A SDF (skills development facilitator) is a professional who is tasked with crucial functions and responsibilities which they carry out within their capacity. The role of SDF in South Africa is to plan, implement and report crucial training in an organisation as granted them, with Seta- related duties.

What Is The Role Of SDF In South Africa?

The skills development facilitator is a professional who is saddled with the responsibilities of planning and implementing training in whatever organisation they are needed in thecountry. They are also expected to give reports of their operations to the appropriate authorities.

Let’s explicitly highlight the functions of a SDF in South Africa:

1. They are well trained professionals who have what it takes to help employers and their employees to create a Workplace Skills Plan that helps with the requirements of Seta. This of course requires skills and knowledge.
2. The skills development facilitator submit the WSP to the necessary Seta as at when they ought to.
3. They expertly offer advice to the employer as touching the implementation of the WSP.
4. The SDF can help an employer when it comes to drafting an Annual Training Report (ATR) on the implementation of the WSP. They should in fact be good with this.
5. The skills development facilitator provides advice to the employer as touching the quality assurance requirement designed by the Seta.
6. The SDF has the capacity to function as the go-to individual between the employer and the Seta.
7. The skills development facilitator acts as a resource person as touching all parts of Skills Development. Remember, this should be their area of expertise and they are expected to be pretty good with this.
8. They provides information that revolves around Seta initiatives, grants and benefits to the employer. Hence, they themselves must be informed, even as they stay connected and in sync with what is currently happening about the initiative.
9. The SDF discuss with both branch offices as well as every employee in the main office as regarding all that has to do with events and grants being carried out at the Seta.

Basically, an employer is meant to offer the skills development facilitator with all they need to successfully carry out their functions, for the good of everyone. They are to be empowered with necessary resources, facilities and training to be effective and efficient in their responsibilities.

Who Can Be Appointed As An SDF In South Africa?

Having talked about the roles and functions of an SDF in South Africa, let’s see who can be appointed to serve in this capacity.

First, in very big organisations, someone who is presently working as training or Human Resource (HR) manager can also become a sort of in-house skills development facilitator in the organisation. Therefore, they won’t have to indulge in more expenses just to go ahead to get a new one out there. As far as the individual will be given all they need to function in this capacity, they should be good to go.

However, the case is usually different for smaller organisations in the country. This is because, many times, they don’t have provisions for a dedicated training or HR professional taking care of the role. Hence, in such a case, what happens is that either the owner of the firm or its manager, will assume the responsibility. As far as they can pick the necessary skills, this is also fine.

Alternatively to the above, the organization in question can decide to outsource the role to a professional external SDF. We should note that there are folks around South Africa who are professional skills development facilitator by training. They have what it takes to work in that capacity for any organization interested in their services.

So, an SDF is a:

1. A trained facilitator who must have the needed skills and knowledge to facilitate the development and enhancing of an employer’s skills development strategy and methods as expected and assigned.
2. A skills development facilitator is meant to act as an expert resource for accrediting the employer as a training provider. Additionally, they are expected to engage in the implementation of necessary learnerships and skills initiatives.
3. An SDF is meant to be a competent administrator that is saddled with the responsibilities of completing and submitting of the WSP and ATR.
4. The skills development facilitator is to act as an expert advisor who should give counsel to the employers and employee on the National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) as touching the implementation of the WSP.
5. They engage education and needs evaluation, checking the skills development needs of the organisation. Hence, the SDF is to be good in things like analysis, and should strive to know how to quickly identify what will benefit the organisation.
6. The skills development facilitator acts as a sort of mediator. That is, they act as a contact person between the employer running the organisation they are in for, as well as the relevant Seta. Therefore, it is helpful when an SDF have certain very important skills that will be of great benefits as they dispatch their services.

Hence, the SDF should have good interpersonal skills, since this will be very helpful in carrying out their duties and responsibilities. It is helpful if such a person acting in this capacity can even have good communication skills to pass down relevant information with ease.

Finally, we can’t deny the fact that Skills Development Facilitators in South Africa are a crucial part on any organization you see around. It doesn’t matter the size of such an organisation (either they are big or small), they can greatly benefit from the things skills development Facilitators does in the country.