In South Africa, many organisations lack the technical skills they need to manage complex business processes, short-term projects and IT investments. There is a pressing need to implement skills development solutions that are sustainable, capable of driving impeccable performance and ensuring that the IT investments are maintained and optimised.
Dr Kevin Lubbe, Director at APPSolve, suggests the following for businesses to fill the skills gap:
* Establish precisely how extensive the gap is within the business and which areas require the most attention. Establish existing skills, determine the skills required in the future - the difference between the two is the knowledge gap. Although organisations have been implementing training programmes designed to address this gap for years, their failure rates are still quite high, as the training programmes have been implemented as a last ditch attempt to shore up defences and rescue the IT department from sudden collapse. However, the programmes are shoved into the gaps without thought as to how they should be implemented or how to engage with employees. No real benchmarks are set to determine success or performance improvements. Anticipate your future needs.
* Be very clear about employee skills training programmes. Employees are often asked to undergo extensive training while simultaneously balancing their full-time roles. They aren't mentored properly or provided with the time they need to really focus on getting the most out of the programme. Active mentorship is crucial.
* Decrease the risk when experienced team members move on. They've had the training, they understand the business and they were instrumental in the execution of IT projects and now they've left behind a gaping void that most organisations aren't able to fill easily. Organisations need to find skilled individuals or have appropriate training plans in place. Ensure you have a Plan B.
* To address the knowledge gap within the organisation requires planning. The business needs a clear understanding of what it wants to achieve, where its weaknesses lie and how it plans to expand in the future. This may be a very simplistic view, but it does provide the organisation with a clear view of the pain points that are uniquely its own, and what skills are highest in demand. From here, the move is to strategically close the gaps by focusing on a development programme that combines formal education and unstructured learning. Plan to close the knowledge gap.
* Ensure that employees understand exactly why they need to build their skills and do the extra work. Give them the picture just painted by the research and show them how it will benefit their career growth and the company. Give them ample opportunity to learn. Whether going with unstructured mentorship programmes or formal education with certifications, the company needs to give the employee the time and space they need to fully benefit from the experience. It's easy to forget that they are effectively doing two jobs at once. Bridging the knowledge gap requires strategic planning and a comprehensive formalisation of the company strategy that places skills development at the core. By formalising the structure around training, it ensures that resources are identified, skills assessed and needs unpacked. Remove the obstacles to learning.
* Measurement: Organisations need to know if employees have benefited from unstructured learning, put benchmarks in place that identify specific milestones or capabilities, and monitor if the person has achieved these. Objective measures improve the chances of success.
* Many organisations make the mistake of only investing into skills development for their IT projects when it is too late. They have to put change management and education at the forefront of their investment rather than have it as an afterthought. Rushing the training or putting unnecessary pressure on individuals only creates a negative environment. They may want to be excited about new skills but their attitude is impacted by the change management approach. Be proactive and not reactive.
It's important that knowledge transfer and addressing the skills gap rests alongside all the elements of the IT investment. The business needs a knowledge transfer programme that's formalised and ensures the right people get the right skills at the right time.
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