For the last couple of years the RMI have run a highly successful New Venture Creation (NVC) programme for qualifying informal automotive businesses from predominantly townships and rural areas. To date this has seen about 40 informal businesses in the motor sector exposed to mentoring and training with the aim of becoming formal, RMI mainstream accredited businesses in three years. Ultimately the aim of the project is to reach at least 150 businesses through the RMI’s accredited contract provider, the Equal Career Services Academy (ECS).
ECS offers these businesses learning sessions, online chats and facilitator-learner interactions which NVC learners can attend virtually in the comfort of their businesses’ and homes or, if they prefer, through face-to-face sessions at the provider’s premises.
The most recent development to complement this learning, is the partnership with Complete Specialised Retail Solutions (CSRS). CSRS will now also provide learners with a range of online health and safety courses as part of their necessary regulatory compliance through its established online portals.
Jakkie Olivier, CEO of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI) says as part of COVID compliance for businesses, all businesses are required to compile a customised Business Continuity Plan. Requirements include, amongst others, the training of staff; appointment of an officer to deal with COVID matters, and the display of guidance posters.
“Several participants expressed their preference for engaging with a provider specialising in regulatory compliance and for this reason the RMI entered into a partnership agreement with CSRS to access their comprehensive range of face-to-face and online learning products. “We have definitely seen an increase in the take up of online learning courses. This is exciting in that members are starting to embrace the notion that staff can train remotely without necessarily having to be away from the business premises to learn. This modality will change the way life-long learning is approached and the RMI will play a key role to ensure members’ training and skills development needs are met. Skills development remains a strategic priority of the Organisation,” says RMI National Training Director, Louis van Huyssteen.
CSRS online learning courses include: COVID related roles and responsibilities for employees, employers and compliance officers. Other courses include Health and Safety Inductor and Representative; Fire Prevention & Protection; HIV AIDS in the workplace; Guidelines for the handling and storage of hazardous chemicals in the workplace and First Aider Level 1. CSRS supports these with face-to-face interventions and consultative sessions.
“To date we have seen more than a 1 000 visits to the webletter article on “CSRS Online training for workers and business owners”,” says van Huyssteen.
“We thank CSRS for their commitment to assist RMI members with the workplace safety learning module in the New Venture Creation learnership,” he says.
“As the trend to more virtual training continues the RMI will be approaching other industry providers of products and services to assist with class-attendance incentives and milestone awards for learners on the New Venture Learnership,” concludes Olivier.
