Business Skills Training for Mechanics
3rd – 26 June 2014, Durban
Facilitator: Thulani Makhanya
Administrative Team: Phumlani Msomi, Lindo Mhlongo and Sibusiso Njoko
This programme, developed by Ethekwini Municipality in partnership with GUD- FILPRO, was aimed at equipping mechanics in the KwaMashu, Ntuzuma and Inanda clusters with sound business skills. The training was divided into four segments/ modules which were offered over 4 weeks for each cluster, namely:
Week 1- Entrepreneurship
Week 2- Costing & Pricing
Week 3- Housekeeping & Safety
Week 4- Customer Care/ Service Excellence
Entrepreneurship 3-5 June 2014
KwaMashu (3rd June), Ntuzuma (4th June), Inanda (5th June)
The first week of training was much anticipated by the attendants as there was high expectations among them with regards to the skills they would be equipped with. The industry, by its nature is largely male dominated and as such throughout the workshops only male delegates were in attendance. KwaMashu had the most number of delegates attending the workshop throughout, whereas both the Ntuzuma and Inanda numbers, though substantial were not as high.
The Entrepreneurial Workshops were a successes as the material as well as training methods used enabled the delegates to engage freely with our facilitator, Thulani Makhanya. There many questions asked with regards to business establishments and management by the delegates, and these were matched with answers from our team that were most welcome and encouraged further discussions among the groups.
By the end of the day, from each cluster, the delegates were looking forward to the following modules that they would be trained on as they displayed clear signs of wanting to learn more about managing ad sustaining their businesses.
Costing & Pricing 10- 12 June 2014
Inanda (10th June), Ntuzuma (11th June), KwaMashu (12th June)
The second week of training saw a rise in the number of attendants, this being a direct result of the information and knowledge gained from the first week, with the word being spread to those who had not made it to the first weeks training by those who had.
The module, Costing and Pricing, was one that many of the delegates felt was most crucial in the sense that this part of business was key in ensuring the success and sustainability of their enterprises.
Some of the key questions and concerns were directly related to the how much does one charge for service, products and equipment whilst being fair to their clients, remaining competitive and ensuring that there is no loss of profits/ income.
By the end of each very interactive day, many of the concerns conveyed by the delegates had been addressed and through practical group exercises, they were able to display clear understanding of what they had been taught.
Housekeeping & Safety 17- 19 June 2014
Inanda (17th June), Ntuzuma (18th June), KwaMashu (19th June)
Another key element in any business, especially this one as there is exposure to dangerous goods, sensitive and heavy equipment.
Not only were the delegates enthralled with the subject matter, but their attention was drawn to the minute detail of everyday safety practices that were often overlooked. Not only was the safety of employees and staff addressed, but also that of their customers/ partners/ stakeholders.
Housekeeping addressed elements such as storage, merchandising, and cleanliness. Working almost on a daily basis with hazardous substances and dangerous equipment, it was evidently clear to the delegates the need for them to take extra care and be cautious with all and any activity in their everyday working environment.
Customer Care/ Service Excellence 24- 26 June 2014
Inanda (24th June), Ntuzuma (25th June), KwaMashu (26th June)
The final week of training did not only focus on the module set, but also gave all delegates an opportunity to recap and consolidate all modules that had been covered throughout the past weeks of the training programme.
The main concerns or queries that arose from the delegates collectively was conflict resolution, managing client complaints as well as client satisfaction. The overall aim of this programme was to ensure that at the end of this training all entrepreneurs were able to go back to their respective businesses, equipped with information that would be practically applied in their everyday work. The basic outcomes was to ensure that each business is run efficiently, grows its clients base whilst retaining its current clientele and most importantly, that all businesses are profitable.
The Phendula Team would like to thank its stakeholders ( Ethekwini Municipality – Business Support; GUD-Filpro) and delegates as well as all participants in their respective roles for a most enjoyable four weeks.
