Johannes Makhusha

• Overseeing the establishment of the Rail Academy, based on corporate university principles, with a substantial asset base across 13 training centres, to drive a strategic learning agenda for Transnet Freight Rail.
• Assisting the organisation in building and maintaining the necessary competencies, critical skills, and talent pipelines at all levels to address current and future skill shortages, recapitalisation requirements, and skills gaps.
• Ensuring compliance with all legislative, accreditation, and regulatory requirements, including the Skills Development Act, Skills Levies Act, South African Qualifications Authority Act, Employment Equity Act, Rail Safety Regulator standards, ISO 9001 certification, and Transnet’s internal integrated quality assurance processes (TIMS).
• Contributing to the development of policies, frameworks, and strategies at the Transnet Group level.
• Establishing and maintaining formal partnerships with local and international universities, institutions, and service providers to enhance critical skills development and talent pipelines.
• Leading governance structures to ensure strategic alignment, direction, and consultation on the learning agenda with line management and recognised labour unions.
• Negotiating contracts and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with training service providers to ensure optimal delivery and alignment with organisational goals.
• Supporting talent management strategies through foundational training programmes, on-the-job training (OJT), learnerships, and skills development initiatives, including new entrant training, graduate internships, accelerated development programmes, operational skills pipelines, statutory training, and international exposure—delivered through the Faculty of Rail and aligned with the organisation's Youth Development Strategy.
  
  

• Leading the business to achieve its strategic objectives through the Faculty of Rail by developing appropriate skills and knowledge ahead of demand for the business, industry, and the SADC region.
• Designing, implementing, and evaluating the Learning and Development strategy to support Transnet Freight Rail’s Human Capital strategy, Business Plan, and Growth strategy.
• Spearheading the design and establishment of the Rail Corporate University, leveraging a substantial asset base of 13 training centres to drive a strategic learning agenda across Transnet Freight Rail.
• Leading and facilitating the digital transformation of the Faculty of Rail, implementing virtual learning solutions to enhance reach and scalability for the learning community.
• Utilising innovation and technology to advance the Faculty’s service offerings by designing and implementing a digital platform for learning solutions, maximising accessibility, and enabling employees to engage in virtualised, personalised learning.
• Aligning Strategic Workforce Planning tools to conduct training needs analyses, prioritising core learning offerings that build critical skills pools and skills pipelines, and provide a competitive advantage for Transnet Freight Rail.
• Collaborating with Human Capital Executives across Business Units and the Rail Network to align training initiatives with business needs, addressing key challenges within approved budgets and strategic plans.
• Developing job competencies using curriculum development methodologies in collaboration with subject matter experts, benchmarked against global railway best practices.
• Ensuring compliance with BBBEE, the Skills Development Act (SDA), and Employment Equity Act requirements.
• Leading and coordinating the preparation and planning of departmental training budgets in alignment with the strategic workforce plan, including grant recovery and revenue generation models.
• Identifying and implementing best practices in learning and development tools, methodologies, and processes to modernise training delivery and assessment systems.
• Overseeing the compilation and submission of approved Workplace Skills Plans and reports to SETAs, ensuring compliance with skills grant requirements.
• Conducting research and benchmarking initiatives to modernise curriculum design and assessment systems, incorporating blended learning approaches to meet current and future skills demands for the business, local industry, and the broader SADC region.
• Managing CapEx, grants, and operating expenditures in line with business priorities, ensuring adherence to budgetary constraints, and reporting deviations as necessary.
• Developing an operating model and standard operating procedures to support the implementation of the Faculty of Rail concept effectively.
• Cultivating a learning agenda and performance-driven culture within Transnet Freight Rail.
• Leading and supporting key business projects aligned with Transnet Freight Rail’s strategic objectives, ensuring compliance with Delegation of Authority (DOA), Governance Frameworks, Legislation, Budget, and reporting protocols.
• Exploring and implementing digitalised learning solutions to democratise access to learning, and expand service offerings to both management and bargaining unit employees.
• Providing strategic insights and feedback in cross-functional stakeholder meetings, including the National Education and Training Development (NETD) and National Business Committee (NBC).

Leadership & Strategic Integration

• Spearheaded the integration of fragmented training functions into a unified School of Rail, optimizing organizational training efficiency.
• Developed and implemented comprehensive mentoring and coaching programs to foster leadership growth and employee potential.
• Identified and nurtured high-potential employees, ensuring a robust leadership pipeline for the future.

Training & Development Management

• Managed the delivery of leadership, management, and supervisory training programs, overseeing contract management and vendor relationships for leadership development services.
• Developed learner support systems to ensure accelerated learning outcomes and minimize training time.
• Introduced innovative learning modes to improve knowledge transfer and reduce costs.
• Designed an administration system compatible with organizational structures to enhance operational efficiency.
• Implemented blended learning solutions to provide scalable and flexible training options.
• Conducted customer satisfaction surveys to evaluate and enhance the effectiveness of training programs.

Quality Assurance & Training Delivery

• Ensured adherence to quality principles and cultivated strong relationships across operational and training areas.
• Developed relevant training materials and provided competent learners to operations, ensuring the delivery of high-quality programs.
• Ensured all facilitators were certified and trained to maintain high standards of training delivery.
• Delivered strategic, transformative training that met the evolving business needs and evaluated the ROI of training programs.
• Integrated new technologies into training to enhance learning experiences and outcomes.
• Applied best practices in training delivery to continuously improve service offerings.

Learning Evaluation & Impact Assessment

• Developed a Learning Evaluation System to monitor ROI and assess the effectiveness of learning interventions.
• Established metrics to measure training efficiency and behavioral change in employees, ensuring alignment with business goals.
• Managed learning projects and interventions, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities.
• Led the design and development of training programs for supervisors, managers, and employees, including coaching, change management, and induction programs.
• Aligned training standards to SAQA and NQF requirements to ensure compliance and consistency in training delivery.

Talent Management & Strategy Execution

• Developed, recommended, and gained approval for a comprehensive talent management strategy, aligned with Transnet's group-level objectives.
• Led strategic people planning initiatives, including talent attraction, sourcing, capacity building, performance management, and retention of critical skills.
• Managed the effective implementation of the talent management strategy within budget, time, and quality constraints.
• Developed and recommended talent management policies and procedures in line with business and legislative requirements.
• Ensured clear communication and collaboration with Transnet Freight Rail business units to align talent management plans and ensure successful implementation.
• Led the preparation and management of the annual talent management budget to align with financial goals and strategic priorities.

Performance Management & Organizational Development

• Oversaw the management and implementation of strategic human capital planning, including succession planning and talent retention efforts.
• Directed the successful implementation of a performance management system across business units, ensuring full-cycle training for all staff.
• Led the development and execution of the resourcing strategy, attracting and retaining critical skills required by the organization.
• Managed the implementation of a skills development strategy to ensure the Group’s development needs were met, enhancing business performance.

Reporting & Stakeholder Engagement

• Produced strategic reports with recommendations on best practices, benchmarking, trends, and risks, providing insights to senior leadership.
• Negotiated with service providers to ensure cost-effective solutions and maximize economies of scale for talent management initiatives.
• Oversaw the effective implementation of compensation practices and ensured compliance with relevant legislation.
• Evaluated training programs using blended IRO methodologies to assess their impact and effectiveness.
  

Training Budget & Plan Oversight

• Managed the training budget and successfully executed the training plan within Spoornet, ensuring alignment with organisational objectives.
  Oversaw the procurement process for service providers required to support business training needs, ensuring cost-effective solutions.

Policy Implementation & Support

• Implemented training and development policies and procedures, providing guidance and support to line managers for effective execution.
• Conducted comprehensive training needs analyses across departments to ensure the training and development strategy met organisational requirements.
• Communicated training and development policies to employees, ensuring clear mechanisms were in place for informing staff about training opportunities, and enabling managers to access development resources for their teams.

Workplace Skills Plan & Compliance

• Drove the implementation of workplace skills plan initiatives to meet the requirements of the Skills Development Act.
• Collected necessary information from regions and depots to develop and submit the annual workplace skills plan for Transnet Freight Rail.
• Facilitated ETD (Education, Training, and Development) structures to ensure alignment with the Employment Equity Act, and Skills Development Act.
• Submitted the workplace skills plan and annual training reports to TETA, ensuring full regulatory compliance.

Employment Equity & Skills Development

• Monitored and ensured compliance with the Employment Equity Plan, providing development opportunities for equity candidates to support career advancement within Transnet Freight Rail.
• Evaluated all training and development initiatives, including those conducted at Training Centres, ensuring alignment with strategic imperatives, and the overall performance improvement of employees.
  

• Managed a training centre, overseeing employees and budget, ensuring effective operations and resource utilisation.
• Facilitated supervisory and management training interventions, ensuring alignment with organisational goals and standards.
• Designed curriculum and developed training materials to meet the needs of both learners and the business.
• Conducted inductions for learners in accordance with Spoornet policies, procedures, and standards.
• Maintained discipline within lecture rooms and the learning environment, adhering to organisational policies and standards.
• Implemented best practices in the learning environment, incorporating theoretical training, practical exposure, formative and summative assessments, and remedial training to enhance learner outcomes.
• Monitored and managed learner progress, providing timely support in line with approved policies and procedures.
• Assisted the training manager in identifying gaps in learning material and submitted completed curriculum change requests.
• Conducted training needs analysis and assessments for private companies, in alignment with the organisation’s safety policy.
• Compiled performance progress reports for learners, ensuring compliance with organisational policy and standards.
• Ensured adherence to all relevant Transnet policies and procedures in the execution of duties.
• Facilitated learning interventions using a variety of training methodologies, consistent with ETD best practices.
• Monitored and controlled classroom assets in line with Spoornet’s policies and procedures.

• Facilitated training for critical skills in operations and technical environments.
• Facilitated the ABET programme.
• Planned and administered learner registrations in accordance with training delivery procedures, programmes, and schedules.
• Prepared lecture rooms to ensure a conducive learning environment, in line with Spoornet policies, procedures, and TETA standards.
• Arranged learning material and training equipment prior to learners' arrival.
• Completed and utilised all IMS-approved documentation in accordance with the company’s approved policies and procedures.
• Captured learner information and results on the SAP LSO system, adhering to Spoornet, TETA/NLRD, and ETD procedures.
• Compiled and updated learner portfolios of evidence in line with QMS procedures.
• Managed learners' timecards, leave, and sick leave in accordance with Spoornet policy.

• Delivered basic customised training
• Conducted learner assessment and evaluation
• Conducted training for bargaining unit employees
• Facilitated voter education, adult education and functional training
• Supervised Saturday school.