B-BBEE: Five Elements Series — Part 3
Skills Development
Under the Codes of Good Practice, the Skills Development element measures spend on training for Black people and Black employees within the measurement period. It’s a priority element: you must achieve at least 40% of the Skills scorecard to avoid an overall level discount.
General Principles of Skills Development
A Measured Entity (ME) must meet Skills Development Act (SDA) requirements before points are allocated. A qualifying ME should:
- Be compliant with the Skills Development Act (SDA)
- Be registered with the relevant SETA
- Have SETA-approved Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) and Annual Training Reports (ATR) for the measured period
- Implement programmes that address priority, scarce, and critical skills as stipulated by its SETA
- Contribute to South Africa’s economic growth and social development goals
- Include initiatives such as learnerships, internships, apprenticeships, bursaries, and informal training
How Is It Measured? Scorecard Items
| Measurement Category | Weighting Points | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Expenditure on Learning Programmes for Black People | 6 | |
| Expenditure on Bursaries for Black People | 4 | |
| Expenditure on Learning Programmes for disabled Black People | 4 | |
| Number of Black People participating in learnerships, apprenticeships, or internships | 6 | |
| BONUS: Number of Black people absorbed by the ME at the end of the programme | 5 | Bonus points |
Priority Element Reminder: Achieving at least 40% of the Skills scorecard is mandatory to avoid a one-level discount to your overall B-BBEE status.
Skills Matrix: Types of Training
- Category A: Bursaries or Scholarships
- Category B: Internships
- Category C: Learnerships
- Category D: Learnerships or Apprenticeships
- Category E: Work-Integrated Learning
- Category F: Informal Training (occupationally directed informal instruction programmes)
- Category G: Informal Training (work-based informal programmes)
Tip: Keep your WSP/ATR evidence, SETA approvals, learner agreements, and absorption proof neatly filed—verification turns much smoother when documentation is audit-ready.