Mancosa believes that a skills-first approach can significantly increase relevance and profitability

This has become particularly important in a post-Covid business environment where captains of industry have been hard at work to establish a business ecosystem where productivity and output are driven through collaboration, innovation and some risk management.

"Added to the challenges we have already drawn attention to, businesses face increased pressure to manage their cashflow effectively and increase profits. Therefore, there needs to be an increased focus on skills development," says Nuhraan Sambo, director: Cape Region and Mancosa Business-to-Business Training Solutions.

The stackability of skills can add increased returns

Sambo points out that the disruptive nature of the challenging business environment calls for an increased focus on innovation and agility.

"To accommodate this, employees are focusing on the stackability of skills. Skill stacking is a process that individuals undertake to make themselves more valuable or relevant. During this process, an individual learns various skills rather than focusing on one. This approach can provide professionals with additional opportunities in various sectors," says Sambo.

She points out that a skills-first focus will create a business ecosystem that has a high immediate impact and an increased return on investment locally and globally.

“This trend is particularly significant for businesses in South Africa, where many industries are facing a skills shortage. In addition, the South African government's National Development Plan has recognised the importance of the skills-first approach, aiming to significantly increase the number of skilled workers by 2030,” says Sambo.

Tailored learning programmes for the modern workplace

Mancosa is offering several business-to-business (B2B) solutions that encourage mentorship and skills development training in the hope that it will help businesses deal with disruption and be adaptable enough to address challenges as they arise.

LinkedIn data shows that employers who prioritise skills development to fill open roles are 60% more likely to find a successful candidate than those who don't. This shift is already happening significantly, with 75% of human resource specialists saying that the battle to fill skill gaps significantly impacts their current talent acquisition and retention programmes.

Mancosa has launched its enhanced B2B Training Solution to accommodate this rapid development. The product suite gives businesses the choice and flexibility to meet their particular business demands. This includes accredited formal learning programmes, online short learning programmes, and customised short learning programmes.

Responding to immediate threats

The current disruption that businesses are facing has encouraged Sambo and her team to enhance the availability of its B2B offering which has been available for a number of years and has proven to be popular.

One of the training solutions that is in high demand is the customised short learning programmes offering.

“In an effort to sharpen skills development in specific areas, businesses can approach Mancosa and say that they need a customised short learning programme that focuses on management development or high-impact sales programmes. These are programmes that respond to a specific need that a company experienced in that moment,” says Sambo.

She adds that the response to these programmes has been good. “Mancosa really feels that these programmes can make a significant impact in South Africa and can have a direct impact on the country’s economic growth,” says Sambo.

SkillME: embracing popular learning tools

Another shift entrenched by Covid was the rise of online learning platforms. Within the business context, this enables employees to focus on skills development which can be directly applied in the workplace.

Mancosa's wide range of online short learning programmes is delivered through a futuristic online learning platform called SkillME. The platform combines Mancosa's 27 years of developing world-class human talent into an online future-fit experience to fast-track employability within the modern workplace.

Programmes are infused with interactive and gamified content which aims to:

• Maximise attention span;
  
• To provide an engaging student experience while allowing employees to learn at their own pace and time in a highly automated and easy-to-use learning platform.

South Africa needs a skills-first approach

South Africans have always been regarded as hard workers with some of the world's best skill sets.

In an environment that is constantly being driven by disruption, businesses are looking for employees with transferable skills and skills that allow them to adapt to any challenge that is presented to them in real time. This would go a long way to future-proofing the business against disruption.

Mancosa B2B Training Solutions takes a skills-first approach to workforce development and management, allowing your business to future-proof its operations and contribute to the economic growth of South Africa.

Some of the recent statistics from Mancosa shows that:

• Eight out of ten Mancosa students found that the Mancosa B2B programmes developed their leadership skills;
  
• 85% of students found that the programmes enhanced their understanding of ethics in the workplace;
  
• 90% of graduates felt that the information learned through the programmes gave them more credibility in their careers or business;
  
• 75% of Mancosa graduates hold management or executive positions; and
  
• 94% of graduates felt that their qualifications made them more effective.

Countries facing a challenging economic environment will want to bounce back and fast-track growth once the economic volatility settles down. A skills-based approach will necessitate this and allow businesses to face future challenges confidently.