Increasing focus on skills development through learnerships
MORE AND more companies are shifting their focus from merely employing skilled staff to growing their existing staff by upgrading their skills through learnerships.
It¡¯s a trend that has been driven by a variety of factors - the Skills Development Act and the levies on payrolls, the Employment Equity Act, and more recently the BEE imperative and the focus on a balanced scorecard ¨C and its impact has extended to the staff placement arena.
¡°We are now not only placing proven staff - our focus is on recognising potential,¡± says Lee Botti, MD of Lee Botti & Associates. ¡°And this requires different skills in assessing trainees, dispensing with traditional procedures like back-up referees and personality assessments to place candidates where they will flourish.¡±
On the positive side, it¡¯s attracted a new flow of talent into the once-closed industry, although candidates don¡¯t always live up to expectation, ¡°trying to run before they can walk on completion of their qualifications,¡± says Botti.
In terms of traditional staff placements, logistics graduates are in demand with the courses offered through the universities held in high regard, says Botti. ¡°Companies in supply chain and agents broadening their base into this more diversified field welcome these graduates if they have realistic salary expectations.¡±
She sees three areas where training gaps exist:
¡ñ A training course that teaches people with operations knowledge how to sell the services their companies offer, at the same time teaching sales people how to realistically sell the company¡¯s operational merits. This gives both types of personality the opportunity to improve themselves and further develop their careers.
¡ñ Training black candidates with a good educational background as potential sales trainees. The industry needs to groom black sales people to sell to BEE companies as it gives the agent far more relevance. This gives young black graduates a clear opportunity to develop a career in this industry.
¡ñ Training more experienced managers to lead diversified staff from different ethnic backgrounds and build teams ¨C developing their people in their careers so that they are not enticed away.
¡°Certainly the most important criterion for candidates approaching us to find them alternate employment is not remuneration based,¡± said Botti. ¡°It¡¯s about growing themselves and joining companies that invest in their staff or taking on bigger challenges.¡±
German organisation helps facilitate two-way intra-regional trade
JOY ORLEK
THERE IS clear consensus that the promotion of two-way intra-regional trade would go a long way to addressing the unhealthy trade deficit between South Africa and its neighbours, and a German organisation has put its money where its mouth is to facilitate change.
InWEnt, a non-profit organisation funded by the Federal Republic of Germany, has run several training courses for SMEs in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia, the results of which were on show at the recent Saitex exhibition at Gallagher Estate, Johannesburg.
InWEnt¡¯s Trade Africa initiative harnesses the support of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry ¨C Johannesburg, and the export boards in participating countries to provide training in all aspects of export promotion.
The training culminates in a buyers¡¯ and sellers¡¯ meeting for selected enterprises in Johannesburg where participants meet potential buyers and exhibit their products.
This year the Saitex exhibition provided the ideal vehicle with representatives from the ¡®Trade Africa¡¯ countries on hand to show their wares.
In addition to this initiative, InWEnt offers a 12-month advanced training programme in Germany for managers of export businesses and executives who must have a minimum of two years of professional experience in an institution promoting economic development and trade to qualify.
RFA plans training academy
THE ROAD Freight Association (RFA) is set to establish a training academy for drivers.
According to RFA CEO, Sipho Khumalo, the groundwork is being laid to establish needs, location and accreditations.
The facility is urgently required, particularly with changes to dangerous goods legislation that will require special training for drivers of such cargoes, he said.
FTW will keep its readers updated.
New Moz ruling raises alarm bells for export flows
Investigation under way
ALAN PEAT
AT THE latest shipping focus workgroup held by the Maputo Corridor Logistics Initiative (MCLI), concern was raised about the enforcement of an import decree by Mozambican customs officials.
The decree requests cargo owners to pay an import deposit of 20% of the value of the cargo before clearing the imported cargo.
Once the cargo has been cleared, the owners will be reimbursed with a portion of the deposit. However, said MCLI CEO, Brenda Horne, the Mozambican customs will retain 0.003 % of the deposit.
But the problem lurking in this new ruling is that the decree doesn¡¯t distinguish between imports and exports. Therefore, according to MCLI, the risk exists that the customs officials can apply the decree to export cargo as well.
¡°This can inhibit the flow of trade on the Maputo Corridor,¡± said Horne.
The situation is to be investigated, and a report made to MCLI forum on the enforcement of the decree on the Maputo Corridor.
