I have spent the past few months researching IT Capability Academies. The LRMG IT Talent Management team has created several Capability Academies in line with future IT Skills, including Cybersecurity, Machine Learning, Robotics Process Automation, Data Science, and Cloud, to name but a few. These Capability Academies were created based on both technical and behavioral skills of the future. 

When we consult with clients in the first stage of the Capability Academy journey, we focus on three specific skills areas, i.e., hard skills, also referred to as technical skills, behavioral skills, also referred to as Human or Soft Skills, and leadership skills. 

To measure current skills is fairly easy. All people would need to do is an assessment, but herein lies the challenge. Do a quick assessment and all is done. 

The question should be: tell me more about the different types of assessments. One of the first two questions one has to ask would be: What are you measuring against and is the assessment worth anything? Good question! The assessment needs to be looking at international trends. ‘Looking’ in this instance implies that there has to be a good set of research that determines what the specific skills and related questions are that need to be asked. One therefore needs an assessment that isn’t cobbled together quickly, but rather consists of content to be measured against an international benchmark of people in specific roles. 

Secondly, there needs to be a direct link between the skills that you will require (article 2 in this series) and the assessment. Ultimately you want to know what you need and then quantify what you have. The organization responsible for the assessment needs to have experience in determining both what is needed and then make the link to the assessment. And lastly – and this is probably the most important ingredient – the ability to make sense of the first two pillars to allow them to point to a solution that will ensure that you can reach your end goal. 

In summary – determining current skills levels must be based on a science and not on the skills people believe they have. 

1. Blended learning approach: A combination of e-learning, instructor-led training, and practical hands-on experience is often the most effective way to teach new skills. This approach caters to different learning styles and allows learners to practice what they’ve learned in a controlled environment.
2. Customized content: The learning content should be tailored to the needs of your organization and the specific skills you’re looking to develop. This ensures that the training is relevant and applicable to the real-world challenges your employees will face.
3. Progress tracking: Regular assessments should be conducted throughout the learning process to monitor the progress of learners and ensure they are on track to achieve the desired outcomes. These assessments can also help identify any additional support or resources needed to help learners succeed.
4. Continuous learning: Skill development shouldn’t end once a training program is completed. Encourage a culture of continuous learning within your organization by providing access to ongoing resources, workshops, and opportunities for skills development. This helps maintain and build upon the skills acquired during the initial training.
5. Incentives and rewards: Recognize and reward employees who demonstrate a commitment to learning and skills development. This can help motivate others to participate in training programs and contribute to a culture of learning within your organization.

Rather, it has to do with the buzzwords that they have bought. “This e-Learning tool has AI built in and will guide students to just receive what they need to learn,” or “Self-Directed Learning is the answer to all problems,” and a multitude of other buzzword-enriched sentences. 

Torque is an employee experience agency that partners with various organisations to create integrated and holistic employee experience (EX) solutions, from hire to retire. Offerings range from employee experience consultancy and strategy to employee engagement portals and facilitated conversations and toolkits around topical subjects such as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

Further portfolio offerings within their solution suite include EX communication strategy and solution design; end-to-end EX content creation, design, and management; employee value proposition (EVP) workshops and organisational roll-out; and bespoke employee wellness strategies and communication. CEO of LRMG, Ricky Robinson, says, “Torque is highly complementary to our own business of enabling high performance in organisations and has special synergies with our culture, change, and organisational design consulting division. We are especially excited to have attracted Sally and her team, who have recently again been recognised as one of SA’s Top Women Empowered Companies.”

Sally Acton, Torque’s founder and CEO, states, “We are very excited to have found in LRMG a well-established and reputable B-BBEE partner that can add significant value to our business by unlocking joint opportunities in an enlarged client base. The cultural fit and LRMG’s particular efforts in woman’s empowerment is a bonus….”

Pula delivers a highly innovative approach and value proposition to apply support, knowledge, and networks to help grow the companies they invest in.