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SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING

A training and development fund, created and utilised over the past year for the improvement of skills and knowledge for all employees, amounts to 1% of the total cost of employment, where lower-skilled workers utilise approximately 40% of the fund. An equivalent of 3 457 staff training days were spent attending a wide variety of courses and academic programmes.

TRAINING POLICIES

A number of policies and procedures to support the Training and Development Framework were developed.

These include:

A Training Policy

in which training is defined as the process of developing the knowledge, skills and attitudes (competence) of all our staff to meet the present needs of the organisation. Approximately 408 employees attended training programmes, ranging from Safety,Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ) training, to computer training, fitting and turning, electrical and driving lessons.

An Assisted Education Policy

to provide employees with financial assistance to improve their knowledge and skills through study at external institutions. Employees’ future career development, the organisation’s business requirements and the sectoral skills needs are taken into account for employees’ study courses.

An Adult Education Policy

to inform the Adult Basic Education Programme, which provides literacy and numeracy development training courses. This programme utilises the Local Government Water and related Services Sector Education and Training (LGWSETA) Skills Priority Fund. Fifty-one Umgeni Water employees are participating in this programme.

Learnership Programmes Policy

five employees are registered for a variety of technical and finance learnerships.

Succession Planning Policy

to promote and maintain leadership, continuity and expertise in defined key positions. Talent is grown within the organisation through accelerated development interventions.

TRAINING INITIATIVES

Change Management Workshops:

Workshops for all employees were held before the organisational restructuring process was implemented.

Skills Training and Development Interventions:

A total of 680 staff, spent an equivalent of 2 040 staff training days, attending a variety of skills training and development interventions. These included Adult Basic Education and Training, Personal Management Skills Training, the Hay Job Evaluation System Training, Performance Management Training, Recognition-of-Prior Learning Advisor Training, Management Development Program and Learnerships.

Programmes for the non-employed:

HIGHLIGHTS

Umgeni-uThukela Water’s Training Centre was accredited by the Local Government Water and related Services Sector Education and Training (LGWSETA) as a training provider specialising in water and sanitation related skills training. The organisation is now able to provide workplace based training in-house by utilising employees who are subject matter experts.

1. DEFINITION: TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

What is Training and Development?

Employee training and development is the framework for helping employees develop their personal and organisational skills, knowledge, and abilities. Human Resource Development includes such opportunities as employee training, employee career development, performance management and development, coaching, succession planning, key employee identification, tuition assistance, and organisation development.

Employee training and development is a key factor in meeting the organisation’s strategic, business and operational goals. In the Umgeni Water context training and development contributes to delivering on the organisation’s commitment to individual growth and to our country’s growth. The following are the most important forms of training and development available at Umgeni Water.

Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET)
Life Skills Training
Employee Assisted Education Programme
Management and Supervisory Training
Leadership and Development Programmes
Job Specific Training e.g. Legal requirement training
Graduate and In-Service Training

2. LINKAGE BETWEEN TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT AND CORPORATE STRATEGY

Umgeni-uThukela Water provides an integrated learning experience that seeks to strengthen its values, leadership capability and skills capacity to meet current and future business requirements. This is evident in the commitment that is articulated in the corporate business plan 2008 – 2012, which reads as follows

“Umgeni Water seeks to create a learning organisation with proper learning support systems. The organisation is committed to the development of its employees by providing the long-term development of employee capability through higher education and literacy improvement. The Workplace Skills Plan will be a useful adjunct to training and development programmes established in relation to succession planning and career development.”

2.1 STRATEGIC BASIS FOR TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT DECISIONS

In support of the Corporate Strategic Plan 2008 – 2012, the following objectives were identified as key with regard to the training and development of our employees:

Heighten awareness of organisational values, goals and objectives
Improve the skills, knowledge and motivation of all our employees
Improve the understanding and commitment to self development
Assess the training and development needs for every employee in relation to the business needs and corporate strategy
Implement a company wide leadership development programme for executives, managers, team leaders and individuals
Compliance with legislation

4. SUMMARY OF UW TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT POLICY

Training and development in the Umgeni-uThukela Water context is defined as a total process of developing new, upgrading existing knowledge, skills and attitudes of employees to meet the present performance needs of the organisation. This process includes the following forms of learning and development.

Academic Training
Induction and Orientation Training
Technical/ Skills Training
Management Training

All training will take place as a result of identified training needs derived from and related to immediate and long-term strategic organisational objectives.

Every staff member has a right of access to training opportunities to fully develop his/her potential to the best advantage of him/her and the organisation.

The overall responsibility for training lies with every line official who has one or more employee reporting to him/her. He/she is responsible for the optional and mandatory development and utilization of such employees.

5. EFFECTIVENESS OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

The reason for training and developing Umgeni Water employees is to help them acquire new skills and improve on existing skills. The trained and developed staff apply their acquired new and improved existing skills in the execution of their job functions to improve their job performance. The most significant internal Human Resources System that is currently used to assess improved job performance is the Performance Management System.

UMGENI WATER BURSARY SCHEME

Umgeni Water is committed to skills development with intention to contribute to the National Skills Development Strategy. Umgeni Water provides Bursaries to matriculants, first and second year university students. Currently bursary holders are in the fields of Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Finance at various institutions in South Africa.

HOW TO APPLY FOR BURSARIES

Bursaries are subject to funds availability and are advertised in local newspapers. However students are encouraged to send their applications in writing (application letter, CV and academic record).

Send applications to:

The Skills Development Facilitator
PO Box 9
Pietermartizburg
3200
(033) 341 1346 office
(033) 341 1086 facsimile
mxolisi.ngcobo@umngeni-uthukela.co.za

UMGENI WATER INDUCTION AND ORIENTATION PROGRAMME

What is the purpose of Induction and Orientation Programme?

The purpose of induction and orientation is to ensure effective integration of staff into or across the organisation for the benefit of both employee and Umgeni Water.

Objectives of Induction

THE INDUCTION PROCESS HAS IMPORTANT SEVERAL IMPORTANT OBJECTIVES:

Communicating Umgeni Water’s culture, values and policies;
Clarifying Umgeni Water’s objectives, structure and working arrangements;
Acquainting new employees with the new environment and job procedures;
Establishing relations;
Ensuring that staff become effective as quickly as possible;
Encouraging commitment and motivation through a sense of belonging; and
Explaining to the new employee the changes that are taking place in the organisation.

SCOPE OF INDUCTION AND ORIENTATION AT UMGENI WATER

Corporate Induction and Orientation: this induction is available to and should be attended by all employees.

Specific Departmental Induction and Orientation: this induction is tailored to the new employee’s specific department and job.

Who should be given induction training?

All new staff, both permanent and non-permanent, graduate trainees, in-service trainees, senior and junior appointments should attend Umgeni Water’s Corporate Induction and orientation Programme.

Umgeni Water’s Corporate Induction and Orientation Programme is held two times a year, with the first programme being held in April and the second in September of each year.

THE INDUCTION AND ORIENTATION PROGRAMME IS HELD IN A THREE-DAY PROCESS:

First day: Formal group presentations and Corporate DVD – Umgeni Water Learning Centre of Excellence – Durban Heights.

Second day: Umgeni Water Site Visits – Wiggins, Darvill and Midmar.

Third day: Social gathering and refreshments.

CORPORATE AND INDUCTION PROGRAMME

Day 1: Presentations from Various Divisions.

Divisions are requested to nominate one representative to present to the inductees the profile of their respective divisions. The content of the presentation should include, but not limited to the following:

Division’s vision and mission (if applicable)

The organogram of the division (management and staff);
Services and products offered by the division;
Applicable policies and procedures; and
Relationship with the rest of the organisation.

Day 2: Site Visits

Three sites have been identified as the most important and big enough water treatment sites in the organisation due to their wide variety of functions and their sizes. These sites are Wiggins WW (including PEF), Darvill WWW and Midmar WW.

Day 3: Address by CE and Social Gathering

This is the day when the inductees get to know and mingle with each other as the new members of Umgeni-uThukela family, various games are played and CE addresses inductees at this gathering.

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ABOUT US

uMngeni-uThukela Water, a state-owned entity, is one of Africa’s most successful organisations involved in water management and is the largest supplier of bulk potable water in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
The organisation was established in 1974.

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CONTACT US

Head Office

310 Burger Street Pietermaritzburg 3201. South Africa

PO Box 9,
Pietermaritzburg 3200
KwaZulu-Natal.
South Africa

Tel: +27 (33) 341 1111
Fax: +27 (33) 341 1167
Toll Free: 0800 331 820

Izintaba Region

7 Portland Road Mkondeni
3201. South Africa

PO Box 9,
Pietermaritzburg 3200
KwaZulu-Natal.
South Africa

Tel: +27 (33) 846 1700
Fax: +27 (33) 386 3673
Toll Free: 0800 331 820

Ulwandle Region

13 Pineside Road
New Germany
3610. South Africa

PO Box 11,
New Germany 3620
KwaZulu-Natal.
South Africa

Tel: +27 (31) 719 7300
Fax: +27 (31) 719 7325
Toll Free: 0800 331 820

Richards Bay Region

Cnr South Central Arterial & Battery Bank Alton
Richards Bay, 3901
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Private Bag X1047,
Richards Bay, 3900
KwaZulu-Natal.
South Africa

Tel: +27 (35) 902 1000
Fax: +27 (35) 902 1111
Toll Free: 0800 331 820