What We Do

• Contractor Development
• Talent Development
• Bridgebuilding

Talent Development

South Africa is experiencing unprecedented demand for skills. Several years of strong economic and industry related growth have created a demand for skills across all levels of the sector and including the trades, professions and service providers.

As the industry is expected to remain strong over the coming years, despite the current downturn, investment in the development of skills and overall capacity is vital to ensuring that the industry will indeed be able to deliver on both public and private sector needs in the future. The continuous development of skills is also critical to ensuring the quality of delivery.

Khuthaza aims to play a key role in adding value to the talent pipeline. Over the years we have emphasised the importance of investing in the youth as the future leaders of our industry. Though we are known for our contractor development programmes, we have undertaken a number of initiatives focussed on developing the skills of women studying, employed in and leading the industry.

We facilitate a number of seminars, workshops and training programmes each year in an effort to provide individuals with much required guidance, resources and opportunities for development. Khuthaza is positioning itself to become a valued contributor to the talent pipeline from which the industry can draw skilled human resources. In the past year we piloted a more comprehensive professional development programme in Cape Town and a student development programme at the Tshwane University of Technology. Based on the success of these programmes we aim to expand our talent development programmes further this year.

Our talent development initiatives include student development, professional development and the cultivation of leadership skills. Through working closely with industry role-players we will be uniquely positioned to assist women to identify career related opportunities in the sector and to assist the industry to identify women with industry related skills and experience.

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Student Development

Investing in our youth is clearly one of the best investments we can make in the future!

Young women are increasingly studying in a variety of construction related fields and pursuing careers in the industry.  We have informally been involved with students since 2002 and continue to see great potential. The young women we interact with are committed to developing themselves and adding value to the industry.

We began to further explore student development in 2007 and developed a pilot a programme run at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) in 2008. We also began to work with students and lecturers at the University of Cape Town who had shown interest in our programmes. The TUT pilot was an incredible experience with all role-players and students finding it valuable. This pilot, sponsored by Aveng, consisted of Saturday workshops, an opportunity for the students to work with women contractors on site during their school holiday, and a closing lunch at which they had the opportunity to interact with women contractors and industry role-players. The Council for the Built Environment (CBE) was a key partner in this pilot. The Khuthaza team was blown away by the determination and commitment of the students, several of whom have now entered the workplace.

Khuthaza is committed to developing comprehensive programmes for students that will enable them not only to complete their studies, but also gain practical experience, be prepared for the world of work, and have the confidence needed to succeed in the industry. There is an incredible pool of potential talent available. Khuthaza looks forward to working with industry partners in ensuring this pool of talent is developed and that these young women are afforded the opportunities they deserve.

One of our goals for 2010 is to develop our student programmes further.

The programme serves as a support and development initiative for university students that will help motivate and prepare them for successful careers and fulfilling lives.

Programme Activities include:

• Workshops with industry role-players and other women in the industry
• Site visits
• Opportunities to gain practical experience

Training (the things they don’t teach you at varsity)

• Networking opportunities
• Teambuilding outings
• Competitions and exposure to the industry
• Assistance with finding jobs
• Ongoing motivation and support

Programme Themes include:

• Personal leadership
• Realities of being a woman in the construction sector
• Professionalism and personal branding
• Personal finance for students & young professionals
• Finding work including interview skills and CV writing
• What to expect and how to succeed in the industry
• Developing your career
• Goal setting
• Understanding the industry

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Professional Development

A wide range of skills are required in the construction industry. There are great opportunities for women with industry related skills to develop their careers and move up within the industry. The strong construction economy and the emphasis on transformation within the industry also provide great scope for women with experience in other sectors to bring those skills into the construction sector.

Our experience has confirmed our belief that women who are attracted to the industry thrive on challenges, have pioneering spirits and are committed to playing a valuable role in the sector. Over the years we have found that women working in the industry need a forum through which they can share successes, challenges, and encouragement with each other. At the same time we all want to further develop our knowledge, skills and ability to contribute additional value to the sector.

Khuthaza has offered a number of activities focused on the development of professionals over the years. In 2008, we took this further and piloted a Professional Development Programme in Cape Town. This took the form of a monthly breakfast seminar series. We partnered with the Cape Town CIDB office on this venture and brought together a wide range of women including students, architects, planners, contractors, suppliers etc. The seminars focused on topics such as the Construction Economy, Personal Finance, Business Finance, BEE, cidb, Personal Leadership and included a site visit to Greenpoint Stadium.

We are currently seeking funding to offer additional programmes for professionals in 2010. We recognize that many of the technical professionals require Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points and aim to offer courses that will be accredited for CPD.

Programme Activities:

• Seminars and training
• Information dissemination: news, opportunities, industry information
• Links to positions and business opportunities within the industry

Programme Themes:

• Negotiation skills
• Understanding and maximizing BEE related opportunities
• Professional communication
• Personal branding
• Business finance
• The construction economy
• Personal leadership

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Leadership

Growth and change in the country and our own industry are opening myriad new opportunities for women to climb the ladder and move into leadership positions in the industry at a greater scale than we’ve seen in the past.  Construction has quickly become a dynamic industry and presents great opportunities to develop dynamic leaders.

Leaders are visionary, assertive, creative, knowledgeable, inspirational and hard working. Women are emerging as strong leaders across all realms of the economy and society. Khuthaza is developing a programme to support the further emergence of women as leaders in the housing and construction sectors. In terms of corporate governance and effectiveness it is critical that women have the appropriate skills and experience to serve as executive managers, board members, committee members or in other leadership capacities. The programme envisioned will provide a platform for the development of skills and knowledge and create a pool from which the industry can access women who are appropriately skilled.

The 2008 BWA Women in Corporate Leadership Census finds that women make up only 25.3% of all executive managers and only 14.3% of all directors in the country. 37.6% of South African boards do not yet have any women directors. Research undertaken during the development of the Construction Charter found that women were barely visible at board and executive management levels in the industry, though some progress was being made in the consulting businesses. While women are making strides in the public sector (government and parastatals), women are significantly underrepresented in the corporate sector. We see this as a great opportunity for women to move into new positions and take on new roles in the economy.

The business case for increasing the involvement of women in leadership positions is highlighted in the BWA’s annual census publications and is appropriate for the construction sector as well:

• Women contribute to competitive advantage – women are leaders within government and parastatals and their influence as consumers, service providers and workers is growing
• Women are a source of independent board candidates
• The presence of women on boards and executive positions is a strong indicator of a company’s intentions and culture – important in today’s society

Our leadership programmes will focus on:

• Seminars and training on topics such as
• Strategic industry knowledge
• The roles and responsibilities of directors
• Corporate governance and the effective operation of a board
• Strategic thinking
• Negotiation
• Finance
• Personal leadership
• Business communication
• Risk management
• Assisting the industry to identify women leaders
• Linking leaders with appropriate opportunities for career advancement
• Providing opportunities for these leaders to interact with other women in the industry to provide support, encouragement and to serve as role models

The women who participate in these programmes will undoubtedly serve as catalysts for change and further empowerment through a positive and constructive approach.