We chat to Colette Atkinson about how she came to PMI, what she enjoys most in her role as management executive of PMI commercial, her view on 2012 and how she plans to spend the upcoming festive season.

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.

Recent changes in the NQF structure support the South African government’s priority to develop a skills and training strategy to meet the national agenda on skills and job creation.

Three sub-frameworks have been established under three Quality Councils namely:

• 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.

“Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it. It is what the client or customer gets out of it.”
Peter Drucker

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.

We recently celebrated our more than 200 PMI graduates for 2011. We awarded certificates, diplomas and degrees in a number of PMI programmes ranging from Operations Development Management to a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Industrial Technology and Management.

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!

Most South African businesses have identified the value of formalising and executing a strategic skills development strategy. The value seems obvious, the business is investing in the skills of its staff thereby increasing performance and benefiting long-term from the positive consequences of such. The employees are enriched with knowledge and their skills set enhanced, making them more eligible for promotion or better work opportunities. However, one of the most appreciated returns on investing in skills development is the tax deduction businesses are eligible for, as stipulated by taxation legislation (1).

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’s Engineering & Mining Training division offers a 360° solution to the industries within the South African borders and beyond. With decades of experience in the setting up of dedicated engineering and mining training centres, the PMI team of industry specialists and experts offer services ranging from feasibility studies, to consulting, to project management incorporating the setting up of franchise structures and the development of full package models including equipment, staffing and management needs to full outsourced onsite operational management of the delivery models.

A case study that demonstrates the 360 view that PMI has become recognised for is the development of the Joe Morolong training centre in the Northern Cape as commissioned by United Manganese of Kalahari (UMK).

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.

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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.

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We were all taught to consider all factors carefully before answering an equation. This principle is as true in life and business as it is in math.

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