Khatija Dockrat, an employee within the payroll department at Eskom, and recipient of the Accsys eLearning bursary of R21 000, looks forward to broadening her knowledge of the industry and believes the South African payroll sector will grow substantially in the next five years.
Dockrat was selected as the learner of choice by her employer after it was awarded the bursary, sponsored by Accsys, a national provider of HR and payroll management solutions, at the South African Payroll Association’s (SAPA) national conference in 2007.
The bursary is a comprehensive sponsorship that offers the learner the opportunity to secure an industry recognized NQF (National Qualifications Forum) level 5 nine-module payroll course.
Accsys, a founder member of the Payroll Association, has spearheaded virtual learning in payroll with the introduction of the eLearning Payroll Diploma, the first online payroll administration course available in Africa.
The modules cover all the unit standards required for the SAQA approved level 5 National Diploma in Payroll Administration (the only available course to do so).
“I was very excited and surprised when I was told late last year that I had been selected to complete the course,” said Dockrat. “I had previously worked on the Accsys system and this was part of the reason for my selection. I have been in the payroll field for almost twelve years and this bursary will give me a real opportunity to fine-tune my skills and apply the benefit to my current position.”
Management at Accsys believes that eLearning and its growth in the local market is certainly taking training to a new level and definitely bodes well for efforts to raise ICT literacy, skills development and recruitment. Khatija’s knowledge of payroll software will be an advantage but the diploma is gained independent of any particular product.
“I really think the Internet is fast becoming an everyday tool for teaching and learning, the value of eLearning lies in the advantage of someone being trained anywhere, anytime. I also believe that the contribution of regulatory bodies like SAPA, and established service providers like Accsys is critical to the growth and development of the market,” adds Dockrat.
According to Dockrat she is faring well in the course which started in February and is eager to continue discovering the benefits of technology and payroll convergence.
“Payroll administration has evolved and become more professional. If one considers the way payroll was done in the past and compare it to today, one has to agree that there had been great advancement in terms of technology, methodology and knowledge. It pays to keep up to date with all that affects payroll,” she continues.
Teryl Schroenn, CEO at Accsys, says the company is very pleased to offer Khatija this opportunity and they are confident she will make good use of it.
“The sector is in need of skilled practitioners and those who are in a position to impart their knowledge and improve levels of professionalism. Congratulations to Khatija on her achievement and progress,” says Schroenn.
