Business

DITASA

Leading transformation through skills development

Jigsaw Holdings subsidiary Ditasa - the Development Institute and Training Academy of Southern Africa – is a leading training organisation wholly committed to transformation through workplace skills development.

A fully accredited Private Further Education and Training (FET) college, Ditasa has over the past two years expanded its product offerings from real estate training to enable school leavers to develop skills that make them more employable.

It also offers business an innovative, 360-degree Workplace Skills Development Solution, a results-orientated human resource development model.

This integrated solution covers the full spectrum of workplace skills development, starting with a skills audit and the compilation of a workplace skills plan, this covers BEE and related scorecard compliance, as well as social responsibility requirements. The output of the process is a training and education programme that ultimately results in the optimum placement and career development of staff.

Ditasa is also able to provide specialised assistance with the functional assessment of business processes and the development of competency profiles, learning paths and curriculums, as well as mentorship and recognition of prior learning programmes.

In line with its philosophy of continuous learning, self development and career advancement, Ditasa is also registered as a private employment agency, specialising in the placement of individuals on learnership programmes.

After the successful completion of training, learners are also registered on an alumni
programme, which offers them further opportunity for continuous professional development.

Ditasa's training programmes are managed by means of an internationally accepted project management system, making sure that all projects are accurately monitored and delivered on time.

In a similar fashion, its state-of-the-art communication system ensures real time interaction with all enrolled learners.

The college has also entered into strategic partnerships with several tertiary institutions to ensure both quality assurance and the integration of several learning programmes, thus meeting the objectives of the National Skills Development Framework. This enables learners to receive recognition for learning completed through Ditasa on a higher level.

Current programmes on offer lead to qualifications in Safety and Security, Forensic Specialisation, New Venture Creation, Project Management, Management, Occupational Health and Safety, Hospitality, Travel and Tourism, Beauty Technology as well as Real Estate.

Indeed, Ditasa remains a leading training provider in real estate and has already made great strides in transforming this industry. In 2004 the organisation presented one of the first learnerships for the real estate industry to 1750 learners, half of whom came from historically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Another remarkable achievement was its internship programme introduced in 2009, which placed 157 previously disadvantaged learners within the Jigsaw franchise networks and enabled them to gain practical experience with top estate agencies and agents.

"Our vision is that the newly acquired skills will open up opportunities and help people to improve their own lives while also contributing towards the sustainable growth of our country."

This year, the college has achieved another first by rolling out 2500 learnerships in the real estate industry. All learners were recruited from previously disadvantaged communities and this initiative will undoubtedly make a major contribution towards transformation of the industry.

Ditasa currently has 17 campuses across urban SA and will in the near future extend its services to the rural areas to offer skills development opportunities of the highest standard that will help local people to improve their own lives and contribute to the continuing economic development of the country.