Tell us a little about your history within the Adcorp Group.

My first job after my studies was as a receptionist / recruitment consultant at Quest Staffing Solutions (then Quest Personnel) in 1984. I stayed with Quest and was promoted within the business. Before I left Quest I was appointed as regional manager for KZN and then general manager of the Quest Learning Institute in which role I managed one of the first ever learnerships for the company, a project involving more than 1800 learners.

How did you arrive at PMI?

Adcorp wanted to commercialise the learnership model and implement it across all Adcorp businesses, therefore the Quest Learning Institute was integrated into PMI.

What do you find most rewarding and most challenging in your role as management executive of PMI commercial?

I love the variety my role offers, I enjoy the strategic consulting with clients and the solution development gives my creative and conceptual talent expression.
I enjoy the operational side of staff management the least.

What do you believe the answer to South Africa’s skills shortage is?

The basic education system is not setting an adequate foundation for learners to fully benefit from the importance of vocational learning. Basic literacy and numeracy skills are exceptionally low and this creates the need for significant bridging on numeracy and literacy training before the full benefits of vocational training can be realised.

What is the biggest difference PMI is making?

We transform the lives of the disadvantaged and provide hope and a belief in the future.

What do you believe are the PMI highlights of 2011?

• Change in leadership of the blue collar RPL,
• Internal restructuring to inculcate a more performance driven culture,
• The incorporation of Prior Learning Institute and in so doing, the establishment of our very own Academic Centre of Excellence.

What does 2012 hold?

• Greater economies of scale,
• Improved training for our internal staff and
• Continued growth within our market sectors.
• Quality!!!

What are your festive season plans?

My family, close friends and I are going to the north coast (where there is no cellphone coverage) for some sun and fun.  This is my favourite local holiday destination.

• General and Further Education and Training (GET and FET)
• Higher Education (HET)
• Trades and Occupations (TO)

These councils will develop qualifications and in consultation with SAQA, develop criteria for the registration of their qualifications and qualification types by SAQA.

The new framework has nine qualification types mapped out onto the NQF Levels 5 – 10.
Undergraduate qualifications include: Higher Certificates; Advanced Certificates; Diplomas; Advanced Diplomas and Bachelor’s Degrees.

Postgraduate qualifications include: Postgraduate Diplomas; Bachelor Honours Degrees; Master’s Degree and Doctoral Degrees.

The implementation of the new NQF is the responsibility of the Council on Higher Education and this process was started in 2011. This process requires that all higher education institutions assess their current qualifications and re-align them to the new NQF.

PMI has already commenced with this and we are planning to use this as an opportunity for growth and to extend the number of accredited HE qualifications that we offer. Our first application for accreditation for a Higher Certificate has already been submitted to the CHE for accreditation.

PMI is in the business of knowledge, enlightening clients by sharing expertise and experience within the field of human capital development. PMI strategises, implements and manages solutions that create skills that empower individuals and businesses to continuously improve performance, productivity and profitability.

To ensure that PMI not only facilitates this growth and sustainability within our clients’ environments but also experiences the same within our own organisation, we have formalised a strategic partnership with a customer service specialist. This partnership enables us to measure, research and strategise solutions around our client service based on current insight into the key aspects underpinning our service levels.

Every month various PMI clients across all services and industries nationwide are questioned on the following key customer service drivers:

• Appreciation
• Competence
• Empathy
• Knowledge
• Partnership
• Proactivity
• Reliability
• Responsiveness
• Trustworthiness
• Value

The accumulative score for the above is then calculated to determine our overall client service index (CSI). These individual scores, the CSI, the client feedback and the researchers’ comments and observations equip PMI with the knowledge required to guide operational, service and strategic improvements and new developments.

“Our CSI for November 2011 is 87%, consistent with the previous month’s 91% and an improvement on August’s 68% and September’s 79%,” says Kim Smallie, managing executive of PMI Industrial. “We appreciate our clients willingness and enthusiasm to participate in these surveys and assure them that the data collected is put to excellent use.”

Some of the highlights in our November report include a score of 100% for Value and 92% for Trustworthiness, Appreciation, Responsiveness and Proactivity.

One of the PMI clients surveyed this month was Rhona Wolmarans of Altech, whose comment in response to the evaluation of Partnership was: “ PMI are true, genuine partners. All of their efforts have proven that they see the bigger picture and they have integrated themselves into our business.”

“We appreciate that our clients’ needs are every-changing and that our services and service levels need to proactively respond to these needs. The insight gathered in our monthly clients satisfaction surveys and our holistic key account management give us immediate access to these realities. This ensures that the quality we invest in our services is the quality our clients get out,” concludes Kim Smallie.

South Africa’s Further Education and Training (FET) system is better placed than ever to put state funds to good use and accelerate the delivery of critical middle-level skills – especially artisans – into the economy.

John Botha, PMI”s director of sales & strategy, says that with the overhaul of the FET college sector and of Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) over the past year, areas where interventions are most required have been identified.

“There is therefore no reason why the R9,5 billion allocated to FET colleges and skills development by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in his medium-term budget last week cannot be immediately allocated and spent.”

“The FET college sector is geared to provide the theoretical qualification component of artisan – as well as other occupational training – requirements, and the framework for the creation of a single, cross-sectoral artisan training system is now in place.”

“The gaps and the needs across the system are clear,” says Botha.

This improved ‘status quo’ in the FET landscape can be attributed to two key DHET developments:

• firstly, the shift of FET college management from regional to national government, coupled with interventions to ensure that FET colleges offer full qualifications that are integrated with both the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and general and higher education, and that are aligned to both industry and the SETAs; and
• secondly, the incorporation of SETAs into the DHET followed by a restructure of the SETA landscape and then radical improvements to SETA constitutions and governance structures.

SETA boards are far more capacitated than before – they are stronger, have independent chairpersons and better business, government and labour representation.

In establishing a standardised national artisan training infrastructure, the DHET will do away with sector-specific programmes and with SETA-issued certificates of competence.

Meanwhile the interventions required at FET colleges are all set for investment and mobilisation. “The sooner they are implemented, the sooner we will see improvements in programme quality, more enrolments of youths and adults and better qualified teaching staff.”

We applaud the introduction of the Artisan Development Technical Task Team (ADTTT), the National Artisan Moderating Body (NAMB) and the Ministerial Task Team charged with improving SETA performance. These three agents will be central in creating a standardised and sustainable apprenticeship-based artisan development programme.

“Government’s target of 50 000 artisans by 2014/15 may still be somewhat ambitious, but we have certainly come a long way in setting the scene for a serious injection of artisans and other critical middle-level skills into the workplace.”

Meanwhile, business, government and labour have committed to training 30 000 new artisans following the recent signing of the National Skills Accord (NSA). Of this figure, 13% is to come from state-owned companies, 31% from government and the majority – 56% – from business.

As part of the NSA, private companies have committed to increasing their training spend to well over the compulsory 1%-of-payroll training levy, a significant proportion of which will be steered towards the FET colleges.

Of course, there is much work to be done by all stakeholders, but it will be interesting to assess the impact that these measures have on boosting South Africa’s current output of 5 600 qualified artisans annually to the target of 12 500.

We emphasise the importance of the artisan-technician-engineer ratios set by industry which he says are crucial for planning around higher-levels skills. It is currently anticipated that for every eight artisans that qualify, three will become technicians and one will become an engineer.

“This overall progress around middle-level skills development feeds directly into the New Growth Path (NGP) and its manufacturing enabler, the Industrial Policy Action Plan 2 (IPAP2), as well as the National Skills Development Strategy III (NSDS III) and the Human Resource Development Strategy of South Africa (HRDSA).”

PMI currently trains about 5% of the national artisan output.

In 2011, PMI expects to produce in the region of 1 500 qualified artisans.

The annual KZN graduation was held at the Clairwood racecourse on 4 November and was attended by the PMI staff, the 2011 graduates and their proud families. John Botha, PMI’s executive director of strategy was our guest speaker and we were honoured to have Professor Nzimande join us as our guest on the evening.

Our 2011 Cum Laude learners are:

• Chris Govindsamy (Nampak) Diploma in Production Management
• Dumiso Mhlope (Nampak) Diploma in Production Management
• Cameron Raman (Toyota) Diploma in Production Management
• Rodney Pillay (Toyota) PMI Certificate in Production Management

Congratulations!

Despite the obvious benefits of a skills development strategy, the full value is only realised when it supports the overall business strategy and has an impact on profitability. Herein lies the challenge. The hours an employee spends in classroom training for Learnerships and other training interventions are unproductive in terms of the day-to-day operational requirements of the business, hereby potentially having negative short-term impact on productivity and profitability. The long-term benefits are often over-shadowed by the short-term cost of working hours.

“Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) offers employers an opportunity to enhance the strategic value of their skills development investment without the short term impact on productivity through lost working hours,” says Dr Karen Deller, academic executive of PMI.

RPL is an assessment process through which the skills and knowledge that an individual acquires outside of formal educational institutions are formally recognised.

“Many long-serving employees have in-depth and practical experience in the very qualifications or skills the business is training on. This learning is acquired over years of working, perhaps within the current business or perhaps prior to it. Learning can also take place outside the workplace, in family and other informal contexts. Recognition of Prior Learning typically has a shorter classroom-contact period than Learnerships and traditional training, therefore minimising the cost of lost working hours while still earning the tax incentives,” says Dr Deller.

If a business’ strategy is to promote from within, RPL has the added value of making employees eligible for promotion or transfer in a shorter time period. Employees will also earn certificated recognition for their years of service and on-the-job learning. The RPL could also gain them access to higher or further education where previously they did not meet the academic requirements. All these outcomes generally have a positive impact on staff retention and morale.

Understanding the unique value and relevance of all forms of skills development interventions is imperative to the success of any skills development strategy. The Skills Development Act has provided South African businesses with the tools to customise and implement skills development according to their strategic and operational needs while addressing the macro socio-economic needs of our country. “RPL is a very effective tool to quickly quantify the skills profile of a business, qualify for tax rebates and potentially enhance the productivity, morale and retention of staff,” concludes Dr Deller.

(1) Taxation Laws Amendment Acts, No. 8 7 9 of 2007

PMI project managed the 106-day conversion of a shopping centre into a world-class mining training centre. Originally developed to offer skills programmes to the largely unemployed local community of Kuruman, Kathu, Mothibistadt and Hotazel, the Joe Morolong training centre will now, 5 years and 1800 qualified learners later, offer learnerships to this community; once again in full partnership with PMI once full accreditation process with Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA) has been finalised.

“This growth in strategy and services with PMI enables UMK to offer the previous learners who have qualified as artisan aids to now re-enter the training system and complete a learnership registered by the MQA in terms of the Skills Development Act. thus enabling them to become qualified miners and artisans, with prospects for further development in the mining and engineering industry, depending on their performance and aspirations,” says Carel van der Merwe, PMI’s Management Executive: Technical Division.

UMK is a non-listed company and a joint venture between the BBBEE company, Majestic Silver Trading 40 (Pty) Ltd and Russian-owned, Renova Manganese Investment Limited.
Issued with a prospecting right in May 2005 and issued with a new mining order right in March 2008, it has been UMK’s strategic intent to invest in the creation of a ready and skilled workforce in the area.  The entrusted PMI with this task and are currently renewing the contract to continue the success achieved to date.

As a member of Adcorp Group Limited, PMI have access to in-house skills that enable a comprehensive solution that takes learners from training to viable employment. The learners who come out of the Joe Morolong training centre are offered assistance with job seeking.

“Our solutions are ever-dynamic and we continuously add to our already comprehensive service offering. Future projects include a strategic partnership with Man-Dirk to develop, nurture and grow a sustainable artisan development network, successfully addressing the national agenda by establishing new, and capacitating existing artisan training centres throughout urban and rural South Africa. We also offer our clients access to an online human capital competency management system called PMI Pathfinder,” concludes Carel van der Merwe.

PMI has been rebranded. New logo, new positioning, new website.

From our earliest memories we recall moments in which we made promises, took brave action, challenged ourselves, became accountable, invested in an uncertain future and demonstrated confidence in our instinct, our skills, our abilities, our knowledge, our passion and the support of our friends and family.

Commitment is as human as breathing; when young, we fell trustingly into our father’s arms, we believed unquestioningly in our mother’s advice, we backed ourselves on sports’ fields and in exam rooms. Later in life we promised ourselves to another based on feelings, not facts. We gave our future to the raising of another life and we sacrificed in the motivation and support of others.

Our ability to commit is most often instinctual, unexplained and unchallenged. Only when pushed to extremes do we hesitate and question. These moments of extreme commitment reveal our self-belief and our belief in others. Whether it is as dramatic as stepping off a diving board, or jumping out of an airplane; or as personal as saying ‘I do’ or the decision to have a family; or as everyday as clicking send to dispatch a strongly worded email or signing on a dotted line; these moments test us. It is in these moments; the moments of consequential no-turning-back, that trust, skill, ability, wisdom and passion matter most.

PMI is committed; it is not just a word, not an empty promise in the noise of business ROI. It is who we are. We are committed, to our clients, our learners, our staff, our industry, and our country and to the promises we make individually and collectively every day. All we do is backed by an unwavering confidence. This conviction allows us to tackle the most complex and challenging of business human capital with a steady hand and focused mind. It gives us foresight to develop solutions that are right for the uniqueness and idiosyncrasies of each of our clients. It gives us the perseverance and Velcro-partnering to realise present and future success.

Commitment of this kind can only be made as a result of quality, value, strategic insight, accountability, knowledge, partnership and passion. It is the outcome of this accumulative value set.

We are proud to introduce the new PMI brand and positioning and we commit to add value on an ongoing basis on this, our new website and in every engagement we have with client and learner.

We would love to hear your comments on our new website; comments invited.

By strategic intent, PMI is always adding to their already comprehensive basket of services. To this end, PMI has recently acquired Prior Learning Centre, an accredited provider of training and recognition of prior learning services.

Recognition of prior learning (RPL)

RPL is an assessment process through which the skills and knowledge that an individual acquires outside of formal educational institutions are formally recognised.

There are three main reasons for employers and individuals to consider RPL in South Africa:

• To achieve a full or partial qualification,
• To get access into higher or further education where you don’t meet the academic requirements,
• To earn professional recognition and advanced standing beyond what your formal qualifications would qualify you for,
• To show the workplace what you are capable of – for employment, promotion or transfers.

Prior Learning Centre offers clients a turnkey RPL solution, which includes assessment tool design, pre-assessment and candidate identification, RPL facilitation, assessment and certification.

Training

A learnership is a training programme that combines theory with relevant on-the-job practice and experience. Learners have the benefit of experiencing all aspects of the job under the guidance of a qualified coach.

To qualify, learners are assessed against occupational standards that have been agreed on in advance by industry stakeholders.

The employer, the training provider and the learner enter into a legal agreement outlying all the required deliverables of the learnership. This agreement ensures the quality of the training and protects all involved parties.

Prior Learning Centre offers clients a turnkey training and/or learnership solution, which includes pre-assessment and learner identification, course design, training and facilitation, assessment and certification. In addition to learnerships, Prior Learning Centre offers full and part-time qualification or skills programmes customised to meet the clients’ requirements and schedules.

PMI has a long-standing relationship with Prior Learning Centre, “for more than 8 years, we have benefited from Prior Learning Centre’s innovative and standard strategy as well as their qualitative delivery”, says Colette Atkinson, management executive of PMI commercial.

70% of Prior Learning Centre’s revenue is generated from PMI and therefore working relationships have already been formed and cemented through shared objectives and principles during projects worked on together over the years.

And the same is true when calculating the answer to the labour legislative issue of ‘equal pay for work of equal value’.

Some of the factors that need to be considered in this equation are:
• Merit,
• Performance,
• Experience,
• Length of service,
• Career path,
• Succession plan,
• Skills supply and demand.
These are highly subjective factors and would therefore be difficult to assimilate to reach an acceptable legislative and practical outcome.

Then there is the issue of how ‘equal pay’ is interpreted, is it:
• Basic pay,
• Remuneration or
• Cost to company?

These along with other issues beg answering before the point of ‘equal pay for work of equal value’ is finalised in the draft labour legislation published by government for public comment in December 2010.

The kind of provision as suggested in the draft legislation, would oblige employers to demonstrate their remuneration strategies in an evidence-based manner, placing a huge administrative burden on them. The approach to measuring ‘comparable’ positions or ‘equal work’ would have to be defined in policy, procedure and practice and our experience shows that most employers do not currently have this degree of detail in the Human Resource systems.

The proposed statute also ignores economic and business cycles and could also:
• Result in a flood of referrals to the CCMA,
• Put a complete damper on labour-intensive economic growth and
• Have a chilling effect on wage levels in South Africa.

Although ‘equal pay for work of equal value’ does allow for pay differentials, it will demand that the reasons for these differentials are clearly spelt out.

There are minimum legislated wages in Bargaining Councils and sectoral determinations. Any payment above that should be left to the market forces of supply and demand as well as to each employer’s business model and budget.

Although such legislation would certainly compel employers to more effectively structure and manage their HR strategies impacting remuneration, international case studies show significant litigation around this matter. An equal pay-type statue exists in the UK and some other EU countries, yet the nature and extent of its implementation varies vastly.

However in the face of all these challenging issues and questions we believe there is an answer. John Botha, our executive director of strategy says, “Government, business and labour should incorporate the most objective criteria available to evaluate ‘equal pay for work of equal value’ – competency.”

Competency (a position’s required level of competence) and competence (an incumbent’s actual competence) are structured benchmarks. These benchmarks include:
• Organising Framework for Occupations,
• National Qualifications Framework (NQF) levels,
• Unit standards and
• Grading systems.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this issue.