Why an Integrated Skills Development Approach in ICT and Financial Services Matters and Why You Must Act Before Your Year‑End

The Skill Gap Landscape: Why Siloed Approaches No Longer Work

• ICT and finance sectors face structural skill gaps in cybersecurity, AI, cloud, data analytics, risk & compliance roles. The Banking SETA’s Sector Skills Plan (2024–2025) underscores persistent high demand for those technical and regulatory skillsetdpseta.org.za+1bankseta.org.za+1.

• Similarly, INDUSTRY‑WIDE initiatives like those driven by Services and ICT SETAs show that sector-wide collaboration, data-driven planning, and alignment with national plans (NSDP, NDP-2030) are critical for sustainable impact and audit readiness LinkedIn.

For training and HR stakeholders, fragmented training plans or one-off short courses are no longer tenable. You need an ecosystem: integrated planning, learner tracking, retention reporting, and measurable impact.

Why Integrated Skills Planning Matters, Especially Now

1. Compliance outcomes hinge on integrated evidence, not just spend

Every learnership, skills programme, or discretionary grant must feed into your Ward Skills Plan (WSP)/Annual Training Report (ATR) with clear documentation, retention tracking, and audit trails — or risk lost points during verification.

2. Sector demands are converging

Banking, fintech, ICT, risk and data governance all require accredited skills aligned with regulatory risk. Yet many providers still train in isolation. Okiru’s sector-aligned dashboards integrate learner progress, expiry risk, and skills-code simulations.

3. Deadline season is here

MICT SETA’s deadline for WSP/ATR submissions was extended to 31 May 2025, and audit windows open soon afterLinkedIn+1mict.org.za. Financial year‑end stress means only those who have built retention tracking and audit-ready processes will be able to respond proactively.

How Okiru Helps You Stay Ahead

At Okiru, we’ve built a framework explicitly to solve these integrated challenges:

• Audit-ready data tools for full visibility: spend categories, learner retention, simulation, and retention flags

• Sector-specific plan alignment: mapping spend and learner outcomes to BANKSETA and MICT‑SETA priorities

• Documentation verified for verification: attendance, stipends, contracts, progression evidence—all linked to learner profiles

• A network of accredited providers with deep regulatory understanding, so your plan is defensible, robust, and timely

We’ve worked with Financial Services compliance teams and HR leaders to pivot from transactional compliance (just submitting WSP/ATR) to strategic transformation planning—and delivered higher scorecard outcomes, better retention, and audit peace of mind.

Quick Wins Before Year-End

If you're heading into your financial year-end without integrated planning, you're leaving points—and transformation value—on the table. Verification isn’t just a checkbox; it's a test of strategic intent, impact, and process integrity.

Explore Okiru’s expertise, join our network of compliant providers, and build a skills plan that positions you well beyond routine audit readiness.

👉 Explore www.okiru.co.za to explore our tools, download case studies, and contact us to get help before your year‑end.

Sources / Research Highlights

• Industry-wide skills interventions succeed when aligned with NSDP and stakeholder collaboration, with positive results for ICT and financial services sectorsservicesseta.org.za+12LinkedInetdpseta.org.za.

• BANKSETA SSP 2024–2025 reports ongoing high demand for technical ICT and customer-service skills in banking environmentsbankseta.org.za+1.

• MICT SETA extended WSP/ATR deadline to 31 May 2025—compliance stakeholders must act fastservicesseta.org.za+3.