Why outsourcing the submission of your Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) and Annual Training Report (ATR) is a good idea
Skills Development in South Africa has become a strategic priority for businesses due to the scarcity of skills.
Legislation has, through the development and implementation of the BEE Act, forced employers to ensure that they submit their WSP and ATR Reports annually if they wish to attain or retain an acceptable BEE level.
With this blog we will explain to why submitting these reports is not only a good return on investment but also an encouragement to do planning on how to train your employees in future.
What is a Workplace Skills Plan (WSP)?
This is a document that summarises the planned training of the organisation. It is a strategic document that identifies training requirements and it further outlines, in a systematic manner, the plans to address the training and development needs of a company.
The WSP is a fundamental instrument in South Africa’s Skills Development strategy and by law, companies must develop and submit an annual WSP to the SETA before they will qualify for funding.
What is an Annual Training Report (ATR)?
An Annual Training Report (ATR) is a follow-up on the WSP that was submitted by a company to the SETA because it summarised the training interventions that were delivered in the previous year.
The information is processed into a format that is prescribed by each SETA and the ATR is submitted electronically. SETA’s may also require supporting evidence such as training attendance registers, proof of expenditure, training providers used.
What is a Pivotal Training Plan?
This is a strategic plan that is aligned to industry-specific scarce skills. Chamlabour will assist your company in developing your Pivotal Plan to suit your business needs. This plan
is as a summary of predictable training that will take place in the financial year after the submission.
What is a Pivotal Training Report?
A Scarce Skills report articulating the outcomes of the preceding year’s Pivotal Training Plan.
Why is it important to submit a WSP/ATR?
A well drafted WSP not only helps a company to identify skills that are lacking in their workforce but also ensures that optimal funding is received from the SETA.
Chamlabour offers various options for our clients that may include monthly meetings, sourcing of accredited training providers, and guidance relating to Skills Development Committee members.
Is submitting a WSP and ATR a requirement for scoring BEE points?
YES!
The purpose of submitting the company’s WSP/ATR is to enable the SETA to determine what amount the company should be “refunded” (paid). In the event that you fail to submit your Reports, the organisation’s grant for the coming year’s WSP will suspended. Submission of your Workplace Skills Plan and Annual Training Report is a strict requirement to enable your company to score points on a BEE scorecard, and failure to comply will impact negatively on the organisation’s Skills Development score and ultimately their BEE status.
With the revised BEE scorecard, companies can earn maximum skills development points if they spend the required 3% or 6% of their annual payroll on skills development programmes such as SETA-accredited training initiatives (depending on the business category).
How can Chamlabour assist?
Chamlabour has a team of professional Skills Development Facilitators (SDF’s) who will assist you with all of your skills requirements. Chamlabour will provide the following assistance in developing your company’s WSP:
1. dentify what type of training your employees require
We will conduct a skills audit to establish the skill level of the current workforce. By identifying current competencies, it will be possible to discover hidden talents and skills that employees may have.
2. Analyse the information that we have obtained
By comparing the current and future skills requirements, we will assist your company in identifying the skills gaps that you have to develop.
3. Develop a plan based on this information
We will also ensure that your WSP is aligned with the requirements for your BEE scoring. It is essential to identify the type of training that is most suitable for your organisation’s specific needs (i.e. learnerships, external courses, in-house, etc.). We will also do an analysis to enable you to make a decision as to whether you should be investing in individuals or groups, with due consideration to your budgetary constraints and resources.
What about the lock down?
The Chamlabour team is equipped to assist your company remotely during the lock down period that was announced due to COVID-19 (the Coronavirus)
Contact us for a free quotation today and let’s make this happen
