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Developing workplace skills training

The date of 30 June 2010 is the submission deadline for the Workplace Skills Plan (WSP). The sector education and training authorities (Setas) are obliged to pay the mandatory grant to employers who submit the WSP in terms of the specified requirements, however, late submissions do not qualify for the grant.

This grant is 50% of the total skills levy paid by the employer over a year in monthly contributions of 1% of its payroll.

In these tough economic times, it is particularly essential to ensure that employers benefit from this grant – simply by submitting the WSP, along with the Annual Training Report (ATR) from the previous year.

The Setas can be contacted to provide the 2010 WSP/ATR template.

What is the WSP?

The WSP is a document that describes an organisation’s plan for the training and development of its employees over the coming year. It is compiled to meet Seta requirements relating to the skills levy.

The WSP provides information on the types of learning programmes to be attended by different categories of employees and provides information on the current employees (per gender, population group and disability status), the provincial profile of employees, skills priorities of the organisation as well as other information related to skills development.

What is the ATR?

The ATR is the annual report that employers have to submit to their respective Seta at the end of each year to record the training that was provided to employees during that year. It reports implementation against the targets indicated in the WSP.

The WSP and ATR are submitted in one document.

The ATR reports on the training that was delivered in the previous year (e.g. 2008-2009), while the WSP describes the training planned for the coming year (e.g. 2009-2010). The reporting period covered in the WSP/ATR is the same for all Setas: 1 April to 31 March.

Skills planning process

Employers who submit the WSP/ATR also qualify for the additional discretionary grants to fund training in the skills that are essential for productivity and competitiveness.

Unfortunately, many companies see the WSP as a compliance issue, and fail to use the skills planning process to make a meaningful impact on their business.

The WSP/ATR should be the end result of a business-driven skills planning process. This will ensure the return on investment from training, as programmes will be focused on the competence required for the key performance areas of the business.

The skills planning process should include:

• A skills audit (about every three to five years) to determine the current state of skills in the company;

• An annual training needs analysis to identify the main skills gaps and training needs that must be addressed to improve the organisation’s performance; and

• A comprehensive training and development plan for learning and other skills development programmes to improve employee and organisational performance. This document should be used as a basis for compiling the WSP/ATR, which only includes information that is relevant for the Seta.

There is a common misconception that the mandatory grant is only paid if the WSP includes programmes that will lead to credits on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). This is not true.

The Skills Levy Regulations mandate Setas to pay the grant to employers who submit the WSP/ATR in the specified format by 30 June.

The WSP/ATR templates provided by the Setas make provision for employers to indicate which programmes are aligned to the NQF or registered with the South African Qualifications Authority.

The skills planning process should be driven by the internal or external person designated as the skills development facilitator.

The example of the timeline was developed with a small financial services company that needed to integrate the skills planning process with other performance management processes.

The process that was developed ensures the active involvement of managers and staff in determining the skills training and informal in-house development such as coaching, which would drive personal and organisational performance.

High Impact Skills Development: three interrelated processes

There are three interrelated processes that will assist your organisation to plan learning and other development processes which will improve the impact of skills development on your employees and the performance of your organisation. These are the Job and Skills Audit, Training Needs Analysis, and the planning of relevant learning programmes in the WSP.

How to conduct a Job and Skills Audit

• What job categories and skills do we require in our organisation to achieve our main goals and objectives?

• What is the current state of skills?

How to conduct Training Needs Analysis

What are the main skills gaps and training needs that must be addressed to improve our organisation’s performance?

How to develop a quality WSP

How do we plan high-impact learning and other skills development programmes that result in improved employee and organisational performance?

How do WSPs and ATRs benefit employers?

The WSP and ATR were introduced as part of the Skills Development legislation in the Government Gazette of 18 July 2005 relating to the payment of the skills levy of 1% of payroll by most categories of employers.

The purpose of the WSP and ATR is to encourage employers to plan the development of their employees.

Employers who meet their respective Seta’s requirements relating to the submission of the WSP and the ATR qualify for ‘mandatory grants’ from the Seta. At this stage, the grant is 50% of the total skills levy paid by the employer.

Why do we have WSPs and ATRs?

The information gathered and recorded through the process of developing WSPs and ATRs will assist organisations to develop and implement effective skills development processes that will contribute toward improving the competence of employees.

This will further contribute toward improved service and enhance the overall performance of organisations that, in turn, will make a positive impact on the economy and contribute toward the achievement of national skills development initiatives.

Action steps for developing a quality WSP, implementing selected training and other development programmes, and evaluating the results can impact on improved employee and organisational performance:

Step 1: Develop an action plan for completing the WSP/ATR

• Promote an integrated skills development process;

• Prepare for skills development; and

• Develop a plan for completing the WSP/ATR.

Step 2: Complete the ATR

• Identify the information required to complete the ATR;

• Study the ATR section of the WSP/ATR;

• Obtain and collate information on training delivered;

• Compare training planned and delivered; and

• Complete the ATR section in the WSP template.

Step 3: Complete the WSP

• Identify information required in the WSP;

• Determine internal needs to be addressed in the WSP; and

• Insert the information in the WSP.

Step 4: Submit the WSP/ATR to the Seta

• Complete the final page;

• Identify the information required;

• Obtain the signatures required; and

• Keep a copy of the signed document and submit the WSP/ATR to the Seta.

Step 5: Promote and monitor WSP implementation

• Encourage support for skills development;

• Promote a learning culture;

• Counter resistance toward skills development;

• Promote the quality of implementation;

• Monitor and track implementation of the WSP; and

• Keep stakeholders informed of the progress.

Step 6: Evaluate the implementation of the WSP

• Plan the evaluation – determine the persons involved in the evaluation;

• Plan the scope of the evaluation – select the evaluation tools and instruments;

• Evaluate the success of the implementation;

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the skills planning process;

• Record and distribute findings and recommendations; and

• Track the implementation of recommendations.

Suzanne Hattingh

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