Telkom has positioned itself for competition through a highly progressive human resources development programme that has seen more than 88% of its employees trained each year through the Telkom Centre for Learning (CFL).
According to a recent independent survey by PMR Magazine, Telkom was rated South Africa`s most active company in terms of training and job creation by 25 trade union leaders, senior government officials and business associations such as the South African Chamber of Business (SACOB), the Afrikaans Handels Intituut (AHI) and the National African Chamber of Commerce (NAFCOC).
Telkom currently trains 88,7% of its employees each year, rating better than the international benchmark of communications companies that offer training to 85% of their employees annually.
"The arrival of competition coupled with new converging technologies is driving an unprecedented reconfiguration of job descriptions, work activities and skills throughout the telecommunications industry. In addition, the industry is creating unprecedented career opportunities for those professionals with the right combination of business, service excellence and technical skills," said Telkom`s Centre for Learning Executive, Paula Doublin.
She added that communications enterprises needed to train and retain professionals that had high-tech skills that would advance their business goals.
"Skills in technology and business form a vital part of our growing economy as South Africa becomes a global player in the telecommunications industry. Already, Telkom has a significant competitive edge over its rivals through its workforce that is high-tech and customer focused.
"The Company is fully committed to the training, skills transfer, development, performance improvement and lifelong learning for of all its employees. This is an empowerment tool to increase capacity of employees to perform productively as individuals, teams and organisations," said Doublin.
In 1997, Telkom committed R2,3 billion over five years for training and human resource development. The CFL`s Skills Development Plan assists employees to achieve the necessary training, development and synthesis of skills, based on both the company`s and the employee`s career needs. The CFL`s strategy is to provide learning programmes and to create shareholder value that will enable employees to analyse customer communication needs and to provide effective end-to-end solutions which fill critical niches in business organisations.
Over the past three years the Telkom CFL has delivered more than 2,5 million learning days of training to Telkom employees. During the periods 1997 to 2000, a total of 74,48% of these employees have been black, and have received training in the areas of management and life skills, technology, marketing and call centres.
Through the CFL`s Study Scheme Management Group, Telkom offers tertiary scholarship and bursary programmes for employees and students engaging in telecommunications related studies, engineering, information technology, marketing and finance. 6 290 full-time employees are currently participating in the programme, with over 9 000 student participants for the period ending 31 October 2000. During vacations and by arrangement during semesters, learners are given practical training and exposure to Telkom, so they become candidates for employment within Telkom once they have qualified. The scheme also ensures that Telkom positions itself to attract graduates from these institutes.
In addition, the CFL also provides performance improvement solutions for the communications industry as well as industry in general. Since 1999, it has provided training and performance solutions to other companies in the areas including Performance Consulting, Instructional Design and Facilitated Solution Delivery for technical education.
Training has also been offered on call centres, customer services, professional development and leadership, project management, multimedia, information technology, human resource practices, business acumen, LANS and WANS, Core and Backbone Switching Networks, Customer Access Distribution Networks, Adult Basic Education and Training and Safety.
"The CFL will continue to augment training tools, materials and methods in order to compliment advancing technologies that deliver world-class training and workplace performance on par with international standards. This will ensure that Telkom remains the premier communications provider in Africa and indeed internationally," said Doublin.
Share