Dear Name
BEE + Skills Development = a Brighter Future
A concept we have often mentioned during our seminars is South Africa does not have an unemployment problem, but rather an unemployable problem. I recognize this is rather controversial but let me elaborate. South Africa has a very large poverty barrier. This barrier results in many people who do not have sufficient skills failing to earn a steady income. With this in mind South Africa has a large base of unemployed people but very limited skills to choose from.
How does a lack of Skills Development affect you?
Recently while checking on the voter’s roll to see if I was registered, the person working behind the table looked up my first name and not surname and of course told me that I was not registered. I then helped him and looked up myself via my surname and found myself as well as my entire family listed. Lack of Skills Development or lack of training – in this case I believe that the person had the skills but had not been briefed properly.
Another very simple example; buying fruit & vegetables on the side of the road – purchase price R35.00, paying with a R100.00 note, receiving R75.00: back in change. Lack of Skills Development – yes. Solution – night classes – basic arithmetic, or a calculator etc. On that note, how often have you chosen to help the person because you felt it was the right thing to do? If you have helped, congratulations you have just earned yourself a few BEE points.
BEE encourages Skills Development and Skills Development is good for BEE. Training staff can have a major effect on the success of a business. Lack of skills in the business can be disastrous.
Skills can also be transferred through other very meaningful actions such as sending a young black child to school, or helping a sweet seller on the side of the road add or subtract, in BEE terms this will result in Socio-economic or Enterprise Development.
How does business sense affect Skills Development? More importantly, how does lack of Skills Development affect you in the business world?
Imagine you place an ad in a newspaper – phone and ask for the classified section. The phone was answered very professionally and quickly. The ad was typed up and emailed for checking and approval. A quote emailed to you. The ad and price was approved and given a go ahead. The ad appeared on the day that it was supposed to, in the correct column. The invoice was posted. The quoted amount was the invoiced amount. The accounts department processes you credit card. Transaction complete.
Additional Skills Development necessary – none. Would I do business with them again – yes.
Imagine the same scenario, you place an ad in a newspaper – phone and ask for the classified section. The phone was answered by the wrong department and took ages to get through to someone who could answer a basic question. The ad was typed up and emailed for checking and approval. A quote emailed to you. The ad and price was approved and given a go ahead. The ad appeared on the wrong day that it was supposed to, in the incorrect column. The invoice was posted. The quoted amount was not the invoiced amount. The accounts department processes your credit card for the wrong amount. You pick up the phone, try speak to a manager who can sort out all your problems but no one can help you. Transaction complete.
Additional Skills Development necessary – plenty. Would I do business with them again – not likely.
Skills Development costs money. Some of our clients are quite taken aback by how much they need to spend, until we explain to them how much first world countries spend on training and explain how important skills are to the country and their business. At the same time we help them identify various actions that they have taken which is eligible Skills Development. The question to ask is – what is the cost to their business by not spending on Skills Development? How much are they advancing their business by spending on Skills Development?
Remember a good consultant will not only be able to help you understand all your Skills Development requirements but help you spend money in the most effective way that benefits your business and improves your BEE Score.
BEE and Skills Development is a fantastic tool to help your business succeed, grow South Africa and of course Become BEE Compliant.
Remember
BEE Points = Business
That’s it for the time being.
Regards
Keith and the EconoBEE Team
