The sudden onset of the COVID-19 health crisis has disrupted work patterns in businesses everywhere.  One of the work areas most affected has been employee training, learning and development.  Whether compliance training, technical or soft skills training, or more formal accredited training like learnerships, all areas of skills development has been severely affected. The mandate to move employees to work from home or return to work under very strict health and safety regulations, has made it almost impossible to provide in-person, classroom-based skills training – for the foreseeable future at least. The reality is that businesses still have the mandate to comply to the B-BBEE regulations and invest in accredited skills development to acquire the necessary points for skills development. The COVID pandemic has therefore put immense pressure on businesses and training providers alike to adapt their approach and continue with skills development amidst a completely changed training environment.

Training Portal is perfectly positioned to implement skills development amidst the COVID pandemic. How? Well Training Portal has a skill development and training model completely based on a blended approach: Technology based online training. Even before the pandemic reached our shores, Training Portal have helped their clients execute and implement fully accredited skills training in their workplaces via their online training portal. For the past 3 years Training Portal have maximised skills development value with a cost-effective B-BBEE solution.

How does the Training Portal solution make fully accredited skills development accessible and affordable even during the COVID-19 pandemic?

1. Accredited learnerships available online

Training Portal is an accredited service provider that offers various internal and external learnerships available through a world class only training portal. Learners utilise the Training Portal online system to successfully complete the learnership and training process. Whether accessing the portal from their workplace or at home, staff members on internal learnerships or disabled and unemployed learners on external learnerships can participate in training through the built for purpose online training portal. Our blended learning training model is therefore already COVID-friendly and enables the business to seamlessly continue with skills development amidst the pandemic. We have seen learners able to continue with their qualification studies throughout the various levels of lockdown. Where most other service providers are scrambling to adopt their training approach to comply to the COVID-19 regulations, Training Portal is set up to implement and continue learnerships so that clients can allocate their required skills development budgets within the required timeframes. There is therefore no unnecessary delays and disruptions, giving clients and learners the peace of mind to complete annual training programmes and skills development expenditure. Training Portal is a highly flexible training solution.

• A “plug-in and play” approach

Whether our clients utilise internal learnership or external learnerships to achieve their B-BBEE skills development objectives, our training solution can be set-up in a very short period of time. As there is less of a dependency on “classroom” infrastructure, the Training Portal solution unlocks a number of convenient benefits for businesses owners to save them time and money:

• Internal learnership contracting and induction is all done electronically.
• Recruiting of learners for external learnership is also done electronically. Clients have access to pre-qualified unemployed and disabled learner databases. The recruitments, vetting and preparation of unemployed learners is mostly done online.
• This access to pre-qualified database of disabled and able learners, helps us and our clients to speed up the roll-out of external learnerships.
• Internal learnerships requires limited resources – Internet connected desktop computers, accessible to staff, is all that is required to launch and facilitate the learnership.
• Learner centres are set up in regional areas to ensure demographic B-BBEE compliance – all learning happen electronically and online, with classroom time possible when in-person training is allowed again. 

• Online infrastructure and support

Training Portal is set-up to facilitate all facets of skills development linked to learnerships seamlessly. From learner contracting, induction, day-to-day training to assessor access, assessments and learner support, Training Portal is set-up to manage and facilitate the annual skills development projects from start to finish. Businesses have the peace-of-mind that the training project is run by a team of expert skills development consultants, while learners have direct access to a support team to guide them through the learnership and training process.

• Absorption of qualified learners

Training Portal has a newly established online placement portal where businesses can gain direct access to a database of qualified learners for absorption back into the workplace. This is a win-win for learners and business alike! Business can boost their B-BBEE points through absorption of qualified learners into the workplace, whereas learners gain employment that sustain their livelihoods and help them achieve their career objectives.

• A team to guide you from A to B (-BBEE)

The Training Portal team are experts at guiding their clients to maximum B-BBEE skills development benefits. As expert skills development consultants with close relationships with the relevant SETA’s and a keen understanding of the tax structures available to businesses, our team assists clients to structure and set-up comprehensive skills development solutions to create the maximum B-BBEE benefits with minimum effect on cash flow linked to skills development. The right plan and approach can save money. This team is supported by trainers, assessors, and online support staff to protect the interests of clients, as well as guide the learners through the learnerships.

In conclusion

For the past 3 years, Training Portal have been doing what many training providers will struggle to do in the next few months: Remain relevant and offer a tried and tested online skills development solutions. Don’t just take our word for it, ask our clients. They will testify of a training partner that gives them the maximum B-BBEE skills development and financial benefit, along with an innovative and relevant approach to skills development.

Visit www.trainingportal.co.za to find out more and see how we can assist you get the most out of your B-BBEE skills development budget and plan.