Sparks Electrical News July 2018

CONTRACTORS’ CORNER

10

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT BY NICK du PLESSIS

CAREER GUIDANCE: CRITICAL OR A NICE TO HAVE?

I n previous articles, I’ve touched on the benefits of psychometric as- sessments in the selection of artisans, as well as on the value of making use of psychometric assessments for career guidance pur- poses. Over the past few months, I have had the task of working along- side my in-house psychometric assessment centre and delved into a project I would like to touch on further. Our venture has focused on reaching out from a grass roots level in order to source talent in rural areas and spread the knowledge, possibilities and excitement around building a career as an artisan. Whilst our mission has been to assist TVET colleges in selecting the right students (i.e. those with the aptitude, personality, interest and values necessary to become a successful artisan), and to increase the number of qualified artisans leaving the institution with a qualification and actual career prospects, as opposed to

secure the best jobs. This is a powerful generational change; the expansion of knowledge is having a positive impact on our youth. However, there is a sense of embedding; they set their minds on being heart surgeons –and will not consider other options – without having properly absorbed other necessary information to assist them in reaching that goal or considering a more practical career solution. This is where our positive influence came in. Through Career Guidance, we were able to pinpoint the values and interests of these individuals, indicating to them that their environmental preferences would extend into their work one day. Strong values for work/life balance and pleasant working conditions contradict some of the abovementioned careers, but viable alternatives could be found. A discussion regarding bursaries versus

failing or leaving the qualification with years wasted and having to select a new career path. We have experienced positive influences elsewhere, particularly in the Career Guidance leg of our project. Working with young minds today, especially in this regard, has its challenges. They are exposed to so much. Some years ago, if your father was a farmer, you would become a farmer or a housewife as a general rule of thumb. Those fortunate enough would head off to university or college and have the opportunity to build a career in a field where they could become professionals of some sort. Today, young people are exposed to endless possibilities. Even when asking a group of thirteen-year olds what they would like to be, we got responses such as “heart surgeon”, and “a career in environmental waste management”, with some wanting to travel as far as Dubai in order to complete an internationally recognised qualification and

the cost of studying overseas resulted in lively debate, creating a sense of awareness of both the importance of funding as well as the value of an internationally recognised qualification obtained in one’s own country. Most importantly, abilities and aptitude were discussed in detail, with many youngsters having the perception that TVET’s were the easy way out, not realising that high results in maths and science were necessary in order to be accepted there. We touched on how important their early years of high school were in terms of the impact their results could have on their future career options; that if they were not mathematically inclined they were unlikely to enjoy or be successful in a career within the technical, medical, logistical or accountancy fields. Through this process we were positively able to create alternatives for our well informed youth and were able to give them the tools necessary to be able to work towards a near sighted goal (even though it may seem far to them), and in the process, we were able to have an impact on the way education through a TVET is perceived, hopefully paving the way for willing and successful artisans in the future. The project highlighted the critical need for assisting our youth though career guidance. I always say, “If the youth do not have a roadmap for their future careers, how do we expect to get them to get there?” For career guidance or aptitude testing for appren- tices by registered HPCSA psychometrists, visit www.psyas.co.za or contact Tracy on +27 (0) 11 827 4113/6 HELLERMANNTYTON’S football team recently lifted the NCSE (National Corporate Sport Em- powerment) league trophy for the 2017/18 season. The league, comprising 16 teams from various South African companies, took place on Saturday afternoons at Rhodesfield High School in Kempton Park. Since 2016, HellermannTyton has taken part in this league finishing 4th in its inaugural season. The preparation going into the 2 nd season came with obstacles as work commitments meant the team got very little time to prepare for each game and had to put a lot of hard work into the hours it had for preparation. This work ethic and determination lead the team to an unassailable 38 point 2017/18 season winning tally with 12 wins, two draws and only one lose. The trophy presentation took place on the 7 th of April 2018 with HellermannTyton staff in attendance to celebrate with the team. HELLERMANNTYTON’S CHAMPIONS

Enquiries: +27 (0)11 879 6600

Untitled-1 1

2018/06/14 03:28:13 PM

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

JULY 2018