How an Annual Training Report (ATR) Can Help Your Organisation Stay Ahead

How an Annual Training Report (ATR) Can Help Your Organisation Stay Ahead

by | Mar 24, 2023 | Annual Training Report (ATR), Articles, B-BBEE, Featured, Human Resources, News, Siyakha, Workplace Skills Plan

An Annual Training Report (ATR) can be a powerful tool for organisations looking to stay ahead in today’s competitive business landscape. By reflecting on the actual training data for the past year, starting from the 1st of April of the past year to the 31st of March of the current year, the ATR provides valuable insights into the education, training interventions, and learning and development activities that were delivered. The ATR can assist businesses to commit to the development of their employees as well as individuals in the communities they operate in.

 

“The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.” – B.B. King.

 

Completion and submission of a Workplace Skills Plan and Actual Training Report (WSP/ATR) is an essential tool for creating a better, more efficient, productive, and safer working environment.

 

The ATR is also an opportunity for organisations to build a pool of talent made up of professional employees and assists in developing enhanced succession planning structures. This is essential for ensuring business continuity and creating a well-rounded working environment. Effective training should include not only mandatory safety and compliance training but also technical and career path development, as well as softer human skills like critical thinking, conflict resolution, and communication.

 

Submitting a WSP/ATR to the relevant SETA by the 30th of April each year may initially seem cumbersome, but the tangible benefits for your business are significant. By meeting the requirements of these submissions, your business can claim back up to 20% of your Skills Development Levy (SDL) from the specific industry’s SETA. The WSP/ATR submission provides a financial incentive and ensures compliance with the Skills Development priority element on your B-BBEE Scorecard.

 

Moreover, by conducting a skills audit, developing a training plan, and evaluating the effectiveness of training programs, organisations can ensure that their employees have the skills required to meet future challenges and be ready when opportunities arise. Developing a learning and development plan benefits the individual employee and ensures that the organisation is well-prepared to adapt to changing business needs.

 

In conclusion, the Annual Training Report is an essential tool for any organisation looking to stay ahead in today’s competitive business landscape. The benefits of submitting a WSP/ATR goes beyond compliance and enable return on investment through financial incentives, compliance with the Skills Development priority element, and the development of people.

 

“The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay.” – Henry Ford.

 

Contact Siyakha for assistance in developing learning and development strategies that can form the basis of your ATR submission.

 

Sune Marais

E: sune.marais@siyakha.co.za | T: 011 706 9006

How can WSP and ATR help identify and close skills gaps within your organisation

How can WSP and ATR help identify and close skills gaps within your organisation

by | Mar 15, 2023 | Articles, ATR, Digital, Education, Featured, Future World of Works, Human Resources, News, SMME, Workplace Skills Plan

A workplace skills plan is a detailed document that outlines the skills required by an organisation and identifies any gaps in those skills. The skills plan should consider the current skills of employees and their future training needs, as well as sector specific scares skills gap. The skills plan is an essential tool for HR managers and training committees, as it provides a blueprint for the development of training programs and career development plans for employees.

 

“The Skills Development Act, aims to expand the knowledge and competencies of the labour force, improve productivity, increase employment and eradicate inequality in society” Teboho Motsoane.

 

In order to develop a skills plan we need to conduct a skills audit of the organisation first. A skills audit involves assessing employees’ current skills against the skills required for their roles. This can be done through interviews, surveys, and performance appraisals and will help identify gaps in employees’ skills and highlight the areas where training is required.

 

Once skills gaps have been identified, these gaps are then translated into a training plan. The training plan should be based on the skills plan, should address the identified skills gaps and should be designed to meet the organisations’ and its employees’ specific needs and factor in sector specific skill requirements. It is important that training committees meet on a quarterly basis to discuss implementing changes into the plan if needed to due to current conditions in the working environment and operating sector at that time.

 

An actual training report (ATR) is an essential tool for measuring the effectiveness of training programs. The ATR reports on the actual training that was concluded in line with what training that was planned in the WSP.

 

The ATR assists in identifying whether the training program has successfully addressed the skills gaps identified in the skills plan. It can also highlight any areas where further training may be required. The report should be used to inform future training programs and to ensure that the organisation’s training needs are being met.

 

The WSP/ATR tool assists in creating opportunity for employees to obtain the skills required to remain competitive and can contribute to an organisation’s success.

 

Develop integrated learning pathways for your employees that will enhance employee engagement and organisational effectiveness with Siyakha’s expert assistance in crafting and submitting a WSP and ATR.

 

Contact us on 011 706 9006 or via email on sune.marais@siyakha.co.za to ensure that you get the best fit solution for your organisation through our specialised process and experienced team.

Leveraging Learning and Development to Create a Resilient Workforce

Leveraging Learning and Development to Create a Resilient Workforce

by | Feb 23, 2023 | Annual Training Report, Articles, B-BBEE, Featured, SMME, Workplace Skills Plan

In an ever-changing world of micro- and macro environments that impact businesses, it is more important than ever for organisations to realise the importance of being resilient and adapting to change swiftly without causing disruptions to daily business operations, employees, and stakeholders.

Workforce resilience describes working environments that allow employees to adapt quickly to adverse situations, manage stress effectively, and retain motivation. At the core, there are three aspects to consider in identifying resilience in the working environment: “a sense of security; a strong sense of belonging with the employer; adaptability and motivation employees need to reach their full potential” (Ali and Subah, 2022).

In a resilient workforce, employees are always ready for change and welcome it; this can only be done through personal development and ensuring that employees are taught the relevant skills and provided with tools to assist them in mastering the change process. When people gain relevant skills through mentorship and support programmes to a point where they feel comfortable putting these skills into practice, organisations enable them to become active members of change and growth.

Before planning learning and development in an organisation, gathering information relevant to the planning phase is essential. It will factor in what type of learning intervention best suits your employees, their goals, and future aspirations and will mutually benefit the employees and the organisation. It is crucial to ensure that the planned learning pathway is accessible, relevant, and value-adding. Planning is an essential part of implementing any learning and development programmes. This then translates into the Annual Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) that needs to be submitted to the relevant SETA’s annually. Once a plan has been put into place, implementation becomes second nature, and the organisation can then manage this process fluidly.

“If you fail to plan, then you are planning to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin

Besides being a legislative requirement in the South African work environment, the benefits of having implemented a successful WSP are that these organisations are often associated having greater job satisfaction, increased contentment, organisational commitment, and employee engagement. Leveraging resilience contributes to improved self-esteem, a sense of control over life events, a sense of purpose, and improved interpersonal relationships among employees, especially those working as a team.

The words of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry speak the truth, for “a goal without a plan is just a wish”.

Revitalise your workforce and improve your organisational effectiveness with Siyakha’s expert assistance in reviewing and enhancing your ‘people’ strategy through our specialised WSP and ATR process.

Sune Marais

E:sune.marais@siyakha.co.za | T: 011 706 9006

The Importance of A Strong Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) For Driving Organisational Performance

The Importance of A Strong Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) For Driving Organisational Performance

by | Feb 16, 2023 | Annual Training Report, Annual Training Report (ATR), ATR, B-BBEE, Featured, Siyakha, Workplace Skills Plan, Workplace Skills Plan (WSP), WSP

Learning and development programmes are vital in enhancing an organisation’s human capital. The focus on people and supporting them in achieving developmental goals is a human-centered approach that strategically aligns to increasing productivity and assists an organisation in realising the golden thread to align business strategy with that of people development.

The annual submission of the WSP/ATR is a reporting mechanism that supports organisations in recognising the implementation of various skills development programs to minimise internal skill gaps and to expand learning and development programs for unemployed learners. The report consists of the Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) that indicates planned training for the year ahead, while an Annual Training Report (ATR) reports the actual training activity completed in the previous year.

The WSP is developed annually, for the period 01 April to 31 March, by a registered skills development facilitator (SDF) and is submitted to the relevant SETA with which the organisation is registered. The submission and approval of the WSP/ATR facilitate access to the SETAs mandatory grant for skills training.

An equally important purpose is to provide important sector information to the SETA on employee profiles, skill needs, and skills development interventions. This information, in turn, informs the development of the SETAs sector skills plan (SSP). Therefore, companies with a salary bill of more than R500,000 per year should be registered to pay Skills Development Levies (SDL). Companies can then submit the WSP/ATR. On approval of the submitted WSP/ATR, up to 20% of the SDL paid will be obtained through a grant from the relevant Seta.

Organisations are continuously evolving, and in order to stay relevant with a strong competitive advantage, identifying the required skills needed to support forward-thinking becomes essential. Addressing any training shortfalls and areas of excellence, organisations can contribute to the professional development of their employees while investing in the company’s future skill requirements. Furthermore, the development of youth through participation in learning and development programs can support individual growth for future absorption into the current working force and is, so doing, support the National Development Plan for minimising unemployment.

It is essential to secure support and commitment from management and the employees within the organisation to ensure successful implementation.

Reflection also plays an integral part in the development of learning programs, and the progress made by an organisation is indicated in the ATR. The success or failure of the company, in terms of its skills priorities and growth objectives, is measured by comparing the ATR and the previous WSP.

In addition, hereto, Skills Development plays a pivotal role in transformation. It is a priority element in the revised B-BBEE Codes of Good Practice, and non-compliance with sub-minimum targets will result in a measured entity dropping one level on the scorecard. For example, suppose a measured entity fails to submit the Workplace Skills Plan and Annual Training Report. In that case, their B-BBEE status will be negatively affected. No submission, no points. The grant linked to the WSP of the company will also be suspended for the following year.

The overarching emphasis of the WSP/ATR is to drive impact in transformation, individual learning, and development and for an organisation to gain a competitive edge by being recognised as an employer of choice.

Revitalise your workforce and improve your organisational effectiveness with Siyakha’s expert assistance in reviewing and enhancing your ‘people’ strategy through our specialised WSP and ATR process

Sune Marais

E: sune.marais@siyakha.co.za

T: 011 706 9006

25 years making development happen

25 years making development happen

by | Jan 26, 2023 | Articles, Digital, Employment and Equality, Events, Featured, Future World of Works, Impact, Invest, Investment, News, SMME, SMMEs

Siyakha is celebrating 25 years this year, in delivering solutions to our clients. Our team is focused, more than ever, on making development happen. Through the work that we do in fund-raising and growth, our consulting work to develop solutions and our development teams who are on the ground, driving change, we have never been more aware of the need for all of us to be a part of the solution.

 

The Siyakha Impact Trust© and the Siyakha Development Trust© are both vehicles that allow our clients to make contributions to SED and/or ESD respectively, allowing these Trusts as 3rd party providers, to then deliver programmes in the 12 months ahead.

 

Our FabLab© programme is there to support digital SMMEs. Our YOWZA!© platform provides comprehensive support to SMMEs through online learning, funding support, coaching, access to opportunities, an SMME marketplace and much more.

 

Our Project Hope© initiative provides employment, learning and development for unemployed mothers in townships.

 

We are working to raise funding for more than 11 000 initiatives, programmes, SMMEs, NGOs and registered charities across South Africa in a multitude of disciplines including forAfrika, a feeding scheme and Pothole Patrol, extrusion processes for environmental and food certainty, to name, but a few.

 

If you are grappling with how to build a strategy for Sustainability, submit ESG reports, need to rethink B-BBEE to make commercial sense, have Skills Development, Socio-Economic development or ESD spend that is not yet utilised, talk to our team so that we can ensure that you have the right solution that has maximum impact and measurable results.

 

Suzaan Bezuidenhout

E:suzaan.bezuidenhout@siyakha.co.za

T:011 706 9006

Employment Equity Amendment Bill: What To Expect

Employment Equity Amendment Bill: What To Expect

by | Nov 1, 2022 | Articles, B-BBEE, Education, Featured

It is always important to consider the regulatory environment. Looking at the “S” in ESG, one should consider the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE), for it has become a crucial part of South African Legislation. While progress around B-BBEE has taken place, the change in the C-Suite of originations is yet to create the inclusion impact many had hoped for. To reach the goals set out in the transformation agenda in the country, one should not only consider addressing obstacles within the state. There is also a responsibility that falls on the Private Sector to have the courage to stand firm in ensuring sustainable change by closely considering diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The continued quest for redress led to the appointment of the country’s new B-BBEE Advisory Council in June 2022, which will guide the government on the ‘intensified transformation’ of the economy. However, for authentic and accelerated transformation to be achieved, the B-BBEE act must be applied consistently by both the Public and Private Sectors, particularly concerning Section 10 and Section 13 (G). These sections refer to the Status of the Codes and Reporting by entities in the Public and Private Sectors.

Although no substantial changes have been made to the B-BBEE Act and Amended Codes of Good Practice after 2015, the most significant transformation push comes through the new Employment Equity Amendment Bill, which is expected to be the vanguard in a new transformation push for the country.

The Department of Employment and Labour governs the Employment Equity Act, allowing minister Thulas Nxesi to set employment equity targets for different business sectors. Targets may be set for different occupational levels, sub-sectors, or regions.

The Amendment of the EE Act of 1998 is intended:

  • To reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses;
  • Empower the Employment and Labour Minister to regulate sector-specific EE numerical targets;
  • To promulgate section 53 of the EEA for issuing the EE Compliance Certificate.

The expected introduction of five-year sector targets will mark a new beginning for inclusion. All current Employment Equity plans fell away on 22 September 2022. The new plans will have to be aligned with five-year targets, as self-regulation is yet to deliver broader diversity and inclusion.

The primary purpose of the Employment Equity Act is to promote the right to Equality, to ensure that all employees receive equal opportunities and be treated fairly by their Employers.

As a result, the Amendment Bill has seen two significant changes, namely:

  • The definition of “designated employer” has been narrowed, and the Minister of Employment and Labour (Minister) has been empowered to determine sectoral numerical targets. In the current Act, an employer that employs fewer than 50 employees (small businesses), but has a total annual turnover that is equal to or above the applicable annual turnover contained in Schedule 4 of the Act, is deemed to be a designated employer and falls within the scope of application of Chapter 3 of the Act (which deals with affirmative action measures).
  • The inclusion of small businesses has been removed from the Bill, thus Chapter 3 of the Act will no longer apply to small businesses regardless of their turnover. These employers will therefore not be required to produce an employment equity plan and submit annual reports. Notably, section 14 of the Act, which permits voluntary compliance with Chapter 3, has been repealed.

The newly created section 15A, contain pertinent aspects

The Minister has the power to identify National Economic Sectors, that are defined as “an industry or service or part of any industry” and may set numerical targets to be achieved to ensure representation of suitably qualified individuals from designated groups in all organisational occupational levels.

The sectoral targets will be published in the Government Gazette, giving interested parties a minimum of 30 days for commentary.

Several additional sections were amended to align with section 15A. In so doing, section 20 has been amended by inserting section 20(2A) requiring a designated employer to align numerical targets in its employment equity plan, with the applicable sectoral targets set by the Minister.

Section 42, has been amended by inserting section 42(1)(a) that requires alignment with the Minister’s sectoral targets in so far as compliance with the Act is concerned. In addition hereto, the amended section 53 requires a designated employer to set its numerical targets following the applicable sectoral targets as determined by the Minister as a precondition for a compliance certificate to permit contracting with the state.

These amendments assist small businesses in having a less onerous compliance process. Once these targets have been Gazetted a follow up-article detailing these targets will be published.

Feel free to reach out if you need assistance with your current employment equity submission at: Klarinda.Meiring@siyakha.co.za