Our innovative GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 [SAQA] learnerships enable you to reboot career development for your blue-collar workers.
Your employees will receive the best possible GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 training from a Home – Umalusi-accredited AET provider. This is so that they can bridge the skills gaps that are fast emerging in modern workplaces. Even the most seasoned human resources teams are struggling to keep pace with the constantly evolving definition of workplace literacy. Long gone are the days when blue-collar workers who could read, write and do basic maths were considered semi-skilled. Even traditional occupational and vocational qualifications, such as the NSC NC(V) Infographic (dhet.gov.za), are no longer sufficient. You are looking for more than just technical skills.
New blue-collar workers are empowered. They no longer just perform “procedural work” that can be done by unskilled and low-skilled workers. No, they at least have basic education skills. This charts the way forward for them to learn how to exploit data and interpret analytics. In this way, they can add value in new and innovative ways. By using insight and judgement, they can master sophisticated technical process work with skill, dexterity and flair!
Your teams need GETC: AET/ABET
Before you rethink your career model for blue-collar workers, your teams need GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 training.
It is not only you who is rethinking the career model for your blue-collar workers. Longer-term career planning and different routes towards career progression are on most human resources professionals’ agendas. We know this because we engage with them on a daily basis as industry’s preferred AET provider.
Many of our clients are reconstructing career models for their blue-collar workers to provide continuous development opportunities. This focus includes fostering a growth mindset among their teams operating in the field and on the ground. In this way, they can be quickly moved to different positions. They can also be redeployed into another team that needs their skills. These new career paths also often lead to higher skilled and more senior roles.
Therefore, it is imperative that employees are first equipped with fundamental skills that they need to learn continuously. This while also attending core and elective subject classes that impart “soft’ skills and desirables traits. When they walk out of the classroom, they immediately start practicing them in a workplace setting. There is no better classroom than the workplace.
As holders of a GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1, employees have been primed for further learning. They have succeeded in taking the first step on the National Qualifications Framework [Fact-Sheet-SAQA-FPI.pdf]. From here, “the sky is the limit” for the most ambitious, industrious and determined members of your team. They can pursue vocational and occupational training or an academic path that will get them into leadership positions.
Upskilling starts with GETC: AET/ABET career development
Upskilling blue-collar workers starts with our GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 learnership.
It is not only your business that is struggling to keep pace with ever-changing industry demands. This may be as a result of new technologies, processes or even compliance requirements. Then there are the other market drivers that are leading to glaring gaps in your business. Among others, these include global supply chains and the demand for customised products.
Many companies with which we engage are struggling to find employees who can help them to navigate these changes. They cannot fill vacancies internally because their blue-collar workers are unskilled or low-skilled. Even employees who are proficient in their roles lack important “soft” skills. They may have good job-specific skills, but they struggle to communicate clearly. Moreover, they already buckle under the stress that comes with their jobs – let alone those with more responsibility. There have even been incidences when tight deadlines have led to tension and conflict, impeding productivity. And, when disagreements occur, you have noticed that your team members do not know how to resolve them. Could it be that they lack emotional intelligence? Without “EQ”, they will not have the grit or determination to succeed in high-performance workplaces.
It is also unlikely that you will simply be able to fill these vacancies with new recruits. These candidates may possess some “soft” and “hard” skills but lack the proficiencies and experience that relate specifically to your workplace. Furthermore, they still have to familiarise themselves with your company culture before they can add real value. This can take time which you don’t have. You need to take advantage of what we term here at Triple E Training as the “blue-collar renaissance”.
GETC: AET/ABET career development overcomes recruitment obstacles
Our GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 learnership overcomes these recruitment obstacles.
New employees recruited on a learnership learn all relevant “soft skills” specific to your workplace. This while also gaining important knowledge of the in-and-outs of entry-level and general work in your workplace. Working alongside a mentor, they also familiarise themselves with your core values; unwritten ground rules; and culture. These are what differentiate you from your closest would-be competitors! Once they have succeeded in completing our learnership, they can be steered into the next phase of their learning journey. This is based on your Workplace Skills Plans [Workplace Skills Plan MICT SETA MICT SETA].
However, our GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 learnership also integrates “soft” skills into your existing workforce. This is the other way that you can bridge knowledge “gaps” and fill those vacancies. Existing employees can learn new roles while also attending GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 classes at the workplace. This enables them to acquire those “soft” skills that are also so important for their new roles.
In these ways, you can style your blue-collar employees as workplace dynamos to boost efficiency and productivity. Given the license to “think”, “act” and “do”, these employees apply their know-how to technical process work. They work fast; can multi-task; and are highly collaborative. As these skills are difficult to simply recruit, there is a strong link between performance and reward in modern workplaces. This is elevating the role of blue-collar workers. It is enabling them to escape mundane and insecure jobs that also pay a low wage because anybody can be quickly trained to do them. Blue-collar workers too can now scale the corporate ladder, enabling you to create diverse leadership teams!
GETC: AET/ABET “soft’ skills
So, what are the GETC: AET/ABET career development “soft” skills that most blue-collar-intensive industries are now looking for? Generally, our many clients agree that there are some specific traits that every modern blue-collar worker needs. Of course, their importance and relevance differ from one company and industry to the next.
For example, companies that service the home or residential market want employees who are approachable and friendly. This is because employees who work for these companies engage with customers regularly. They need to know how to put difficult customers at ease and build relationships with them. Even more so, they have an ability to establish rapport with customers quickly. Oftentimes, this is as soon as they arrive at their homes to repair a leaking roof, faulty plumbing or electrical wiring.
In a factory environment where employees seldom engage with customers efficient communication is enough. However, those employees who do interact with customers also need to be familiar with customer-centric communication. They are empathetic listeners and have an ability to explain technical topics to the layperson. A homeowner is not interested in how your employees “snake” clogged pipes. “Mrs White” just wants to know how your team is going to unblock the drain. She also wants to know how much it is going to cost and how your team derived at this price. The ability to answer these questions convincingly is the deal breaker! You cannot possibly be at every operational worksite to help your employees engage with difficult customers.
Irrespective of the industry in which you operate, all blue-collar workers are also now required to solve problems.
GETC: AET/ABET develops problem-solving
Our innovative GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 learnership curricula develops problem-solving skills. Employees develop these in a classroom environment and then apply them on the job as part of the learning process. This while working alongside a suitable mentor. In this way, they gain the confidence that they need to troubleshoot technical problems and determine the correct solution. They can then take the necessary action while very aware that accountability and responsibility rests solely with them.
Most of the many human resources managers with whom we interact consider this skill to be among the most important. It is also extremely difficult to find among new and existing employees.
Young prospects have never had to problem-solve a technical issue. They have also never had the opportunity to decide on their own to solve a work-related problem independently. Even if they are given the job, it will take time before their supervisors give them this responsibility. They may have some “soft” skills, but they do not know how to apply them in real circumstances. These “tricks of the trade”, which are more than just “hard” skills, are learnt while working alongside seasoned colleagues.
Existing blue-collar workers also tend to perform poorly in interviews that test their problem-solving skills. Can your employees describe a time that they handled conflicting direction from their company and what customers actually wanted? Did it lead to conflict and, if so, how did they resolve it? How did they feel about being placed in this awkward position? Only blue-collar workers with the necessary technical and “soft” skills would be able to successfully navigate such a complex scenario.
GETC: AET/ABET develops agility
Moreover, our novel GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 learnership develops agility. This is another important “soft” skill that these “new”- or “no”-collar workers need to possess. Yes, this is what are many clients call the individuals who they have identified to occupy new vacancies.
Workplaces are becoming increasingly sophisticated. This is especially so in the manufacturing industry where factories are being reconfigured for shorter, more customised production runs. They now feature advanced robotic techniques; improved sensors; and connectivity.
Meanwhile, transport logistics companies are readily adopting and using “track-and-trace” platforms. This means that blue-collar workers are increasingly overseeing portable robots on warehouse floors. They locate products and collate and package them within seconds.
Thus, blue-collar work has evolved from merely undertaking physical tasks that require technical skills. Previously, employers mainly relied on the stamina, dexterity and resilience that these staff members bring to companies. In performing their roles, these employees are now also stimulating their brains and not just their hands. For example, many conveyor belt operators no longer just watch packages move past them. They are also computer-literate data interpreters and quality controllers. Such a job designation does not even yet exist!
Agility is becoming increasingly important to employers. At the most basic level, employees need to be able to handle deadline pressures on a project. They must also be able to prioritise their responsibilities and manage unexpected changes during their shifts. Supervisors tell us that their teams often need to be able to work across two to three different roles simultaneously. And they may be requested to do so at a whim with very little time to adapt!
GETC: AET/ABET career development creates team players
Our GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 career development creates team players who can work well with others to balance the daily workload.
Modern work teams are only as strong as their weakest members. However, to promote blue-collar workers into more responsible positions, they need to be able to do more than just collaborate. Can they tell you about a time when they were required to lead a project? What is their approach when working with others on the same project? Were they open-minded, trust-worthy and engaged? Are they trusted and respected by their colleagues? Blue-collar workers often work in dangerous environments and perform dangerous work. Their actions have implications on their colleagues. Trust and respect is earned through behaviours.
In our dealings with industry, we have found that teams are becoming smaller and more agile. They are also expected to engage with customers and suppliers. This is not a surprise. Bear in mind the increased use of application programming interfaces across the value chain to share process and product information. Suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers use the technology to improve planning and customisation. Of course, it also reduces lead times. Increasingly, customers request product or packaging modifications after their goods have been produced. This task is undertaken in the warehouse. A lot of post-production quality testing; specialised packaging; and display assembly are done in real time. Thus, these teams need to be data-literate, responsive, coordinated and able to multi-task.
Learn more about Triple E Training and how we are upskilling South Africa’s blue-collar workers. www.eee.co.za