FORWARDING AND CLEARING SUB-SECTOR CODE FOR B-BBEE – Skills Development

This is the third article describing the FORWARDING AND CLEARING SUB-SECTOR CODE FOR B-BBEE.

Skills Development

Guiding Principle
The vision is to substantially increase the economic value added (or productivity) of every employee in the F&C industry through best-practice human resource and skills development policies and increase the scale of initiatives aimed at developing Black professionals and technical experts.

Stakeholder Undertakings

The government commits to the following:

Design and fund a co-ordinated framework and programme for career awareness and training that leverages off and adds value to existing initiatives. The awareness programme will publicise and co-ordinate information regarding scholarships, training resources and careers in the industry. Other stakeholders will be encouraged to contribute towards the cost of this initiative.

The private industry commits to the following:

1. Invest at least 3% of the leviable amount in skills development initiatives, which are directed at Black employees. The Learning Programme Matrix contained in statement 400 code 400 Annexure 400 (A) of the B-BBEE Codes of Good Practice should guide these initiatives.
2. Invest at least 1.5% of the leviable amount in skills development initiatives (over and above the current 1% skills development levy and associated costs) directed at Black women employees. The Learning Programme Matrix contained in statement 400 code 400 Annexure 400 (A) of the B-BBEE Codes of Good Practice should guide these initiatives.
3. Ensure that black employees participating in learnerships or category B, C and D programmes as a percentage of total employees who have been enrolled in Accredited Training Programmes as identified in the Learning Programme Matrix contained in statement 400 code 400 Annexure 400 (A) of the Codes of Good Practice comprise 5% of the total workforce.
4. Ensure that Black women participating in learnerships or category B, C and D programmes as a percentage of total employees who have been enrolled in Accredited Training Programmes as identified in the Learning Programme Matrix contained in statement 400 code 400 Annexure 400 (A) of the Codes of Good Practice comprise 2.5% of the total number of employees.
5. Ensure that 0.3% of skills development expenditure is on learning programmes specified in the learning programme matrix for Black people with disabilities. 0.15% of skills development should be directed to Black women with disabilities.
6. QSEs within this sub-sector commit to investing a minimum of 3% of the leviable amount or payroll (whichever is applicable) in skills development spending on learning programmes for Black people.

In addition, the private industry commits to the following:

7. Identify within and outside their companies a talent pool of Black people for accelerated development through the following options:
8. International, regional or local assignments that provide high-quality operational and managerial exposure;
9. Job rotation and multi-skilling programmes;
10. Coaching and mentorship programmes;
11. Learnership and internship programmes;
12. Further Education and Training (FET);
13. Skills programmes;
14. Temporary placement of unemployed learners;
15. Provision of adult basic education and training and other life skill training; and
16. Intra-industry exchange programmes, where feasible.

The costs associated with the implementation of the above skills development interventions include both direct and associated indirect costs.

TETA commits to the following:

1. Conduct research to identify scarce management (generic) and professional (F&C-specific) skills that the industry will require over the next decade and map out future demand and supply scenarios in the detailed skills audit.
2. Conduct research on the supply side of the skills development equation, i.e., the institutions that will provide the required management, professional and technical skills. The research will determine whether the identified institutions have the capacity to meet the expected demand and whether their curricula meet the needs of industry. It will make proposals on how to increase the capacity and relevance of existing institutions and establish whether there is a need to establish a dedicated institution that will focus on developing skills for the forwarding and clearing industry.
3. Introduce, after consulting stakeholders and completing the skills audit, new categories of learnerships – in management, technical and professional occupational categories – to help stakeholders achieve their employment equity targets.
4. Assist in unlocking funds from the National Skills Fund (NSF) for management and leadership programmes in identified areas.
5. Together with the Federation Internationale des Associations de Transitaires et Assimiles (FIATA), continuously benchmark training programmes against international best practice.

Measurement Principles and the Application of the Charter

Measurement principles associated with the skills development element are contained in Statement 400 of Code 400 of the Generic Code of Good Practice. The formulae required in the determination of the skills development score are contained in Annexure 400 (A)-B of Statement 400 of Code 400 of the Generic Code of Good Practice. The formula for the determination of the adjusted recognition for gender — Annexure 400 (A)-A — will not apply.

The measurement principles required in the determination of the skills development scores for QSEs are contained in Statement 805 of Code 800 of the Generic Code of Good Practice.