Companies urged to provide workplace training
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Wednesday August 16, 2017 16:30
He said this recently at Cresta Marang Hotel during a workplace-learning workshop, which was organised by the HRDC.
When addressing attendants, Maikaelelo said companies should provide workplace training to empower their employees and even create a platform for unemployed graduates who are roaming the streets due to lack of experience.
“One of the burning issues is that there is supply of skills that does not meet demand in the workplace. There is a need for companies to offer internship programmes at earlier stage so that students can gain the skills that meet the industry needs,” he said.
He said that companies should adopt students at university level through the internship so that both undergraduates and graduates could gain the skills that the industry needs, hence making them globally competitive.
Maikaelelo further said that government should also invest in the human capital so that local labourers and graduates can work across borders, which is currently not happening.
He emphasised on workplace training where learners will master a set of skills or competencies related to the world of work.
He said that companies should therefore promote work ethics and take it to ETP’s, which in return will provide a pathway for youth in accessing the labour market needs as well as increasing labour market mobility.
He said that out of the 11,000 companies paying tax, only 17 have being claiming from the Human Resource Development Fund (HRDF) training levy whose mandate is to reimburse employers for training employees. He also warned companies against sending employees for training to unaccredited ETPs, saying those companies will not be compensated by the HRDF.
Maikaelelo said they should inquire with the Botswana Qualification Authority (BQA) on issues of accreditation.
During the questions and comments session, Mupane Gold Mine human resource assistant, Boitshepo Puso said the cancellation of the national internship programme is disadvantaging graduates who could be gaining workplace experience. When responding to Puso’s comment, Maikaelelo said that the national internship was cancelled because companies were taking advantage of graduates. He said that companies could start their own internship programmes and claim for funding through HRDF.
He said that companies can receive funding through HRDF if they have proper structures for the programme.
Maikaelelo said that they could either initiate the internship programme or apprenticeship through the process of adopting tertiary institutions aligned to their industry.