Unemployment figures are at an unprecedented high of 29% – and that’s just the official figure of people who are looking for employment and can’t find it. It does not take into account the people who have given up looking or who were not looking in the first place.
“It’s a tough market out there and smart employees need to look at where they can add extra value to their companies – and increase their employability. It’s even possible that you’re considering a career change, in which case the new year is the perfect time to register for a qualification or short course that’ll help you achieve your professional goals,” says Colette Swanepoel, Business Development Manager at CTU Training Solutions.
A good place to start is by identifying skill sets that could do with improving – or even acquiring a formal certification in an area that you’re already fulfilling at work. While it’s good to have workplace experience at a particular task, you should support those skills by acquiring a formal certification. So if, for example, you’re being given managerial responsibilities, you could do a business course to supplement and reinforce those newly acquired skills. Employees that invest in upskilling themselves are more likely to be identified for promotion and are seen as an asset to the business.
Doing a little background research will help you identify which skills you should brush up on and get a formal qualification for. The majority of businesses do annual assessments of their staff, and this provides the perfect opportunity for you to discover how your role could expand within the business and the skills that you’d need to fulfil that role. However, if you search for the most-needed skills in South Africa, business and IT skills invariably appear near the top of the list, with software development being highlighted as a scarce yet in-demand skill set.
Part time courses, short courses and online training are ideal for employed people wanting to achieve a qualification in their spare time. If the idea of paying for the course is daunting, there is a chance that your employer would cover some, if not all, of the cost in the interests of having certified individuals in their business, instead of having to outsource those skills.
As an alternative, you could consider embarking on a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), which is Internet-based and free-of-charge. You can also apply for a student loan at your chosen bank or any student loan institution.
Choosing a training institution
Swanepoel provides some advice on what to look for in a training provider.
- Verify the institution’s accreditations.
- Is the content practical?
- Do the content and qualification follow a vocational route?
- Does the qualification include international certification?
- What are the sizes of the class?
- What is the training methodology used to deliver skills and is it suited to your learning style?
Swanepoel says, “Look for a training provider that offers a variety of approaches towards learning and certification, so that you can choose a method that fits into your budget and schedule. There are a plethora of certifications out there, you just need to choose the right one for your current requirements while also bearing in mind the skills that you might require in your career going forward.”
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