The BBBEE Scorecard is a points-based measure of progress towards economic equity and an important tool for securing contracts. When considering which supplier to use, customers consider price, quality and BBBEE performance. To score higher, skills development must be addressed. Companies outperforming competitors in training have a significant advantage (20% of the Score), calculated as skills development spending. Staying profitable means that training can’t be neglected.

Furthermore, training has numerous advantages that aren’t measured in terms of BBBEE points. Many companies conduct training merely to meet BBBEE requirements. This constitutes wasteful spending and is a disturbing trend. It is also concerning that training often doesn’t receive much attention in budgeting. Almost all problems in the workplace come down to a lack of training and knowledge. For example, staff members may struggle with team cohesion or client-facing. They may dodge complex problems and reject innovation because training doesn’t happen. Such skills and knowledge are not in-born abilities. They have to be built through training.

Devan Moonsamy – QMD Director The ICHAF Training Institute Photo Credit: W. Sami Poor performance is a chronic problem which clients detect immediately. Consistent performance is the bread and butter of all businesses and it can’t be achieved without training. South Africa is performing satisfactorily compared to similar countries but evidence shows we fall seriously short in education and training. This impacts on our competitiveness domestically and internationally. To overcome this problem and remain profitable and relevant, all companies must invest in developing their personnel.