It is often said that South Africa has some of the best policies in the world, but that when it comes to the implementation of those policies we fall short. While there can be no doubt that the drafting and publishing of policies are indeed the responsibilities of government, I don’t think it is entirely fair to blame only the government when those policies fail to deliver the intended results.

Government basically has two options to ensure the implementation of policies; punishment and reward. So far Government has chosen to reward companies that comply with legislation like B-BBEE and the National Skills Development act, rather than punish those who fail to comply. For example companies who meet certain B-BBEE targets are potentially rewarded with government business and those who invest in training are entitled to a number of different grants and rebates.

In fact the current legislative framework makes ample provision for free (subsidised) training, education and development opportunities and yet the number of companies that exploit these opportunities are still few and far between for most controversial topics. I have often wondered why this is the case. Is there a lack of good will from Corporate South-Africa, is there a lack of understanding the processes and procedures, is there just too much red tape or is it possible that there is a degree of political sabotage bordering on treason?

I do not know the answer to the question posted above, but what I do know is this: I do care about the development of our young people; I do understand the processes and procedures to follow; I do know how to cut through the red tape and I do believe in making good legislation work even if it was drafted by a government that I didn’t vote for.

And so I find myself a self appointed guide in the Training, Education and Development landscape and invite you to explore this environment with me. You might just discover that some employers do have the best interest of their employees at heart, that legislation can be understood by common people like ourselves, that policy and procedures are not deliberately drafted to confuse us and that not all politicians are corrupt and arrogant. – You might even find that those people who disagree with you love this country too.