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Newtimes Monthly Newsletter (Since Sept 2006)

Article of the month – July 2008
Staff Training Adds Value to the Economy		BUSINESS DAILY AFRICA – MAY 08

Editorial Comment: A lot of times we take the learning process for granted. But then, continued learning through training adds value to us as individuals. This makes us empowered and therefore in a position to add value not only to our businesses, our employment situations and eventually to the national and global perspective. Mind you, you are old at 20 years if you stop learning, young at 80 if you continue learning. Above all the human brain power depreciates by only 3% in a lifetime for those who continually challenge their minds through learning. Perhaps you can now read on.

Written by Mwangi Wanjumbi

A recent stakeholder meeting of the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT), which is a department of the Ministry of Labour, learnt of employers who religiously remit their monthly statutory training levy. For unknown reasons, however, they fail to add value to the economy by resisting training of their staff even when pressured on the same.

This is sad indeed, especially in an era where the government is doing everything possible to encourage development of a knowledge based economy.

In fact, achievement of Vision 2030, which is geared towards making Kenya a middle income country, will be through embracing this inevitable knowledge as was brought to light by the director of Industrial Training.

Consequently, the directorate has streamlined refunds of training expenses incurred by the contributors. It would in this regard be interesting to note that employers can now claim up to 200 per cent of the equivalent of their previous one year contribution to the DIT. This means claiming back their full contributions and an equivalent of the same.

Inevitably, this gesture contributes greatly to reduction of organisational staff training and development costs. And to qualify for this refund is easy. All that a contributing corporate company, small and medium enterprise (SME), non – governmental organisation, even Government institution as well as others, need is to have their desired training programmes approved by DIT before hand.

The trainers used must be approved by the Government, thus registered with the DIT. This latter requirement is important, especially with regard to ensuring maintenance of set standards which are and must be strictly observed. It follows, therefore, that all employers in Kenya are qualified to take advantage of the Directorate of Industrial Training Levy as long as they are contributors and follow the relevant rules and procedures.

Training levy

It does not even matter whether the training occurs locally or overseas. Why then would a training levy contributing company fail to train its staff? Notably, training not only improves cultures in the work place but also skills and attitudes of employees.

The business environment, on the other hand, keeps changing on a continuing basis. This is as a result of the ever dynamic technological developments, especially in the case of information and communication technology oriented businesses.

The mobile telephony business is, for example, highly affected by technological changes. Manufacturing equipment and technology in the industrial sector also keeps on being updated. Even consumer behaviour keeps changing in line with economic factors and social cultural trends.

Currently, many businesses are affected by inflationary trends. Government regulations, on the other hand, keep changing to address changing needs. Employers have yet to come to terms with new regulations such as the extended maternity leave for working mothers, coupled with the newly introduced paternal leave for employed husbands.

Some companies, mainly plastic makers, might even fold up sending many Kenyans home upon implementation of the rule banning use of plastic bags by June 2008.

Stiff competition

Stiff competition in a dynamic economy, on the other hand, calls for continually improving skills geared towards customer retention, thus maintaining, if not increasing, the market share of future oriented businesses.

Social cultural changes experienced by complex consumers who keep changing patterns and behaviour should also be clearly understood by the investing public and institutions.

If employees’ value is not improved, even that of the organisations cannot be improved. It follows, therefore, that any company that does not embrace training and development of its human resource will eventually fold up.

Is your company adding value to the national and global economy through developing the work force appropriately?

Those who do so should keep it up. Those who don’t are encouraged to take the necessary steps. Even the Government has seen the need to improve measures of helping in this regard.

Mwangi Wanjumbi is a Management/Entrepreneurship Trainer and Strategist based in Nairobi.
More @ http://www.newtimesconsultants.com/newsletters.html

Thought For the Month – July 2008

One would have thought that with the advent of New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) initiated by Thambo Mbeki, Obasanjo formerly of Nigeria and others in 2001, African problems were at last being conquered. These are problems to do with poor leadership, extreme poverty and primitivism in general. The NEPAD approach was to bring tangible results through entrenching interventions that would ensure that African countries embrace acceptable leadership and economic management standards, poverty eradication and women empowerment strategies amongst others. These measures were to be benchmarked from the developed world. Implementation was to be monitored through African Peer Review Mechanisms (APRMS), a few of which were completed successfully including that of Kenya. But, the results of peer review of South Africa were rudely dismissed by Thambo Mbeki himself, for reasons better known to him. That seemed to be the beginning of the end of NEPAD peer reviews. It is no wonder that we now have a leadership crises in Zimbabwe which seems to be a no go zone for African leaders. The earlier policy of non-interference with internal affairs of other African States fearlessly observed by Organization of African unity ( OAU), the precursor of African Union (AU), has come back to haunt Africans. Where is Africa heading in this day and age in the 21st Century?

MEMORABLE QUOTES

“When people cannot find anything to eat, they can end up eating their leaders,” Professor Merera Gudina, a renown Scholar and Ethiopian MP while addressing his Prime Minister, Menezes Senawi in a parliament opening session in 2005. ( Think of Kenyan leaders’ headache caused by Mungikis, Sabaots , Talibans and now Siafu amongst others)

HOW ELSE CAN YOU BENEFIT FROM US?

We provide Holistic Corporate Training Solutions on Diverse Management areas

Our Flagship program is the innovative Staff Motivation and Capacity Building Training

This course forms the building block of Our Unique bottoms up staff and Management Development Program geared towards holistic organizational culture change

Others in the entwined program include

· Supervisory and Management skills Development

· Performance and Productivity Management training

· Team Building and Management

· Managing Change Successively

· Strategic thinking and management

· Effective leadership skills Development

OTHERS

· Effective HR Strategy

· Customer Care and Management

· Inter- Cultural Communications and Management

· Finance For Non - Financial Persons

More @ http://www.newtimesconsultants.com/Training%20programmes.html

NOTE: Any company that goes through our entwined programs will naturally qualify to be a knowledge organization in line with the desired knowledge based economy in the 21^st century

It is only through embracing this fundamental foundation knowledge that a company will be in a position to effectively apply new and continually upcoming management concepts and ideas.

Other Programs include

· Staff Pre-retirement and Entrepreneurship Development training

· Newtimes SME Practitioner’s Certificate course (Improve your Business Focus)

· Business Coaching and Mentoring for SME’s

· Strategy Evaluation and Formulation For SME’s

· Strategic planning and project financing Linkages for SME’s

More @ http://www.newtimesconsultants.com/Training%20programmes.html

What others say

Staff MOTIVATION AND CAPACITY BUILDING TRAINING
For the longest time I know, majority of staff have always had the impression that the company they are working for should be the one to motivate them.  Far from it and I personally write to commend you by the way you clearly put it across our members of staff in the above training. Staff are now more aware that the relationship with the Company is of mutual benefit to both parties. It is evident that within the short period of time since the training, there is change of attitude.  Staff now feel they ‘own’ the company and are in full agreement that motivation must come from self. mgonah@cic.com HR CIC Ltd (This was after our very initial training in the company which has subsequently been followed by two others. In fact plans for one for the Company Managers are already under way ) More @ http://www.newtimesconsultants.com/testimonials.html
(Reproduced with full permission of the Author)

PICTORIAL NEWS

1. Change Management Training of outplaced staff of Telkom Kenya Ltd. - January 2008 KCCT

2. Staff motivation and Capacity building Graduates of Corporate Insurance Company Ltd. receives certificates. The company HR (in red) looks on – February 2008
More @ http://www.newtimesconsultants.com/pictorials.html

PAST AND CURRENT CLIENTS

Corporate Sector SME Sector

Barclays Bank Kenya ltd Centro Food Industries – Thika

Telkom Kenya Ltd Wida Hotel Ltd

Equity Bank Kenya Ltd Alfa Paints Kenya ltd

Fresha Daily Products Ltd SME Solutions Centre (Back Office Int.)

Dunlop Industries Ltd etc etc

Corporate Insurance Company ltd

Inspiration for the month

“No rain drop can ever claim responsibility for a flood, but combined efforts result to the flood,” Zig Ziglar a motivational speaker and writer. The lesson is that right now you can choose to make a difference. Any of our human activities influences the welfare of mankind either positively or negatively.

ARE YOU MOTIVATED?

“Motivation is the spark that lights the fire of knowledge and fuels the engine of accomplishment. It maximizes and maintains momentum,” Zig Ziglar. It inevitably follows that the spark has to constantly be re-ignited for one to be continually motivated. How is this spark re-ignited at your personal or organization perspective? More @ http://www.newtimesconsultants.com/Training%20programmes.html

Our Contacts

NEWTIMES BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

DIT Registered Enterprise and Human Resource Development Consultants

Utalii House, 3^rd Floor, Uhuru Highway

P.O. Box 55546 – 00200 Nairobi, KENYA

Phone 254 20 245425/245853/ 254 20 2059084

info@newtimesconsultants.com

www.newtimesconsultants.com

Our Motto: Inspiring Change

All this monthly Communication is from The Desk Of the Managing Consultant

Newtimes Business Solutions

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