When I started in the role of Director of The LLC Academy, I had a great deal to learn about Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment – and the learnership landscape. It didn’t take me long to realise that the unemployed youth of South Africa need far more than just the technical skills and sector-specific education necessary to find meaningful work and uplift themselves.
They need to be equipped with people skills – those so called “soft skills” that are often ignored in the business sphere and are vital for the relationship building necessary for the cohesive teamwork that every business requires to function. Recognition of this need is what made me take the decision to provide life coaching to our unemployed students, to equip them with the people skills they need to move their lives forward to the places they want to be. I realised that, if we make a positive difference in just a single person’s life, we have the ability to positively impact all the people in their circle of influence.
This is what empowerment means to me. Empowerment is about providing people with the skills they need to become better versions of themselves, both in the workplace and in their personal lives. It is about equipping them with the means to take control of their lives and live their purpose.
And when we empower others, we empower ourselves. By investing in South Africans, we invest in the future of our businesses, our communities, and our country.
It is disappointing for me when businesses see Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment as a “grudge purchase”, a “cost of doing business”. They tend to leave compliance to the last minute, which is when B-BBEE becomes a tick-box exercise.
B-BBEE should never be a tick-box exercise. When The LLC Academy is given the opportunity to channel the funds we receive from clients towards a worthy purpose, we really do improve the lives of people.
An example of this can be seen in our student teachers. We have a number of student teachers whom we have managed to sponsor year on year: not only with their tuition fees but also with stipends and travel allowances. I can honestly say that, without our funding and support, it would have been a much bigger challenge for them to get to the finishing line in.
I, and my colleagues at The LLC Academy, really, genuinely, truly believe in empowerment. If you want to ensure minimum spend for maximum impact on your B-BBEE scorecard, and at the same time educate and uplift learners – contact The LLC Academy to see how we can help you invest meaningfully in the future your business – and the future of South Africa.