JSE-listed Usko Group has developed Usko University to promote a culture of learning and expertise among its staff and to address the shortage of skills, particularly soft skills, in South African business. Usko University is a virtual campus that resides on the company`s intranet and offers a wide range of courses in sales, marketing, finance, project management and business management, closely linked to Usko`s business goals and strategies, and in collaboration with external training companies and tertiary institutions.
"Usko University is not so much about training as about learning," says Tom Pegrume, Usko`s group executive, strategic development. "In IT and the business world, the pace is too fast for us to wait for people to emerge from tertiary educational institutions with the necessary skills to take our company forward. There is also a general lack of skills and expertise in South Africa in the fields of management and leadership. For example, we need to develop global business literacy - understanding how to do business with foreign companies offshore.
"We intend building a structured platform to drive a culture of learning. We`re giving staff a chance to gain the skills and make the most of the empowerment we practise. "In a knowledge economy, knowledge has a reduced shelf life, so you need to keep updating your skills. Therefore we`ll focus on lifetime employability, a key aspect of which will be to teach people self-management of their careers. "If you have not been exposed to high levels of education you will have a chance for that at Usko," Pegrume says.
Business unit managers and staff themselves will be responsible for course development and the university as a whole. "Their support and active involvement are crucial," he adds. "The university will be market-driven, a work in progress that`ll change constantly based on its relevance to business strategy. We see ourselves providing tailormade learning at a management level in conjunction with a university." Over time courses and programmes will be charged out to divisions. "That`ll help us ensure we`re offering something competitive, that cannot be obtained elsewhere and that is relevant to the strategy of the organisation."
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