ABET develops the important soft skills that are becoming increasingly important for companies to operate effectively in a modern economy. When employees have well-developed soft skills, companies can introduce new processes, products or services quickly and efficiently. Employees have an open attitude towards learning that enables them to adapt swiftly to change.
They, therefore, also offer more than knowledge that is needed to perform the task at hand. Importantly, they also possess potential that can be harnessed and developed over time. This is to help further grow your business. When recruiting, many enterprising human resources managers are now looking beyond the skills and experience candidates can offer organisations immediately. They also want individuals who possess abilities or qualities that will be useful in the future to join their teams. Equipped with soft skills, your employees are also able to interact effectively with other team members. This enables you to develop working environments that are conducive to productivity and build strong teams that can deliver optimal results.
ABET imparts soft skills
ABET impart soft skills to your low skilled employees who are also important members of your team.
Soft skills are non-technical abilities that depend on personality traits of employees. These include their ability to communicate, collaborate and adapt, complemented by a positive attitude and willingness to accept accountability. This is in addition to their ability to think critically and solve problems. Critical and logical thinking to overcome challenges are especially important.
They continue to top the list of skills that employers believe will grow in importance in the foreseeable future. This according to the World Economic Forum’s Future Job Report [https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/10/top-10-work-skills-of-tomorrow-how-long-it-takes-to-learn-them/]. Also note the emphasis on skills in self-management. These include active learning, resilience, flexibility and stress tolerance.
The cornerstone of these proficiencies are sound literacy and numeracy skills. Individuals with fundamental literacy skills can read, speak, write and interpret their thoughts. These capabilities are complemented by an ability to reason and apply simple numerical concepts.
ABET transcends reading, writing and counting
ABET transcends teaching reading, writing and counting skills. Adult literacy and numeracy training teaches your employees how to identify, understand, interpret, create and communicate in a digital era. As the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) [https://www.un.org] notes, literacy is part of a larger set of skills. Literacy and numeracy are a continuum of learning and proficiency in reading, writing and using numbers. Literacy and numeracy include digital skills; media literacy; and education for sustainable development and global citizenship. This is over-and-above job-specific proficiencies. UNESCO points out that literacy and numeracy skills are constantly expanding and evolving. This is as more people engage with information and learning via digital technology.
High levels of illiteracy and, therefore, also digital illiteracy will prevent South Africa from undergoing the Fourth Industrial Revolution quickly and efficiently. This will hinder its ability to compete effectively at a global level. For more information on this digital era, refer to https://www.weforum.org/focus/fourth-industrial-revolution. Only 10% of homes in South Africa have access to the internet. Connectivity is especially low in rural and poor areas of the country where the cost of access is a restraint. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IT.NET.USER.ZS?locations=ZA provides more information on internet use in the country. Meanwhile, the country’s literacy rate is 87% with about eight out of 10 Grade 4 learners unable to read for meaning.
ABET improves workplace communication
ABET, including adult literacy and numeracy training, improves verbal and non-verbal communication in the workplace. Your employees use their communication skills to share information; discuss ideas; and organise business goals as a team. Effective communication also enables your employees to avoid or resolve conflicts swiftly that hinder productivity. Importantly, sound workplace communication also eliminates misunderstandings that can lead to costly or disruptive mistakes, as well as tension.
ABET teaches essential communication skills
ABET teaches essential communication skills to your employees.
There are seven essential communication skills. Employees who can communicate effectively show respect. They are aware of the importance of their colleagues’, supervisors’ and managers’ time and space. This is especially if they need to discuss sensitive topics. They also take into consideration the feelings, strengths and perspectives of others when communicating their thoughts. Employees who are good communicators are also active listeners. They make eye contact; do not become distracted; and take care not to interrupt others when they are speaking. Good communicators also use positive body language when communicating. Body language communicates more than words. Incorrect body language can, therefore, unintentionally relay the incorrect message and cause confusion and tension in the workplace.
They also have the confidence to ask questions to clarify and gain greater understanding of procedures and protocol. Industrious managers and supervisors pay attention to the questions that are asked by their staff. This is because they provide important information, such as what team members need to do the job correctly the first-time round. Questions posed by team members also provide an indication of employees’ understanding of what needs to be done, why, how, where and by when. Employees who are effective communicators also follow good email etiquette. They know how to compose a well-written communication that is clear and quick to the point. Employees who are good communicators also provide regular feedback to their colleagues and higher-ups. This includes providing constructive criticism that will help to improve internal processes. They have the confidence that they need to have the so-called “tough” conversations.
The communication skills acquired during adult literacy training are complemented by those imparted during numeracy instruction.
ABET imparts mathematical communication skills
ABET imparts the mathematical communication skills that your employees also need to communicate effectively in the workplace.
Employees are taught how to arrange and connect their mathematical thinking via communication. Moreover, they learn how to communicate their logical and clear mathematical thinking to colleagues and higher-ups. They also understand how to analyse and assess mathematical thinking and strategies used by other team members, managers and supervisors. Moreover, they know how to use mathematical language to express technical ideas correctly.
Using these communication skills that they acquired during adult literacy and numeracy training, employees are also able to collaborate effectively with others. This increases cohesion in the workplace. Increased cohesion between team members improves work performance and, therefore, productivity and efficiency. The first and foremost way to increase cohesion in the workplace is to improve communication. Open communication encourages team members to voice their concerns, ideas and efforts. This is in addition to facilitating quick and efficient conflict resolution. Moreover, open communication fosters trust between colleagues and supports connections that will increase effectiveness as a whole.
ABET helps you to “future-proof”
ABET helps to develop an agile workforce that you need to “future-proof” your business. Employees who have foundational literacy and numeracy skills are able to continue learning in the workplace. This is so that they can adapt to constant change in a positive way. Adult literacy and numeracy training prepares your employees for further learning so that they can continue acquiring new skills. It is also important that they too are able to “future-proof” their careers by acquiring new skills.
Employees also use their literacy and numeracy skills to make sense of the workplace and to reason. This enables them to solve problems or deal with unexpected obstacles in a quick, decisive and efficient manner. Challenges that arise in the workplace can be organisational, interpersonal or technical in nature. Your workers need to be able to navigate them individually or as part of high-performance teams.
ABET aligns your employees
ABET aligns your employees to your core values, ethos and mission statement. Engaged employees display a positive attitude towards their work. They are disciplined and demonstrate integrity and loyalty. Applying their best effort while working with others, employees are able to help you to drive the company forward.
A leading ABET provider
Triple E Training is a leading provider of quality ABET. We have more than a 30-year long legacy supplying quality adult literacy and numeracy training solutions to industry. Over this period, we have equipped hundreds of thousands of employees with the literacy and numeracy skills that they need to perform at their peak. We have launched into the new year with many more interesting training assignments for existing and new clients.
Triple E Training is accredited by the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training [www.umalusi.org.za]. This means that our adult literacy and numeracy training complies with all the statutory requirements for the provision of ABET by private companies. Refer to https://www.education.gov.za/AboutUs/DBEStructure/SocialandSchoolEnrichment/AdultEducationandTraining.aspx for more information on these requirements.
Learn how we are also able to help your employees to acquire the soft skills that you need to hone your competitive edge. www.eee.co.za