
	The loss of skills to other countries is really a non-issue that we have been moaning about for as long as I can remember - who can forgot all the National Party talk about this issue in the 80s? Skills will move to where they most required, and they are most required by those who will pay more.

02-JUN-06·	I believe the skills swop is a brilliant idea
	Posted by | skills
	Personally I believe the skills swop is a brilliant idea. I believe it will increase the speed with which we become a well educated country.

01-JUN-06·	Skills swap will expose us to international trends
	Posted by | skills
	It will be good for SA to be exposed to the international trends and way of doing things, purely for globalisation sake. We need their expertise so that we can improve our own skills set.

30-MAY-06·	Unisa, Nissan agree on skills development
	Posted by | skills
	Unisa and Nissan South Africa have signed an agreement which will see 25 Nissan employees benefitting from bursaries to study at the university - and the university has called on other companies to follow suit.

25-MAY-06·	Skills shortage derails government's ICT systems
	Posted by | skills
	The demand for technical skills to implement and support government's information systems continues to increase, according to ForgeAhead, an Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) research and consulting company, who conducted research on ICT capability in all government departments.

17-MAY-06·	71% success rate for learnership grads
	Posted by | skills
	Finally putting to rest speculation that learnerships have not been effective in dealing with unemployment, the Minister of Labour has announced figures showing a 71% placement rate for learners who have completed learnerships and other skills development interventions. He also declared apprenticeships, "alive and well and kicking and legal!"

14-MAY-06·	Learners have low level of general life skills
	Posted by | skills
	I was shocked at the high level of knowledge, and low level of general life skills of both the teachers and the scholars.

14-MAY-06·	Management students can't expect to start at the top
	Posted by | skills
	Just because we are studying management doesn't mean that we'll automatically enter the world of work as managers or get senior positions in the organisation.

10-MAY-06·	Work Readiness programme teaches the skills that grads lack
	Posted by | skills
	After three or four years at university many graduates find that they still don’t have the competencies they need to get employment. A work readiness programme, supported by Fasset, is showing that a targeted intervention can turn the unemployable into the kind of candidates that companies want, in only 12 weeks.

09-MAY-06·	National Construction Week to lure youth to industry
	Posted by | skills
	The University of Cape Town is promoting the image and profile of the construction sector to young learners, especially females by participating in National Construction Week 2006.

01-MAY-06·	South Africa is now part and parcel of the international community
	Posted by | skills
	South Africa is now part and parcel of then international community and it has to realize its weaknesses as well as strength in terms of creating or realizing then economy of scale.

01-MAY-06·	Any skilled person, ready to work should be allowed into the country
	Posted by | skills
	Home Affairs is certainly the bottleneck … they can be qualified as dramatically slow, non competent, fairly subjective (as opposed to objective) and lacking the smallest iota of ability for discernment.

01-MAY-06·	Developing our labour force has huge knock on effects for the economy
	Posted by | skills
	I do not believe that our current culture of instant gratification is the correct one.

01-MAY-06·	The importation of rare/scarce skills is long overdue
	Posted by | skills
	The importation of rare/scarce skills is long overdue in South Africa. This problem was caused by the skewed distribution of skills in this country.

01-MAY-06·	We have skills - we don't need to look overseas
	Posted by | skills
	I totally agree that we should use South African's own skills. But I don't believe we need to look overseas.

25-APR-06·	Time to pursue a South African 'brain gain'
	Posted by | skills
	Malusi Gigaba argues that South Africa must actively recruit skilled workers from other countries in Africa to address our skilled shortages. He accepts that this may be a controversial view but argues that if we don't, other countries will, to ensure they get access to these scarce, skilled individuals.

25-APR-06·	WIth the right attitude and energy anything is possible!
	Posted by | skills
	With the right attitude and right energy levels, you can achieve almost anything, with or without the full range of skills. A person with the requisite skills, a negative attitude, bad demeanour and low energy can scupper any organisation, says Tony Dovale. But how do you ensure you have the first group in your company?

19-APR-06·	Mdladlana defends Setas from SME attacks
	Posted by | skills
	The Minister of Labour has defended Setas from complaints that they are no longer assisting SMEs who are not contributing to the Skills Development Levy. However he also claimed that “some Setas are cheaters” and chasing targets without ensuring that they meet the needs of learners and employers.

06-APR-06·	Skills development has to be targeted
	Posted by | skills
	As a life long learning proponent, I would be the last person to say any kind of skills enhancement effort is not good.

06-APR-06·	We are driven by so called international qualifications
	Posted by | skills
	We are going to reap the awful fruit of our money driven training instead of reaping the high-quality fruit of proper skills training.

06-APR-06·	Training does provide sufficient knowledge and skills
	Posted by | skills
	People do need training for them to be productive in the cooperate world but we turn to utilize such skills for monetary interests.

06-APR-06·	Companies should buy into vision of skills development
	Posted by | skills
	First and foremost, skills development should be in line with the overall vision of where South Africa should be, and companies should partake in that vision, I mean the more jobs created, the more tax payers, the less taxation (hopefully).

05-APR-06·	Mistake to shut Jipsa door to private training providers
	Posted by | skills
	Alan Hammond was very pleased to see so many union, business and government leaders gathering for the launch of the Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition, Jipsa. He hopes that all groups are now taking the skills shortage seriously. His only concern is that not having private training providers in the process is a mistake.

05-APR-06·	Demand for skills in transport sector
	Posted by | skills
	The transport sector in South Africa employs more than 1/2 million people and according to Teta CEO Dr Piet Bothma, is the life blood of a country. In the run-up to 2010, infrastructure is being upgraded and developed so the sector needs more people skilled in transport operations and support functions.

22-MAR-06·	GSB runs skills development course
	Posted by | skills
	UCT's Graduate School of Business is running a new course called the A-Z of Skills Development in the Workplace. It is targeted at HR practitioners, development facilitators and trainers, giving them the latest insights on legislation and a guide to best practice implementation.

15-MAR-06·	Asgisa aims to grow youth skills in water sector
	Posted by | skills
	The water sector has its eyes firmly on the new Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative, Asgisa, and is ensuring that education and training is at the core of their work.

15-MAR-06·	SA strengthens science, technology pact with Flanders
	Posted by | skills
	Science and Technology Minister Mosibudi Mangena has presided over a South Africa/Flanders bilateral cooperation workshop, part of the celebration of the 10th anniversary of science and technology research collaboration between the two governments.

15-MAR-06·	Skills development goes on national roadshow
	Posted by | skills
	Workshops have been held in various provinces in an attempt to ensure that all areas of the country are able to participate in skills development initiatives. The events combined details of the National Skills Development Strategy with provincial growth plans to ensure all activities are aligned.

15-MAR-06·	Driven by a need to achieve
	Posted by | skills
	Learnerships require a lot of work, from the learners and from the employers, and the temptation is always there to throw in the towel. Selby Mthunywa experienced difficulties with his studies but he just worked harder and is now succeeding.

08-MAR-06·	Top union leader heads up Jipsa working group
	Posted by | skills
	The national cabinet has finalised the composition of the Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition (Jipsa) and appointed union and business leaders who will drive the initiative to address the national skills shortage.

15-FEB-06·	R1,1 billion for National Skills Fund
	Posted by | skills
	In the current financial year the National Skills Fund had income of more than R1,1 billion and expenses of R1,3 billion, according to figures released with Trevor Manuel’s 2006 budget.

08-FEB-06·	Govt to publish quota work permits this week
	Posted by | skills
	In a bid to recruit scarce skills and make it easier for those who have certain skills or qualifications needed in South Africa, Government will on Friday gazette quota work permits in various professions for foreign nationals.

08-FEB-06·	Seta funds down to R200 million
	Posted by | skills
	The Minister of Labour was on hand for a briefing on the successes achieved by the Department’s skills development activities over the last year, including an increase in learners on learnerships and a big decrease in funds sitting in Seta bank accounts.

08-FEB-06·	Unwrapping Asgisa
	Posted by | skills
	Christmas came late this year when the government allowed the country to unwrap their Asgisa present. After a day of briefings on the ins and outs of the strategy, Alan Hammond presents his personal views on the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative, known by the snappy new acronym, Asgisa.

08-FEB-06·	New national body to co-ordinate skills development
	Posted by | skills
	As announced by President Mbeki, a new national body will be formed of all stakeholder groups to co-ordinate efforts to address the country’s skills shortage.

08-FEB-06·	Skills shortage identified as public enemy number one
	Posted by | skills
	Education and Skills Development form a key focus area for the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative, Asgisa. Once again the lack of skills is identified as a major problem for the country and a number of initiatives are planned to address the problem.

03-FEB-06·	Mbeki launches new skills council
	Posted by | skills
	As part of the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative, the President has announced a new national body to address the country's skills challenge.

03-FEB-06·	Moves to boost skills in space science
	Posted by | skills
	The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Alcatel Alenia Space France will work together to enhance the country’s skills profile in space science.

01-FEB-06·	Trevor runs skills and learnerships for banking sector
	Posted by | skills
	Trevor Rammitlwa is the new Skills Development and Learnership manager at Bankseta, and he is working hard to get even more companes in his sector participating in skills development initiatives.

25-JAN-06·	South Africa Works by Harlan Cloete
	Posted by | skills
	Recent publiction by Harlan Cloete, "South African Works" covers the areas of skills development and HR policy in a 'concise and succinct manner' according to our reviewer.

09-DEC-05·	Skills acquisition a government priority
	Posted by | skills
	The national Cabinet has committed the government to equipping South Africans with the skills needed by the economy and will also be recruiting South Africans now living abroad.

08-DEC-05·	New National Skills Authority appointed
	Posted by | skills
	The Minister of Labour has appointed members to the new National Skills Authority, the body which advises him on skills development issues. Dr Khotso Mokhele, a director at Implats and head of the National Research Foundation, has been appointed to chair the NSA.

30-NOV-05·	Sussing Personalities
	Posted by | skills
	When critical skills are sought, communication skills seem to be needed in all occupations. According to Avocado Vision, communicating effectively involves getting people to co-operate with us, buy from us, befriend us or understand us.

25-NOV-05·	Sappi Technology Centre supports skills for youth
	Posted by | skills
	Global paper giant, Sappi Limited has opened a skills academy at the Gauteng Innovation Hub to provide central co-ordination of its activities with a range of Setas and to provide industry-related distance learning.

17-NOV-05·	“Failure not an option” in SA skills crisis
	Posted by | skills
	Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka has powerfully asserted the need to end the country's skills crisis if national growth targets are to be met. She is proposing systemic changes to assist new labour market entrants and support FET Colleges.

15-NOV-05·	Home Affairs will publish critical skills list
	Posted by | skills
	The Department of Home Affairs has issued a statement saying that foreigners wishing to work in South Africa must continue to apply for general work permits until the Minister of Home Affairs publishes a critical skills list.

04-NOV-05·	SA to import skills from India for public service
	Posted by | skills
	In a move to improve the capacity of local government, a government delegation will be travelling to India this month to identify experts, who have the skills to build capacity in the public service.

28-OCT-05·	Importing of foreign workers will continue says Home Affairs
	Posted by | skills
	Home Affairs Deputy Minister Malusi Gigaba was quite clear with his audience at the Services Seta conference. As part of the global economy South Africa cannot expect to stop importing foreign workers, even though domestic unemployment levels are still high.

26-OCT-05·	Work readiness programmes could save millions
	Posted by | skills
	Work readiness programmes are being promoted as a way to smooth the progress of graduates into the workforce. The upside is that they could also save business hundreds of millions of Rands, according to Skills Framework MD, Sarah Babb.

26-OCT-05·	Banking skills spread to Village Banks
	Posted by | skills
	The work of the Banking sector Seta is not only with the well known banking giants. The skills practiced in the corporates have been shared with a group of small Village Banks that service rural areas.

26-OCT-05·	De Klerk bashes Setas and calls for labour flexibility
	Posted by | skills
	Tokyo Sexwale and FW de Klerk disagree about a lot of things – but both agree that the new South Africa has to deal with the plight of the poor. For De Klerk this means bringing skilled people back into the economy, for Sexwale it means accelerating empowerment.

25-OCT-05·	Time to allow SDFs to do their work
	Posted by | skills
	According to Skills Development Association CEO Gill Connellan, few facilitators are able – or allowed – to fulfill the role’s potential. Speaking at the Chieta national conference, she called on business to recognise the essential role of the SDF in dealing the the skills shortage in the country.

12-OCT-05·	Are the skills development pieces beginning to fall into place?
	Posted by | skills
	In the first of three mini-analyses of the evolving dynamics of skills development in South Africa, Jim Freeman smiles on the involvement of the Department of Education and asks whether they shouldn't have a much greater role in learnerships for the previously unemployed.

07-OCT-05·	About the Author
	Posted by | skills

07-OCT-05·	The Skills Levy and the NQF: not all learning is ‘NQF-able’
	Posted by | skills
	Does all learning have to be aligned to unit standards and is training that is not aligned irrelevant? Suzanne Hattingh explores these and other pressing questions and guides us through the NQF maze.

05-OCT-05·	Credit Bill provides challenge for HR practitioners
	Posted by | skills
	Many credit providers like banks, retailers and microlenders, are totally underprepared for the staffing implications of the National Credit Bill which is currently under debate in parliament. The Skills Framework's Sarah Babb explains.

28-SEP-05·	SDFs & providers need to understand the business of business
	Posted by | skills
	CTFL's Hoosen Rasool and Busa's Vic van Vuuren have a clear message for skills development facilitators and other players in the vocational training arena. They need to broaden their knowledge of the context and practices of business in South Africa if they wish to gain credibility in the workplace and be taken seriously by their employers.

21-SEP-05·	Fasset sees strong growth in sector participation
	Posted by | skills
	The increased number of Workplace Skills Plans submitted in the finance and accounting sector shows that the work of the Fasset Seta is paying dividends.

21-SEP-05·	Can skills development contribute to sustainable development?
	Posted by | skills
	A group of mostly non-governmental organisations recently launched the Environmental Learning Forum to provide a platform for networking and collaboration for all stakeholders dealing with environment and sustainability.

14-SEP-05·	Let’s not treat Setas as font of all knowledge
	Posted by | skills
	They may only be five years old, but we still expect Setas to have all the answers on skills development. Alan Hammond thinks it is time that we all took responsibility for making the system a success – rather than relying on the Setas to do it for us.

07-SEP-05·	The Simple Guide to the WSP for 2005/6
	Posted by | skills
	If all this talk of Workplace Skills Plans is new to you, we've compiled an introductory guide to skills development for small companies. While each Seta has slightly different requirements, we've outlined the basics that should get you on your way. Read this article and then speak to your Seta to confirm whether their procedures are different.

07-SEP-05·	Special allowance to attract and retain skills
	Posted by | skills
	Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi has announced that a special allowance is to be paid to retain and attract key employees with scarce skills.

31-AUG-05·	What are 'Institutions of Excellence'?
	Posted by | skills
	The new version of the National Skills Development Strategy calls on Setas to establish Institutes of Sectoral Excellence, but doesn't give any indication of what these bodies would look like. Services Seta CEO Ivor Blumenthal is the first to flesh out exactly how these institutes could work.

24-AUG-05·	Consulting workers on skills development
	Posted by | skills
	Despite changes to the Skills Development Act Regulations, Setas still require consultation with workers when preparing Workplace Skills Plans. But does that mean that the company has to have a committee? Maybe not.

17-AUG-05·	Should all SDFs be HR practitioners?
	Posted by | skills
	As the role of the Skills Development Facilitator matures, their status in business will change. Should SDFs now be housed under the Human Resources profession ETQA and have a qualification before fulfilling the skills planning role?

17-AUG-05·	Rag trade down but not out – CTFL Seta
	Posted by | skills
	The Sector Skills Plan for the clothing, textiles, footware and leather sector includes plans to tackle the challenges that the local industry is facing from cheap imports. Jim Freeman went through the SSP in detail and found some strategies to save the industry.

10-AUG-05·	Do employers still have to consult over Workplace Skills Plans?
	Posted by | skills
	Do the new regulations released in July mean that employers no longer have to consult with their employees about their Workplace Skills Plan? And what about the role of the SDF under these new rules? We have a look at the new rules and assess their implications.

03-AUG-05·	Mdladlana proposes FET college takeover
	Posted by | skills
	The Minister of Labour has proposed that FET Colleges should be moved from the Education Department to the juristiction of the Department of Labour to enhance the delivery of skills training.

27-JUL-05·	Labour market reform still on the cards
	Posted by | skills
	After a cabinet Lekgotla, President Thabo Mbeki has confirmed that labour market reform is still on the agenda and importing individuals with scarce skills is to be part of the government's plan to improve delivery in municipalities.

14-JUL-05·	Do we have the skills to deal with a national catastrophe?
	Posted by | skills
	Consulting Editor, Sylvia Hammond, arrived in central London at the same time that bombs started going off across the city. She was impressed with the organised responce from the authorities and hopes that South Africa has the skills and capacity to deal with unforseen emergencies in the same manner.

30-JUN-05·	Sacob joins forces to battle for training SMMEs
	Posted by | skills
	National business organisations have highlighted the positive impact that skills development has had on the SMME sector – but they are very worried about some recent developments. And it seems that government is listening!

16-JUN-05·	President commits to funding skills training
	Posted by | skills
	President Thabo Mbeki has called on youth in the country to be the builders of the new South Africa, saying for its part government will live up to its commitment of providing skills training and funds.

10-MAR-05·	Juggling quality and quantity in the NSDS
	Posted by | skills
	Exactly how should we judge the success of the National Skills Development Strategy? Dr Danisa Baloyi tells The Skills Portal that the focus now is on how skills development has changed the lives of working people?

09-MAR-05·	Where’s the beef with SME levy exemptions?
	Posted by | skills
	Some believe that the raising of the skills levy threshold to R500 000 will cause many hundreds of SDFs to lose their livelihood. However Jim Freeman writes that while one door is closing, a number of others are opening.

08-MAR-05·	Bankseta Learnerships change lives
	Posted by | skills
	The true measure of any learnership’s success is its ability to transform learners’ lives for the better,” says Bankseta CEO, Frank Groenewald. The success stories that come from their learners are a testament to their positive impact.

06-MAR-05·	Bankseta's Letsema places 825
	Posted by | skills
	Letsema, the Bankseta's Learnership Project has already seen 825 learners placed in banks, and part two of the project is on the way.

04-MAR-05·	New funding opportunities proposed for NSF
	Posted by | skills
	With 20% of all skills levies collected going to the National Skills Fund, delegates to the National Skills Conference were very interested in the new proposals for how it is to be spent.

04-MAR-05·	Baloyi has stern words for Setas
	Posted by | skills
	Head of the National Skills Authority, Dr Danisa Baloyi was at her fiery best as she closed the NSDS conference in Gauteng, expressing her views on a number of issues facing the Setas.

04-MAR-05·	Bankseta CEO delighted at certification
	Posted by | skills
	Frank Groenewald, CEO of the Bankseta, is delighted that the organisation will continue as it is and can build on its successful first five years.

03-MAR-05·	Skills revolution scales new heights
	Posted by | skills
	A new chapter has been opened in South Africa's job creation drive with the Minister of Labour, Membathisi Mdladlana, together with the National Skills Authority, launching the new National Skills Development Strategy.

10-FEB-05·	Skills training for beggars
	Posted by | skills
	The Gauteng social services department will be asking the Setas to assist with skills training for vagrants who are picked up from Johannesburg streets by the authorities.

24-JAN-05·	We will have too many skilled people!
	Posted by | skills
	I think that the skills development is one of the best moves ever, but where will the money come from and will we have enough jobs for all these trained people.

23-JAN-05·	Developing people takes a long time
	Posted by | skills
	I feel that the focus is on ownership rather than skills development because skills development is essentially a process which takes longer periods than the period it takes to acquire ownership.

21-JAN-05·	Don't give ownership to the unskilled
	Posted by | skills
	The current approach by business is equivalent to suicide. One cannot give ownership to unskilled people.

19-JAN-05·	Are the Seta's doing enough?
	Posted by | skills
	South Africa possesses a tremendous wealth of resources, namely, her natural and human resources.

03-DEC-04·	Govt empowers young people with skills
	Posted by | skills
	Fifty-seven young people who completed a government's youth skills development programme graduated at a ceremony held in Saldanha.

10-NOV-04·	SA cheese makers to train in France
	Posted by | skills
	A new training program for young cheese makers from Western Cape will start in France next year.

10-OCT-04·	Skills to halve unemployment
	Posted by | skills
	Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has emphasised the importance of skills development, saying it is key to halving employment and alleviating poverty.

20-MAY-04·	Learnerships for 1m graduates?
	Posted by | skills
	Well known economist, Dr Iraj Abedian has his own recipe for a successful South African economy: skills, skills and more skills!