The Cape Innovation and Technology Initiative (CiTi) and #cocreateSA, an initiative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, have introduced TenaCiTi, a programme aimed at helping small business owners develop highly productive employees that contribute directly to the bottom line.
According to #cocreateSA, TenaCiTi works in two learning streams - it provides HR support to the business and essential workplace and ICT skills to junior staff. CiTi has brought in the services of strategic facilitator, Mignon Keyser and the redTrainingAcademy to provide the employee development stream, and LaytonMelville to offer HR and people management for business owners.
"PWC and Silicon Cape's Emerging Companies' survey identified, again, that access to skills remains one of the top three inhibitors to growth," says Bonnie Horbach, Netherlands consul general.
"And while there are many successful programmes such as CiTi's own CapaCiTi looking at developing hard skills like computer programming, there are very few that focus on the people development side of running and growing a business."
TenaCiTi was developed in response to a roundtable event with Dutch and South African business owners earlier this year, which identified finding and keeping the right staff as a massive challenge.
"Being able to practically do the job is half of what it takes to be an employee," says Alexis Pillay, programme manager for the TenaCiTi programme.
"You need to be able to work in a team, take initiative, problem solve and manage conflict all within a largely unstructured work environment. Most of us don't come into the working world with these skills, and most small business owners don't have the time to nurture them. That's where TenaCiTi comes in," he adds.
By the end of the seven-month programme, Pillay says he wants the businesses to have implemented people management processes that create an environment where competent, motivated and engaged employees can thrive.
#cocreateSA says the first cohort of seven businesses started in mid-October with the second intake happening in January 2017. Businesses selected for the programme need to be small-to-medium-sized tech or tech-enabled businesses in Cape Town operating for at least two years.
Applications are now open at www.tenaciti.org.za
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