QCTO – Workplace essential skills

The Workplace Essential Skills course covers the skills needed for work, learning and life. The programme is designed to prepare learners for the work environment as well as to support those who are already in a work environment.

Workplace Essential Skills are used in every industry and at different levels of complexity. They provide the foundation for learning other skills and enable employees to adapt to modern working practices and workplace change. Workplace Essential Skills are the core skills you need to continue learning and to complete daily tasks and activities at work.

The benefit to industry is to address inequalities and to grow the economy, by enabling community reskilling and upliftment of an individual or society with providing employable skills.

Exit Level Outcomes learners will be able to:

• Identify responsibilities in the workplace environment of an employer and employee.
• Understand and apply work ethics, norms, and values.
• Identify safety and legal provisions relating to the work and responsibilities of an employer and employee.
• Perform tasks in several critical workplace competencies.

Module 1: The workplace environment and responsibilities of an employer and employee

• Positive Workplace environments.
• Definition of Employment
• Types of employment
• Role of the manager
• Employee recruitment and orientation
• The Role of H.R.
• Employment contracts
• Induction and Orientation
• Following up with new employees
• Responsibility of the employer and employee
• Career Development
• Managing your career
• Job Interviews
• Preparing a C.V.

Module 2: Employer- Employee relationships

• Definition of Employer- Employee relationships
• Elements of Employer- Employee relationships
• Tips on improving Employer- Employee relationships
• Crucial traits of an employee relations manager
• The importance of good Employer- Employee relationships in a company
• Common Issues

Module 3: Organisation of work

• Office Organisation
• Time management 
• To do lists
• Using a Diary
• Prioritising
• Organisational structures
• Creating an Action plan
• Managing schedules

Module 4: Performance and Business operations

• Operations management
• Business plans
• Implementing an Action Plan
• Long Term plans: Vision and Mission of a company
• Short- and medium-term plans
• Goals and objectives
• SMART goals
• Teamwork
• K.P.I’s
• Delegation

Module 5: Ethics in Business

• What is meant by Business Ethics?
• Values and belief systems
• The impact of an individual’s ethics on the business environment
• Confidentiality
• Ethical Business practices
• Code of Conduct
• What is unethical vs ethical behaviour?
• Giving and receiving of gifts
• Honesty
• Rights and responsibilities
• Dealing with unethical behaviour

Module 6: The law and Business

• The various Acts, their scope and application in the business environment.
• Department of Employment and Labour
• CCMA and Bargaining Council
• Workplace Health and Safety
• Personal care
• Workplace hazards
• Safety regulations
• Risk control and Monitoring
• Implications of Non-compliance

Module 7: Communication in the workplace

• What is Communication?
• Meetings
• Planning and running a meeting
• Agenda
• Behaviour during a meeting as an attendee
• Role of the chairperson
• Taking and distributing minutes
• Duties of office bearers Secretaries, Treasurers etc.
• Meeting Terminology
• Dealing with difficult people
• Making Decisions
• Conflict

Module 8: External Operating environments

• What are the organisations external environments?
• Supply chain.
• Business systems
• Business processes
• Customers- Internal and External

Module 9: Workplace Policies, procedures and current trends influencing work

• Current trends in the workplace for 2022 and beyond
• Policies and Procedures
• Induction
• Internships