With the new amendments to Statement 300 (which deals with Skills Development), it is important to make sure that both Learnerships, as well as Bursaries, are registered in your financial year. Please see below the new amended Skills Scorecard:
| Category | Skills Development Element | Weighting | Target |
| 2.1.1 | Skills Development Expenditure on any programme specified in the Learning Programme Matrix for black people as a percentage of the Leviable Amount | ||
| 2.1.1.1 | Skills Development Expenditure on Learning Programmes specified in the Learning Programme Matrix for black people as a percentage of the Leviable Amount | 6 | 3.5% |
| 2.1.1.2 | Skills Development Expenditure on Bursaries for Black Students at Higher Education Institutions | 4 | 2.5% |
| 2.1.1.3 | Skills Development Expenditure on Learning Programmes specified in the Learning Programme Matrix for black employees with disabilities as a percentage of the Leviable Amount | 4 | 0.3% |
| 2.1.2 | Learnerships, Apprenticeship and Internships | ||
| 2.1.2.1 | Number of black people participating in Learnerships, Apprenticeship and Internships a percentage of total employees | 6 | 5% |
In terms of the new amendments, you have to spend 2.5% of you leviable amount on bursaries (indicator 2.1.1.2). The amount spends on bursaries cannot be claimed under your normal Skills Expenditure (indicator 2.1.1.1). It is important for entities to ensure that they make provision for bursaries as part of their Skills Expenditure.
Another big amendment to this indicator is the enhancement of the target for Learnerships, Apprenticeships and Internships from 2.5% to 5%. This is measured as a percentage of the entities total employees. The amounts that are spent on Learnerships (registration costs as well as stipends) can be claimed as a Skills Expenditure under indicator 2.1.1.1. With the registration of Learnerships, the entity will also qualify for tax rebates. Keeping all this in mind you can see why it is more beneficial for an entity to register a learnership, rather than just focus on accredited training.
It is important that you keep the abovementioned amendments in mind when planning for your next B-BBEE verification. Should you have any questions and to ensure you receive the optimal points please contact your legal advisor.