June 2005
A number of short courses aimed at improving specific skills of fleet managers, fleet management specialists as well as individuals for which fleet management (FM) is not a full-time function, are currently under consideration by Lyceum College’s School for Fleet Management.
According to faculty head, Sarel Visagie, this comes as a direct result of ongoing liaison and research conducted within the FM sector.
“It’s evident that there’s an increasing need for courses relating to key elements within the FM mix. While not all the companies researched felt the need for staffers to complete our Certificate in Fleet Management which is registered by the South African Qualifications Authority as a NQF level 5 qualification, many stressed the need for topic-specific training in areas where specific skills fall short, financial management in particular.”
While ‘in typical blue chip companies, FM skills are generally high’, he goes on to say that in smaller organisations where functions have been split, human resources (HR) or financial personnel for example, have been additionally tasked with the FM function.
“Even a skilled HR person, who may like cars and happens to know a bit about fleet management, would need to up-skill to gain an overall understanding of the overall fleet management concept and to communicate knowledgeably with FM consultants.”
Visagie’s advice would be to start off with the Fleet Management Concepts module and follow up with one or more of the other short courses. “Each will be worth approximately 10 credits which will be accruable towards the Diploma in Fleet Management should the learner opt to go that route at a future date.”
Short course options under consideration include:
- Finance for Fleet Managers
- Full Maintenance Leasing
- Fleet Management Systems
- Developing Fleet Policy
- Mathematical Literacy for Fleet Managers
On successful completion of Finance for Fleet Managers for example, Visagie says that learners will be proficient in explaining fleet management concepts and undertaking the calculations required to effectively manage a fleet of vehicles.
“In a nutshell, they will have achieved an understanding of financial terminology and financial statements, be able to manage working capital and investigate FM-related problems through basic statistics and mathematics,” he explains.
With certain of the material already under development, Visagie says that a selection of the short courses could be on track well before year-end. “While preliminary research has clearly indicated a real need for focused training of this kind, to ensure the sustainability of these short courses, we first need to assess the level of interest and need from the market at large.”
Through its association SAVRALA, Lyceum College’s School of Fleet Management is strongly linked to the FM industry. This is supported by regular Fleet Management Advisory Committee meetings with industry representatives to ensure that the School’s training content supports the needs of the industry.