In the sustained pursuit of professional recognition of skills and education, South Africa Wine’s People Development division is a value-driven entity with a strong emphasis on teams and individuals eager to acquire new skills, hone talent, and expand expertise to ultimately establish an inclusive and dynamic wine industry in South Africa.
“Our human development strategy encourages growth and job security, establishing a supportive learning culture that represents South Africa’s demographic within the industry,” says Kachné Ross, manager of People Development division. “This strategy focuses on cloud-based solutions for personnel management, competency assessments, skills development, facilitation and support, the Learner Management System (LMS), the South Africa Wine Professional Body (SAWIPB), and funding applications.”
The LMS enjoys industry-wide recognition and provides central and coordinated access to support learning and development, address industry skills gaps, and generate related reports.
“This innovative platform offers us the opportunity to cultivate interest, knowledge, and skills in vineyard production among our learners,” says Schoeman du Preez, a teacher at Boland Agricultural School. “One of the biggest benefits of this system is the opportunity to improve our knowledge in our own time and pace and fit that into our daily schedule. Learners build and plan their careers by using all the information available to them should they wish to work in the wine industry one day. So, the boys are already busy building their CVs as potential vineyard managers and winemakers of the future.”
Kachné says skills development, facilitation, and support are close to her and her team’s heart. “Here, we assist industry members with submitting their documentation for Workplace Skills Plans and Annual Training Reports, including planned training for their relevant Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA).”
For the renowned Advini Group, this service is indispensable. “The skills development service was instrumental in the initial drafting and reporting of our skills development to various SETAs,” says Liande Coetzee, Human Resource Manager at Advini. “It's good to have someone with the knowledge and networks to assist with the SETAs. This service added value by implementing the best training plans for all our wineries and reporting on them. It helped us comply with the Skills Development Act and maximise the return on investment in training.”
SAWIPB will register with the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) to assist practitioners in developing and growing industry professionals throughout the value chain.
Creation Wines participated in the SAWIPB training initiative through the LMS system. This included training in leadership, effective communication, the South African Sommeliers Association (SASA) introduction to wine, and alcohol awareness.
“The LMS and the SAWIPB are a great asset, and we are very excited about what it will mean for the wine industry in the long term,” says Salomé Geldenhuys, Human Resource Manager at Creation Wines. “The leadership program has greatly impacted our middle management, directly affecting our team with personal development routes for each individual. The communication training inspired us to review our internal communication, and new bonds was forged with better understanding among team members. When people broaden their knowledge and skills, they act more confidently and grow in their careers. This training contributes significantly to our reputation as a preferred workplace to recruit talented employees. It not only adds value on a professional level but also a personal level.”
The People Development division is also invaluable to service providers in the industry. It provides closer linkage with course attendees, and the broad range of educational offerings makes specialised courses, such as those offered by Apeirogon Youth Development Academy, easily accessible.
“With the broad and diverse network of stakeholders and wine farms, South Africa Wine provides a bridge for networking and relationship building to eager individuals and teams who would be challenged to receive training due to geographical, financial, or other obstacles,” says Roxan Waldeck, founder of Apeirogon Youth Development Academy.
“The LMS, especially the e-learning, is a powerful platform that enables Apeirogon to realise and expand our vision in the Winelands to remote and unconventional locations where there is a strong need for knowledge transfer initiatives.”
For more information e-mail info@sawine.co.za or visit www.sawine.co.za.
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