South Africa

Many companies don’t invest in training – but can your business afford not to?

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Connecting Human Potential | Enablers of agile, focused and skilled workforces for the future
3 mins

From mining to manufacturing, technical skills are the backbone of South Africa’s economy, and yet there continue to be skills gaps across various sectors.

The question employers need to be asking is simple: Are technical workers a replaceable workforce segment, or should they be a long-term investment into the future of the business and South Africa’s economy?

At ATT, there is only one answer to this question. The growing skills gap is shining a spotlight on how critical these skills are and how industries are struggling without them. Maintaining work quality, responding to urgent situations, and managing any crisis is impossible if ground-level staff lack the necessary skills. Sufficient skill development also enables employees to perform their jobs effectively because they are more efficient and productive.

 

Boosting performance through training

There are two key challenges facing businesses. The first is immediate. Skilled employees are more productive, efficient, happier at work and more engaged. When a business is built on outputs, these factors add significantly to the bottom line. 

Let’s take a closer look at them.

 

  1. Improve employee performance

Most employees want to do their jobs well. Good performance gives them a high level of job satisfaction, and poor performance is frustrating. So, how can employee development help?

The name of the game is productivity and efficiency. Employees who are well trained know how to do their work well, and this means they perform at a higher level, increasing output for your company.

 

  1. Increase employee engagement

Engaged employees are less likely to have safety incidents on the job, are more loyal and productive, and are willing to do more than just the bare minimum in their roles. The challenge is that promoting employee engagement often comes down to HR, when in fact employee development plans and a focus on training can lead to a more engaged workforce who feel that their employers are supporting their careers and future earning potential. 

Well trained employees are more optimistic about their ability to succeed, and, because they feel comfortable knowing what they are doing, they feel a strong sense of urgency in their work, and become more focused on the job. This all adds up to an improved overall performance for your business.

 

  1. Boost employee job satisfaction

We all know how important job satisfaction is when it comes to retaining employees and work productivity, but how does training support job satisfaction? It’s simple. When someone feels confident in their job, they are naturally more happy doing it. Plus, when employees know that they can trust their company to invest in them, they show their satisfaction through improved productivity and output.

The best part about training is that employees can see the direct impact that training has on their work. It is tangible and measurable. This creates a sense of ownership, not only in their personal work but also in the success of the company as a whole. When you invest in training, you are empowering your employees. It’s as simple as that.

 

Training workers for the future

The second challenge is not as immediate but it is still critical. According to research by the World Economic Forum (WEF), by 2025, the emergence of automation and technology is expected to generate 97 million new jobs while replacing 85 million old ones. That means that there will be almost 100 million jobs that do not exist yet and 85 million jobs (and skills) that are no longer relevant.

Labour around the world is fighting these changes because no one wants to be replaced by a machine – or unemployed. The reality, however, is that there is an incredible opportunity to help people develop the skills they need for the future so that instead of becoming redundant, they can add meaningfully to the new roles and economies that the future will bring. 

First and foremost, workers need to be trained in basic digital skills now as the world gradually becomes technology dependent, however. A standard level of digital literacy can act as strong performance support for workers. Automation is also no longer the future either. Workers are already expected to complete tasks and follow procedures that interact smoothly with automated operations. 

Ultimately, for businesses to remain competitive and ready for future changes, training needs to be an imperative now. Ongoing skills development should be baked into the culture of every organisation. 

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