COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES HELD IN LETLHAKANE AND FRANCISTOWN

In an effort to continuously inform, educate and communicate with its diverse stakeholders and clients, the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) held Breakfast Seminars and Open Days in Letlhakane and Francistown on the 3rd August and 7th September 2018 respectively.  This initiative is premised on the notion that nowadays organisations need to think bigger than delivering stakeholder value and pay attention to the imperatives that really matter. Therefore, HRDC endures to consider its impact on its customers and stakeholders as it implements its mandate of developing the Country’s human capital agenda. 

When addressing stakeholders during the Francistown Breakfast Seminar, HRDC Chief Operations Officer (COO), Mr Meshack Tafa emphasised that the main objective of the Breakfast Seminars and Open Days is to take HRDC services to the people. He further added that these activities serve as a platform that facilitates interaction among stakeholders thereby enabling HRDC to get their views on effective ways of transforming Botswana from a mineral resource to a human resource based economy. Mr. Tafa indicated that, ‘‘The world has changed, vocational skills are in demand. This therefore calls for prioritisation of vocational education in the curricula. Our education system is destined to change and prioritise vocational training as that will assist in creating employment. It will enable graduates to start their own businesses and ultimately employ other graduates’’.

The attendees of the workshops included Levy Payers; Education and Training Providers and Teachers from the local Junior and Senior Secondary Schools within and around Letlhakane and Francistown. All HRDC core departments had the opportunity to present on their respective functions and responsibilities during the breakfast seminars. The various departments present were the Human Resource Development Planning (Demand); Human Resource Development Planning (Supply); Funding; Statistics, Research Development and Innovation (SRDI). The presentation delivered by Ms. Unomsa Dick, Fund Assessor, on the training levy drew a lot of interest. Ms. Dick explained that a company that accumulates an annual turnover of one million pula automatically qualifies to benefit from the training levy.

This means that they can train their employees and qualify to be reimbursed a maximum claimable amount which is determined by how much they contributed at BURS. She encouraged the levy payers to utilise the fund especially that the turnaround time for reimbursement has reduced from six (6) months to four (4) weeks. 

During the feedback session, the attendees appreciated the effort by HRDC to engage stakeholders and the public on the services and programmes offered especially to far - flung areas such as Letlhakane and its surrounding villages. The attendance for both Breakfast Seminars and Open Days was a resounding success. In closing, Mr Tafa assured the participants that the initiative will be rolled out to other areas. Villages that have hosted the Breakfast Seminars and Open Days in the past are Palapye, Maun and Ghanzi.