Much Ado About Nothing ─
Why is there so much training happening, but so little real skills development?

by Jeff Austin

Some commentators blame the Department of Labour's approach, pointing to deficiencies in the National Skills Development Strategy, others argue that it is an operational issue and a direct result of the failings of the SETA-system, but one thing the majority of industry experts and analysts agree on is that South Africa continues to be impeded by the national shortage of suitably skilled individuals to underpin job-creating economic growth.

"I think it's fair to say that a lot of the training happening in companies today is very focused on getting back the levies they have paid and 'using the system' to their advantage, rather than on making their people successful," maintains Jeff Austin, Managing Director of Siyandza Skills Development Training, "and, given the way the system currently operates, I don"t think you can completely blame them either."

Drawing on his extensive international experience, Austin argues that another large part of the problem is the generic nature of the training being given. "A lot of the training being provided is very broad-based and general," he observes, "which is very different to the United States, for example, where most Call Centre training is purposely focused on the specific job learners will be required to perform afterwards."

Acknowledging that the SETA (Sectoral Education and Training Authorities) system does ensure training is industry specific, Austin contends that it is still not concentrated enough on what learners will actually have to do to perform their jobs well. "It's very soft and more about the certificate than the needs of individual companies and their unique working environments," he confirms. "As a result, it rarely delivers genuine value and it is little wonder that so many companies see it predominantly as a duty and means of achieving rebates."

Austin cites the example of the prescribed SETA call centre agent training to illustrate his point. "Learners are put through training for both inbound and outbound call handling, but it's unlikely that new call centre agents will handle both types of calls since they have different goals and approaches and someone that is good at one may not be suited to the other," he explains. "This often leaves learners confused about what they actually need to do to carry out their "real world" job well and to succeed in their host organisations."

While remaining positive about SETA's goals and direction, Austin concedes that the government's strategy doesn"t work well "on the ground floor" and needs revising from that perspective. "In general, the overall skill levels of people entering the work environment are lower than they need to be in order for them to do their jobs well," he reiterates. "SETA training does get the core skills out there, but it doesn"t help learners apply these skills or encourage an attitude of wanting to grow and do better for themselves as employees."

How to build a car

Austin believes that the solution to the lack of real skills development requires switching the emphasis from theoretical to applied skills and on accenting employee career development. "I can give you the theory on how to build a car, but, chances are, I will need to show you how to actually do it if you are going to successfully build it," he asserts. "It's also important to give learners an understanding of how they can move up within the organisation because this is a crucial motivational ingredient ─ it adds the "will" to the "skill".

The importance of including the "career context" during any skills development training is based on Austin's daily experiences as a leading skills development provider. "Many organisations don"t bother to offer career development to ground floor staff since they are simply there to perform a task," he explains, "but this deprives them of the bigger picture and an understanding of how developing their skills and succeeding at their current tasks will be recognised and lead to their promotion and personal growth and satisfaction."

Onus is on businesses

Consequently, Austin argues that the onus is really on private organisations, who should also be demanding more from their skills development training providers. "In many respects, government's approach and what the SETAs are doing – creating broad-based, generic skills ─ is quite correct," he notes. "It's really up to businesses themselves, and in their best interests, to help employees convert or "operationalise" those general skills into the specific ones they will need to perform their jobs well and succeed."

Recognising that it is not always the easiest task, Austin maintains that firms should insist that training providers customise and tailor courses to suit the specific tasks, systems and processes in their workplaces. "It can be tough. There is a wide amount of variety in what providers do," he admits. "Even so, they should be held accountable to measurable, specific results, not just the fundamentals."

Training your provider

As a first step, Austin advocates partnering with a provider that demonstrates a clear understanding of your long-term skills development goals. "It's also important to make sure these goals are translated into exact outcomes and detailed in as precise terms as possible in the training SLA," he counsels.

Austin identifies four other competencies that companies should ensure their skills development training provider can offer:

Comprehensive discovery process
Before delivering any training, the provider needs to correctly evaluate the organisation's specific environment and needs. Customised frameworks
While meeting all relevant core NQF guidelines, the proposed training needs to be "operationalised" and tailored to the organisation's unique requirements, including very specific scenarios and role plays. Capability to consistently close training "gaps"
Appropriate formative and summative assessments need to be agreed in advance to ensure the training being provided is delivering genuine value and that any gaps are identified and closed. Change management plan
The provider should be able to demonstrate an understanding of what the impact of the training is going to be across the organisation.

Vested Interests

Despite the apparent failings of the SETA-based system and the inevitable distraction of National Skills Development Levy rebates, Austin is adamant that the country's acute skills shortage can be addressed in ways other than finger pointing and lengthy political debate.

"In the end, the most expedient answer to the apparent lack of genuine skills development remains in the hands of those with the most vested interest ─ individual companies and their training providers," he concludes. "Companies need to ensure they start training and motivating their employees for success, from the ground floor up, and to remember that, in the long run, what's better for the learner is also better for the business."