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Introduction
This article is intended to highlight, through this mini-case study, how this firm has managed to obtain substantial benefits from their involvement with the Seta. These benefits have been made available to a range of staff such as accounting learners, office cleaners and the managing partners.
Join Fasset and Benefit
Mahlangu and Company is an established accounting firm situated in Johannesburg, Gauteng, operating within the Fasset sector. The firm employs twenty employees. Since Fasset’s inception in April 2000, Mahlangu and Company has been a member of the Fasset Seta. As such, they have been able to benefit from Fasset’s grants and interventions, and staff were also able to take advantage of Fasset’s free training and events which are held on a regular basis.
Mandatory Grant
Mahlangu and Company completed a Mandatory Grant (Combined Annual Training Report (ATR) and Workplace Skills Plan (WSP)). They submitted this grant application before the deadline of 30 June. The grant was assessed and approved by Fasset and the organisation received 50% of their Skills Development Levy (SDL) contribution back as a refund.
Learnership Cash Grant
Three trainee accountants were registered on a learnership programme, and the firm claimed the Learnership Cash Grant (LCG) for two of these learners. The company was an SMME (employing fewer than 150 employees) and two learners registered were Black i.e. they were African, Coloured or Indian and one learner was a person with a disability. The firm was paid R 27,000 per black learner and the learner with a disability earned a cash incentive of R 47,250 from Fasset.
Strategic Cash Grant
Mahlangu and Company provided workplace experience to learners from the local university during their vacation time, allowing the firm to qualify for one of the criteria of the Strategic Cash Grant (SCG). The firm received R 4,000 for the cost of training incurred against a potential 20% of SDL allowed.
Development Projects
There is an urgent need for historically disadvantaged individuals to enter the accounting profession. Service providers funded by Fasset, have created programmes focussing on selecting, upskilling and placing such commerce graduates into the accounting profession. After their training, graduates work at a practice on a one month internship at no charge to the employer, on probation. The practice then has the option of employing the graduate on a Fasset Learnership. The programme has a very high success rate. Mahlangu and Company recruited three learners from one of these Work Readiness Programmes which provided them with benefits of R 36,000 per learner (the estimated cost of training learners who attended the programme).
Free Training Events
Six trainees in the firm were sent to Fasset-funded ‘soft skills’ courses. The course entitled ’Office Etiquette’ saved the firm a market-related value of R 3,000 per delegate per day (R 18,000 value in total). In addition the firm’s Skills Development Facilitator (SDF) attended a Fasset SDF training workshop valued at R 3,000 per delegate per day, which covered the role of the SDF and new developments in the skills development environment.
Lost opportunities
The firm did not take advantage of the other free training courses (lifelong learning events) such as the Budget and Tax Update, Complying with Changes in Legislation, Innovation and Creativity, Diversity etc … which would have been of substantial additional benefit. Based on a market-related value of R 3,000 per event and assuming only two staff members attended each event, these events would have been worth R 24,000.
Value
The benefits gained by the firm by being associated and registered with Fasset may be had by any firm who falls within the Fasset sector and registers with Fasset. This includes non-levy paying firms who by registering with Fasset have access to a range of benefits. Mahlangu and Company serves as a good example of how a company may benefit from being registered with Fasset. They are clearly committed to skills development and training and furthering the potential of all staff. This serves as a model for other companies and organisations and assists in achieving the goals of the Fasset sector. The total value of these courses, grants and funded programmes obtained amounts to R 246,750 (refer to the table below for the cost breakdown).
Mandatory Grant / R 12,500Strategic Cash Grant / R 4,000
Development Projects / R 108,000
Learnership Cash Grant / R 101,250
SDF Training / R 3,000
Office Etiquette / R 18,000
Total / R 246,750
Note: excluding R 24,000 worth of events not subscribed to.
[Please note that the company name, Mahlangu and Company, is fictitious.]