Employers have complained that the education system is not preparing persons with the requisite skills to perform their jobs well. There is evidence of repeated cases of persons leaving school not being able to apply basic knowledge and skills to the world of work. So I agree that the system is failing many of our students in this regard.

However some employers have also made statements implying that they should not be the ones to train their staff in the skills necessary to do their job well; skills they which should have being acquired at school. On this I disagree.

It is the responsibility of employers to ensure that their staff is competent to do the work assigned to them. This competence can be assured in different ways including a stringent recruitment process, a comprehensive orientation programme, shadowing, or on-the job training. The method used should be aimed at ensuring that the employee has the necessary education, skills, training and /or experience to do the job they are hired to do.

Proper business practices require that:

• You identify in advance the necessary education, skills, training and /or experience needed for each job in the workplace to be done competently. Usually you prepare a detailed job description.
• You hire persons who are either fully competent or whom you are aware have competency gaps. In the latter case, you ensure that these competency gaps are filled.

Employers are doing an injustice to their customers and by extension their businesses when they “unleash” incompetent staff onto their customers. Ensuring competence requires an intervention by employers involving training, monitoring performance and determining effectiveness.