Determining Training Needs (6)

Question 1

Define Training Needs Analysis (TNA)?

Answer 1

A TNA is a process that defines the training required for an individual, for a position, group, team, department, organisation or industry sector.

This analysis can focus on the job role, and the training needed to achieve competence in the job role, or on the individual and their training needs, or on the organisation, and its training requirements, depending on the methodology used. These outcomes have to be synthesised into a cohesive programme of workforce development that meets the objectives of the organisation as a whole entity. (Imagine Education Australia, n.d.)

Question 2

In summation, a TNA must take the following into account?

Answer 2

• The desired objectives or outcomes to be achieved by the training (in relation to the overall organisational goals)
• The current competency of the employees being trained
• How the training will be executed
• The cost of providing the training

Question 3

Benefits of a well-conducted TNA?

Answer 3

• Critical skills (deficiencies are more easily identified.)
• Training becomes more targeted and effective, as a result.)

Question 4

This results in cost and time:

Answer 4

savings for the organisation.

Question 5

There is a greater return on investment for employers and?

Answer 5

• employees alike.

Question 6

Steps for conducting a TNA?

Answer 6

• Step 1: Pinpoint the purpose
• Step 2: Determine required competencies
• Step 3: Spot the gaps
• Step 4: Training delivery
• Step 1: Pinpoint the purpose (programme should assist the company in meeting its overall goals and objectives.)
• Step 2: Determine required competencies (data collection will accurately identify the competencies required and how they relate to the end goals.)
• Step 3: Spot the gaps (identify the gap between the capabilities required, and the existing capabilities of the individuals)
• Step 4: Training delivery (it will be necessary to prioritise them in order of importance, specifically as they relate to achieving the goals identified)

Question 7

There is a wide assortment of data collection methods available, and while it is a time-consuming process, data collection will accurately identify the?

Answer 7

competencies required and how they relate to the end goals set in the previous step.

Question 8

Some guidelines to keep in mind are presented in the following sections?

Answer 8

• Guard against bias or influencing participant responses
• Structure, content and wording
• Use a combination of qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, in order to get a complete picture.

Use simple and easy-to-understand wording to avoid confusion on the part of the respondent. This means avoiding slang, jargon and unnecessarily elaborate terminology (e.g. use ‘see’ rather than ‘perceive’). Also, keep the data collection method brief and concise; in other words, if the questionnaire is ten pages long, respondents may lose interest. As much as possible, gear questions toward the specific competencies in question.

Quantitative methods are typically used to gather specific data or facts (e.g. surveys, questionnaires, interviews etc.).

We will now take a closer look at the different options available for collecting data.

Interviews

Interviews involve having discussions with data collection targets, either as a group or as individuals. Questions should be established beforehand, so as to serve as a guideline. However, this does not mean that the interviewer is excluded from delving deeper into the responses given with additional questioning. Furthermore, interviews allow for unsolicited feedback, opinions and points of view; but the interviewer must take care not to veer so far off topic, that answers are no longer relevant to the data being collected.

Interviews can be done face-to-face (i.e. in person or via an online program, such as Skype) or over the telephone. The following two figures compare the advantages and disadvantages of face-to-face interviews and of those conducted telephonically.

Pros and cons of conducting face-to-face interviews
(Source: Adapted from My-Peer Toolkit, n.d.)

Figure 6.3: Pros and cons of conducting face-to-face interviews
Pros and cons of conducting telephonic interviews
(Source: Adapted from My-Peer Toolkit, n.d.)

Figure 6.4: Pros and cons of conducting telephonic interviews
Focus groups

With focus group respondents, it is best to discuss a set topic or respond to specific questions in a group setting. This can be done face-to-face or online, and a moderator conducts the session. As with the interview method, there is an opportunity here for the moderator to ask relevant follow-up questions.

Focus groups can be useful for the exploration of:

topics related to culture or health;
the reasoning behind thought processes, and how they impact beliefs and values;
hypotheses to use in additional research; and
complex issues.
When conducting focus groups, be aware of these potential negative impacts:

Participants being influenced by a lack of anonymity
A group mix that does not have an appropriate balance (e.g. having an all-male or all-female group to discuss the issue of sexual harassment)
Groupthink (when a group makes decisions based on group pressures, rather than individual beliefs and thought processes)
Lack of equal participation in discussions by all members of the focus group
(Source: Adapted from My-Peer Toolkit, n.d.)

Be aware that focus groups can take a large amount of time to orchestrate, and it is not easy to analyse their results.

On-the-job observation

This is just what it sounds like – watching the employee as they perform a specific function or task. The observer can then detect any deficiencies, which would point to a need for training. The problem with this method is that if the employee knows that they are being watched, they may not perform as they ordinarily would. For example, if observing an employee while they are dealing with a client over the telephone, they may consciously adjust their demeanour to come across as more friendly, efficient and helpful, in order to ‘impress’ the observer.

Questionnaires or surveys

These methods rely on a series of questions to gather data. Questionnaires can use either closed questions (where the respondent chooses one of the answer options provided) or open-ended questions (where the respondent answers in their own words). Surveys normally use closed questions, offering respondents a choice of answers. These methods of data collection can be administered using paper and pencil, email or a web-based application.

Where there is a need for privacy (e.g. if you are questioning respondents about harassment in the workplace or management performance), questionnaires and surveys are ideal, because they can offer anonymity to the respondent, if you do not ask for identifying information or distribute the survey via a traceable method (e.g. via email).

When questionnaires or surveys are completed by participants with no interference from the party conducting the research, there is a potential for the answers to be biased. For example, a participant may not be wholly truthful with a response, if they feel that the response will portray them in a negative light. It is therefore important to design and test questionnaires and surveys for validity and reliability with the target groups who will be completing the surveys.

There are web-based survey applications available (e.g. Zoomerang, SurveyMonkey and SurveyGizmo) for companies that wish to outsource the task of surveying, as a means to gather data. Each survey application has different editions that allow the user to analyse functionality, and the user can choose a suitable plan and price point. Some applications, such as Zoomerang and SurveyMonkey, also have free surveys available.

Participants can engage with the questions via paper, email or a web-based platform. The email method is where the form is included as part of the body text or as a separate attachment, which requires the participants to respond by clicking on radio buttons and/or checkboxes, as well as typing in text, where required. Thereafter, they must return the completed form via email. On web-based platforms, on the other hand, the form is accessed via a web URL that is emailed to respondents who complete the survey or questionnaire, whereupon they submit their response, by clicking on a button that will save the data to a central database.

Consider the following advantages and disadvantages of each delivery method, before choosing the route to take in administering your survey or questionnaire.

Question 9

Qualitative methods (such as focus groups or on-the-job observation) are typically used to?

Answer 9

determine more subjective concepts such as reasoning or motivation.

Question 10

Interviews involve having discussions with data collection targets, either as?

Answer 10

a group or as individuals.

Question 11

With focus group respondents, it is best to discuss a set topic or respond to specific questions?

Answer 11

in a group setting.

Question 12

Focus groups can be useful for the exploration of?

Answer 12

• topics related to culture or health;
  the reasoning behind thought processes, and how they impact beliefs and values;
  hypotheses to use in additional research; and
  complex issues.

Question 13

Focus groups can be useful for the exploration of?

Answer 13

• topics related to culture or health;
• the reasoning behind thought processes, and how - they impact beliefs and values;
• hypotheses to use in additional research; and
  complex issues.

Question 14

When conducting focus groups, be aware of these potential negative impacts?

Answer 14

• Participants being influenced by a lack of anonymity
• A group mix that does not have an appropriate balance (e.g. having an all-male or all-female group to discuss the issue of sexual harassment)
• Groupthink (when a group makes decisions based on group pressures, rather than individual beliefs and thought processes)
• Lack of equal participation in discussions by all members of the focus group

Question 15

Explain On-the-job observation?

Answer 15

This is just what it sounds like – watching the employee as they perform a specific function or task. The observer can then detect any deficiencies, which would point to a need for training. The problem with this method is that if the employee knows that they are being watched, they may not perform as they ordinarily would.

Question 16

Explain Questionnaires or surveys?

Answer 16

These methods rely on a series of questions to gather data. Questionnaires can use either closed questions (where the respondent chooses one of the answer options provided) or open-ended questions

Question 17

Questionnaires are the preferred method for gathering information?

Answer 17

Where there is a need for privacy

Question 18

When questionnaires or surveys are completed by participants with no interference from the party conducting the research, there is is?

Answer 18

a potential for the answers to be biased.

Question 19

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using paper for a survey?

Answer 19

Advantages:
- Participants do not require access to a computer or the Internet, so the survey or questionnaire can still be completed by those who are not online.
- Assuming there is no obligation to provide identifying information, feedback collection is anonymous, which may make responses more open and honest.

Disadvantages:
- It is not environmentally friendly.
- Processing and analysis can be time-consuming, and some responses may be invalid, due to illegible handwriting.
- Following up with respondents is not feasible, if efforts are being made to keep the responses anonymous (even if anonymity is not necessary, remailing incomplete surveys or questionnaires would consume valuable time and resources).

Question 20

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using paper for a survey?

Question 21

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using paper for a survey?

Question 21

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using Email for a survey?

Answer 21

Advantages:
- Distribution is quick and easy.
- As the form is standard, the processing and analysis of responses can be automated with software, and there will be no challenge in reading illegible handwriting.
- The surveyor can follow up with non-respondents, by identifying email addresses that do not reply, which can increase the response rate.

Disadvantages:
- There is a loss of respondent anonymity, since ‘reply emails’ can be traced.
- It is only accessible by those with computer and Internet access.
- If those receiving the emailed form have disabled HTML, the form will appear as a confusing mess – forcing respondents to manually enable HTML (which they may not do – resulting in a decrease in responses

Question 22

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using Web-based platform for a survey?

Answer 22

Advantages:
- Distribution is quick and easy.
- As the form is standard, the processing and analysis of responses can be automated with software, and there is no battle to read illegible handwriting.
- Unlike with emails, responses are confidential, since the URL is typically autogenerated (i.e. there is no simple way to link responses back to a person).

Disadvantages:
- It is only accessible by those with computer and Internet access.
- Since a web server is required, it may be a costly platform to put in place, especially if the organisation does not already have one in place.
- It requires a certain level of expertise and skill to design, administer and evaluate.

Question 23

Explain Step 3: Spot the gaps?

Answer 23

• Now, Step 3 is there to identify the gap between the capabilities required, and the existing capabilities of the individuals and/or groups being targeted for training.

> Step 1 enables one to become clear on the goals to be achieved, and Step 2 involves establishing what knowledge, skills and/or abilities are required to reach these goals.

Question 24

Explain Step 4 Training Delivery?

Answer 24

This is Step 4: prioritising the training that has been identified as necessary, and determining how to execute the training.

Question 25

Training can be costly, it is, therefore, important to consider the following aspects that can impact the financial investment in training?

Answer 25

• The degree to which the training satisfies the gaps identified in Step 3
• The degree to which the training impacts the goals and overall business operations, as per Step 1
• The potential loss in productivity, while staff take time to undergo training
• The time the training will take to execute

Question 26

If an HR practitioner is conducting a TNA and they are comparing the desired level of skills with the current level of skills that target employees possess, which step of theTNA are they busy with?

Answer 26

Spot the gaps

Question 27

What is the first step of a training needs analysis?

Answer 27

Pinpoint the purpose of the training

Question 28

Which step in the TNA process ensures that the goals of the training are in line with the organisational goals?

Answer 28

Pinpoint the purpose

Question 29

What step of the TNA involves collecting data about the knowledge and skills that are required to achieve the desired outcome?

Answer 29

Determine required competencies

Question 30

When designing training delivery for salespeople, which of the following would make the training more effective?

Answer 30

Active methods like roleplay

Question 31

Define a job analysis?

Answer 31

is a process used to identify and determine the specific duties and requirements for a particular job – i.e. it shows what is required for an employee to succeed in that particular job or role. There are several valid reasons (or benefits) for conducting a job analysis,

Question 32

Job analysis regarding Legal defensibility?

Answer 32

A job analysis is a means by which to prove that selection procedures applied in the hiring process are lawful.

Question 33

Job analysis regarding Planning?

Answer 33

• a job analysis will form the basis for the actual job description, which is an essential element of the recruitment process – not just for immediate hires, but for future recruitment strategies as well.
• succession planning is instrumental in keeping hiring costs and negative impacts on business operations to a minimum.

Question 34

Explain job analysis regarding Performance appraisal?

Answer 34

A well-formed performance appraisal system is one way of establishing the standards relied upon to assess an employee’s performance, as it can assist with establishing goals, objectives and evaluation criteria for the performance appraisal.

Question 35

Performance appraisal is a means by which to examine and evaluate an employee’s?

Answer 35

• competence, against set standards.
• It would clearly indicate what the employee is doing well, and where improvements are required and why.

Question 36

Explain Training with regards to job analysis?

Answer 36

• A job analysis can bring those gaps to light, since it would clearly spell out the skills, knowledge and behaviours required for a specific position. By comparing an employee’s existing competency levels against this analysis, it will quickly become clear where training is required, in order to bridge the gaps that have been spotted.

Question 37

Another benefit to be gained by conducting a job analysis, is?

Answer 37

assistance with training.

Question 38

The job analysis will establish what particular data must be collected. Such data can be grouped into the following three categories?

Answer 38

1. what must be done;
2. how it must be done; and
3. where it must be done, since we are specifically focusing on a job analysis as a tool for training development

Question 39

Explain ‘what must be done’ regarding data collection from a job analysis?

Answer 39

Information gathered under this category determines:
- what the employee must do;
- why it is done; and
- what is needed to do it (i.e. equipment, tools, machinery etc.).

The tasks or actions identified can be further grouped by importance, frequency, duration, complexity and/or effort required.

Question 40

Explain ‘How it must be done’ regarding data collection from a job analysis?

Answer 40

The information gathered under this category specifies what capabilities are required to perform the tasks previously identified, and includes the following:

• Qualifications (i.e. degrees, diplomas, licences, certificates etc.)
• Knowledge (i.e. information needed to do the job)
• Skills (i.e. professional, technical and soft skills)
• Personal qualities (i.e. how the person behaves – e.g. their willingness to work with others or adapt to changes in the work environment)

Question 41

Explain ‘Where it must be done’ regarding data collection from a job analysis?

Answer 41

Information gathered in this category reflects the physical environment in which the job is performed.
This includes the following:
- Working hours
- Reporting and supervision structures
- Level of autonomy
- Working conditions (i.e. indoors/outdoors, desk job, as opposed to physical labour, dangerous/hazardous environment etc.)
- Physical and mental demands on the worker

Question 42

the following aspects that can impact the financial investment in training?

Answer 42

• The degree to which the training satisfies the gaps identified in Step 3.
• The degree to which the training impacts the goals and overall business operations, as per Step 1.
  -The potential loss in productivity, while staff take time to undergo training
• The time the training will take to execute

Question 43

It is therefore important at this stage in the TNA, to consider the following aspects that can impact the financial investment in training?

Answer 43

• The degree to which the training satisfies the gaps identified in Step 3.
• The degree to which the training impacts the goals and overall business operations, as per Step 1.
• The potential loss in productivity, while staff take time to undergo training,
• The time the training will take to execute

Question 44

It is important to take note of the following South African legislations that govern the employee/employer relationship?

Answer 44

• Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997
• Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998
• Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995
• Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993
• Skills Development Act 97 of 1998

Question 45

Three steps in the process for conducting a job analysis?

Answer 45

1. Find the focus
2. Collect the data
3. Decode on the training

Question 46

The first step in the job analysis process is to decide what you ultimately want to do with the information. This goal will direct?

Answer 46

what data you collect and how it is collected.

Question 47

focus of the data collection efforts is on what must be done and how it must be done. With regard to the means by which the data is to be collected, refer back to the various methods outlined earlier in this unit, and consider the following listed methods, as additional means for collecting the relevant information:

Answer 47

Current job description for the position
- Job analysis forms – to be completed by employees
Log sheets – to be completed by the employee and live observation conducted simultaneously by a supervisor (to track time and effort spent on relevant tasks for a set period – e.g. five to ten working days)
- Critical incident technique – completed by the job analyst (these are anecdotes or descriptors collected from people – including the employee – who are familiar with the job functions, as a means to identify behaviours on the job that make the worker successful and those that have the opposite effect)

Question 48

Since the point of conducting this job analysis is to determine training requirements, the job analyst should continually ask the following two questions throughout the data collection process:

Answer 48

• What level does the competency have to be performed at, in order to exceed performance expectations?
• What differences in delivery can be observed when the competency is performed at various levels (from poor to exceptional)? (The training should then be targeted at getting the employees who are in the position that is being analysed, to perform at the highest level possible.)

Question 49

A thorough review and examination of the data collected will identify the essential skills required for a person in that role, to?

Answer 49

function at maximum capacity.

Question 50

A thorough review and examination of the data collected will identify the essential skills required for a person in that role, to function at maximum capacity. The training should therefore focus on:

Answer 50

those skill areas.

Question 51

A job analysis was conducted for a role and it was shown that the employee lacked a few critical skills required to excel in this role. He has identified a number of courses that he will attend over the course of the next six months. To which benefit of job analysis does this relate?

Answer 51

Training

Question 52

The job analysis for a social media manager role states that the occupant must be social media savvy, hold a bachelor’s degree and be proficient in using one or more analytical tool To which category of data for a job analysis does this refer?

Answer 52

How it must be done

Question 53

A job analysis determines that the social media manager must be in the office from 8 am to 5 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and can work remotely on other days. However, he/she must be monitoring communication channels at all times. To which category of data does this refer?

Answer 53

Where it must be done

Question 54

When conducting a job analysis, the HR manager will focus on the core competencies. To which step in the job analysis does this refer?

Answer 54

Find the focus

Question 55

An external candidate believes his application for a job was turned down unfairly and is now threatening to sue. The manager compares his application with the job analysis to show him that he fell short of some critical competencies required. To which benefit of job analysis does this refer?

Answer 55

Legal defensibility

Question 56

A training needs assessment, specifically, will determine the level of success reached by training interventions, by providing answers to the following questions (TrainingToday, n.d.):

Answer 56

• Was the training delivered as planned/intended, on schedule and to the selected/targeted group of employees?
• Specifically, which of the training methods used throughout the process worked best with which topics and which employees?
• Conversely, were there any training methods employed that did not yield desirable results with certain topics or employees?
  What problems, if any, occurred throughout the training process?
• How effective was the trainer at engaging the employees being trained, and imparting the required knowledge, skills and/or competencies?
• What impact did the training have on the performance of the participants, once they returned to their respective positions and applied what was learned?
  If it is relevant, did the training satisfy specific regulatory and legal requirements?
• Were all the training goals reached?
• If not all of the training goals were reached, what is the identifiable cause, and how can it be rectified for the next planned training session(s)?

Question 57

there are some commonalities. We will look at the following four elements that determine whether employee training may be considered a success?

Answer 57

• Employees are satisfied
• Competency is demonstrated
• Productivity is improved.
• The return on investment (ROI) is possible

Question 58

A lucrative return on investment is another way to demonstrate the success of an employee training programme?

Answer 58

as training should ultimately make it easier for employees to perform their various job functions

Question 59

It is helpful to look at the reverse side of the above – in other words, some common signs that the training has failed to reach its mark. For example:

Answer 59

> Employees are unable to clearly explain the correlation between the training and the goal (including how it ties into the company’s mission, vision or core values), or how it ultimately improves their productivity.
- Employees complain about a handful of participants dominating discussions or that training groups were too large to work within successfully.
- Training materials are either too complicated or are insufficiently relevant to make learning applicable, easy and fun (i.e. employees cannot implement what they have not absorbed).

Question 60

The HR manager is trying to determine the effectiveness of the training that has been delivered in the sales department. What is she is likely engaged in?

Answer 60

A training needs assessment

Question 61

The HR manager is trying to determine what training is required for which employees in the organisation. What is she likely engaged in?

Answer 61

Training needs analysis

Question 62

The HR manager is trying to determine what training is required for which employees in
the organisation. What is she likely engaged in?

Answer 62

Training needs analysis

Question 63

Which of the following questions does a training needs assessment NOT answer?

Answer 63

What training is required?

Question 64

One month before a training intervention, the HR practitioner asks the manager of the sales department to start collecting data about the number of leads that are generated per day. After the training, these same metrics are collected and the datasets are compared. To which outcome of training does this relate?

Answer 64

Productivity

Question 65

When conducting a training needs assessment, the HR practitioner sees that 98% of trainees have passed their end-of-training assessment. To which outcome of training does this relate?

Answer 65

Competency is demonstrable

Question 66

What are the steps in the training needs assessment?

Answer 66

• Step 1: Review training
  goals and objectives
• Step 2: Collection
  processes
• Step 3: Evaluate

Question 67

The training level criteria focus on what trainees have learned upon completion of training. They specifically measure?

Answer 67

• The reaction (i.e. whether the trainees enjoyed it and how much - they feel that they had learned); and
• learning (i.e. what knowledge and skills absorbed by the trainee can actually be demonstrated in application/practice).

Question 68

Performance level criteria focus on the actual application of what has been learned, while doing the job, through?

Answer 68

• changes in the trainee’s behaviour; and/or
• changes in the trainee’s performance, resulting in reduced costs or increased productivity.
  Note: These criteria can be assessed using different measures, which we will expand upon when we examine information collection processes in Step 2 (in the following section).

Question 69

Different measures can be used to?

Answer 69

assess different criteria.

Question 70

Training needs assessment processes

Answer 70

• Employee feedback
• Observation and testing
• Productivity

Question 71

Employee feedback, in this instance, is focused on evaluation of?

Answer 71

the training itself

Question 72

Observation and testing processes will assess whether the employee can actually?

Answer 72

apply what they had learned during the training, when they are on the job.

Question 73

With a control group, the testing and observation are conducted on the following two groups, for comparison purposes:

Answer 73

• Employees who participated in the training
• Employees who did not participate in the training

Question 74

The purpose of visual confirmation is to?

Answer 74

physically demonstrate successful completion of a task, which can then be shared with others.

Question 75

Visual confirmation can be done through?

Answer 75

still image, video recording or audio recording.

Question 76

Through peer teaching, employees teach their colleagues, by demonstrating their?

Answer 76

newly acquired skills and knowledge in the workplace.

Question 77

Which of the following options can be considered a training level criterion?

Answer 77

85% of employees find the training useful

Question 78

Which of the following options can be considered performance level criteria?

Answer 78

25% decrease in the number of spoiled items

Question 79

Kyle works as a potter. He has just attended an intermediate pottery workshop and in order to demonstrate his ability to make a mug using a particular technique, he holds a workshop to pass on his new skills to his colleagues. This is an example of?

Answer 79

Peer teaching

Question 80

A trainer watches to see as the trainee demonstrates his ability to operate a particular machine after being trained. Which data collection process is this an example of?

Answer 80

Observation and testing

Question 81

Jason has just completed a 12-week Indian cuisine cooking course. He gets his wife to take a short video of him folding samosas and sends it to his teacher in order to demonstrate that he has learnt this technique. This is an example of
Interview with the employee?

Answer 81

Visual confirmation

Question 82

A workplace skills plan can be defined as a document that addresses the essential features for the training and educational interventions that will?

Answer 82

Take place over the following year.

Question 83

A workplace skills plan should include the following?

Answer 83

• the number of employees that will be trained at the company (including the employees’ demographics);
• the specific training and development interventions needed;
  the company’s strategic priorities for skills development;
  the company’s information about employment equity; and
  more specific details about the training interventions that will be implemented.
  **It should be noted that the details included in the workplace skills plan may differ slightly, depending on the size of the company. If the company contains 50 employees or more, then a training committee will have to be created (Coetzee, 2007: 38).

Question 84

A few examples of SETAs include?

Answer 84

• the Agricultural SETA,
• Bank SETA,
• Chemical Industries SETA,
• Energy and Water SETA,
• Education Training and Development SETA, and
• Health and Welfare SETA (Economic Development
  Department, n.d.).
  »Businesses should register at the most appropriate SETA (according to the economic sector that matches their organisation), in order to be registered for the Skills Development Levy Act 9 of 1999 (Stuart, 2010: 169).

Question 85

Education and training - The skills development legislation is regulated by the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), the South African Qualifications Authority Act, the Skills Development Act and the Skills Development Levies Act. Overall, the Skills Development Act aims to strengthen the South African?

Answer 85

economy and improve employees’ quality of life.

Question 86

Briefly define ‘workplace skills plan’ in one or two sentences?

Answer 86

The workplace skills plan refers to a document that organizations create to address and outline the essential components of the training and development interventions set in place for their employees.

Question 87

Name the legislations that govern skills development in South Africa?

Answer 87

• The South African Qualifications Authority Act 58 of 1995,
• the National Qualifications Framework (NQF),
• the Skills Development Act 97 of 1998 and
• the Skills Development Levies Act 9 of 1999.

Question 88

Name the number of SETAs within South Africa?

Answer 88

The purpose of the Skills Development Act is to better employees’ skills and knowledge; improve the economy; and improve employees’ quality of life.

Question 89

Define a ‘Mandatory Grant’ in your own words?

Answer 89

• A Mandatory Grant financially assists businesses in providing effective training and developing interventions for their employees.
• A Mandatory Grant is given to a business when they submit their workplace skills plan to their selected SETA.

Question 90

Describe the skills development facilitator’s role in the workplace skills plan?

Answer 90

A company needs to appoint someone as their skills development facilitator and register them at the appropriate SETA. This facilitator will be the middleman between their company and their selected SETA.