Effective managers and entrepreneurs hold the key to Africa’s prosperity. Yet organisations cite a talent gap, and traditional training models seem to be broken. Africa needs a fresh approach to help millions of managers, entrepreneurs and professionals build the skills needed to drive their organisations – and the continent – forward.
This report by the African Management Initiative (AMI) draws on fresh data on Africa’s critical talent gap and presents new insights on how to address it through workplace learning and development. We list eight key findings about what is needed, and about what effective workplace learning looks like in an African context.
This report is a must-read for senior leaders in African companies of all sizes who want to address the talent gap in their own organisations. It is also invaluable for HR and training professionals, donors interested in workforce development, university leaders that want to equip graduates for jobs, banks and investors looking to strengthen small business clients, and anyone with an interest in developing Africa’s next generation of entrepreneurs, managers and professionals.
Our findings include insights on where demand for training is most urgent – what kinds of organisations most need to prioritise talent development, and what level in the organisation is most vulnerable? We look at what kind of skills are needed most – the results are sometimes surprising.
We also look at what works, drawing on international best practice and our own experience developing talent in African organisations. We argue that to translate training into improved performance, organisations must look beyond individual skill-building to the embedding of organisational habits. We push beyond traditional training approaches such as courses and workshops to explore experiential learning, on-the-job feedback and accountability. We look at how technology can enable sophisticated personalised learning at vastly reduced cost. Finally we present our own preferred ‘blended learning’ solution and share data that illustrates how effective workplace learning programmes can deliver real results.
We have set out to create a solution that is deeply embedded in the experience of Africa, using African material created by Africans for Africans, while drawing on the best insights that global practice and research can offer in the fields of learning, technology-enabled learning, and management effectiveness. We believe in the Best for Africa.
Download the full report from African Managers’ page. Or, to hear from the report team you can visit AMI’s blog or you can download the summary of the report.
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