Inequality between South Africa’s diverse communities dogged our history for over 45 years before the abolition of apartheid and the establishment of democracy. However, it would take more than scrapping some unfair laws to level the playing fields. To speed the transition, the government introduced a system of Black Economic Empowerment, rewarding businesses on a point scale for activities such as imparting new skills to previously disadvantaged peoples. IT skills offer excellent BEE development solutions while also helping satisfy a rapidly growing demand in many crucial business sectors.
How BEE-Compliance Benefits Businesses
Introducing any form of training can improve your business’s BEE score. However, while teaching employees the basic requirements of their job will earn your company 15 points, any form of upskilling will add 20 points to your scorecard and should also improve performance and productivity. Every addition to your score will enhance your business potential, opening previously closed doors to new opportunities such as inclusion on government tender lists. Furthermore, the direct benefits of IT skills development solutions to your business can be considerable.
Training can be expensive, especially if you intend to extend it to multiple employees. If you have the facilities to provide in-house instruction and can spare experienced personnel to conduct it, that could make it more affordable. However, you should note that the cost of doing nothing could prove far higher in the long term. Ultimately, the points you earn are related to the percentage of your payroll you are willing to invest in training for your black employees. Furthermore, when choosing to implement IT skills development solutions, you could qualify for up to a 40 per cent refund of the total costs involved.
There is more to the BEE concept than a tool to uplift the previously disadvantaged members of our community. The more skilled people we produce and employ, the better our chances of ensuring a thriving South African economy that will benefit us all. We will never achieve that if we preclude anyone from the opportunity to develop new skills. Today, in the wake of a pandemic, we need to follow the example of those companies that, against the odds, thrived and grew by embracing IT skills development solutions.
IT Skills Development Solutions to Boost Businesses’ BEE Scores
Training in information technology can take many forms. One option that can be of benefit to any company is Business Analysis. While the course covers various software engineering methods and analytical tools, much of its focus is on quality assurance and Agile methodology. The latter is an approach now widely adopted by software developers. It is a philosophy intended to ensure customer satisfaction through collaboration and adaptability to change – favouring people over process and working software over detailed documentation. Consequently, business analysis has much to offer any company seeking IT skills development solutions.
Other options include JavaScript as a front-end web development tool and C++ or Java for those companies that might require full-stack developers. Geeks4Learning operates an online training platform that allows learners to study remotely at times they find convenient. Course durations range from a week to a year, with several leading to internationally recognised qualifications. If you are looking for a way to boost your BEE score and your business prospects, we invite you to browse our range of IT skills development solutions.
