There are a few common theories behind April's naming. One is that the name is rooted in the Latin Aprilis, which is derived from the Latin aperire meaning "to open" - which could be a reference to the opening or blossoming of flowers and trees, a common occurrence throughout the month of April in the Northern Hemisphere.
And in the Southern Hemisphere, April also brings much for South Africans "to open"...
For some, April is the first time that
Workplace Skills Plan that was submitted the previous year gets opened again - just another checkbox that needed to be ticked.
For others,
April is an opportunity to glance back on the year and check off all the training they've done during the previous year, converting it into a
training report. And the best of all -
submitting a new Workplace Skills Plan for the next year - with the input of each employees member taken into consideration.
Putting together a workplaces skills plan,
should be about so much more than just ticking a checkbox to get your 20% mandatory grant back. It is an opportunity to
get to know your employees better, to see how much they've upskilled during the past year and where they need assistance, and also to become part of their personal and professional growth plans.
Companies that include their employees in their learning and development plans have better employee retention rates and more motivated employees. Where employees are forced to attend training interventions, without their input, participation in classes and activities are minimised and the interventions often fail, employees feel marginalised and demotivated.
While this April might be too late to open your workplace skills plan to your employees for their input, it is never too late
to engage with employees to see how their personal and professional development plans fit in with the company's learning and development plans. And remember, you are allowed to change your workplace skills plan and training interventions to fit your employee, company or industry needs. Just submit your letter of deviation next year!
This April,
open your annual training reports, open your workplace skills plans, but also be open for input from your employees...
Staff Training is a South African soft skills training provider with more than 60 workshops on offer.
Email us at
info@StaffTraining.co.za for more info or give us a call at 0861 996 660
