The WSP, PPT and ATR

The Workplace Skills Plan (WSP), Planned Pivotal Training (PPT) And Annual Training Report (ATR)

Click here to view a video that explains the benefits of submitting WSP.

Understanding the Development of a Skills Plan

A Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) outlines the planned training and education interventions of an organisation. It is best practice for every organisation regardless of its size, to determine the skills gaps within their organisation and decide how they will address these gaps through training.

SETAs base the payments of Mandatory Grants on the submission of a Mandatory Grant application which contains a WSP (Workplace Skills Plan), as well as an ATR (Annual Training Report). A skills plan should be well-researched and reflect the training needs of the company before being documented in the WSP.

Click here to view an explanation about the development of a skills plan.

Benefits of Planning

By compiling a training plan, an SDF could get the input from various role players within the company to ensure that the plan focuses on the needs that exist within the company. It is important to work with management to ensure:

• Buy-in and cooperation from management, as well as
• Resource allocation

PIVOTAL = professional, vocational, technical and academic training.

The PIVOTAL report was introduced by the Minister of Higher Education in 2012 with the Government Gazette publication on Grant Regulations. The intention seemed to be that the PIVOTAL report will replace the WSP, but in practice, SETAs now require a WSP, PIVOTAL report and ATR.

To achieve the full benefit of training, training must be based on need identified within the company. Only then can it contribute to:

• Upgrading of skills
• Enabling change and transformation
• Assisting the organisation to achieve and maintain a competitive edge
• Instilling a culture of lifelong learning

By documenting the training that they have planned companies can measure the implementation of the plan to ensure that the development of employees – whose skills are a company’s most important commodity – does not get side-tracked.

Planning Process

It is important to understand all the influences or ‘issues’ that should be taken into consideration when starting the planning process. The Workplace Skills Plan must be aligned to the business plan and strategy of the employer.

Click here to view an explanation about the planning process of the skills plan.

The SDF should consider the following issues when developing a skills plan:

National and Sectorial Issues: Identify key shortages within the country and sector.

Organisational issues:

• Examine company-wide goals and problems to determine where training is needed by means of a formal audit.
• Examine the Vision, Mission, Strategy and Objectives of the company as well as productivity, succession, career planning, transformation (EE and BEE).
• Feed skills gap information into Sector Skills Plan (SSP) by means of WSP.

Task related issues:

• Examine tasks performed and competencies required.
• Feed skills gap information into WSP by means of departmental/section plan.

Individual issues:

• Examine competencies, current performance and career development needs in relations to training needs.
• Feed skills gap into WSP by means of Personal Development Plan.

Click here to view a video that explains the six adult learning principles.

Click here to view a video that explains adult learning.