The property industry, like all sectors of the economy, is keen to diversify its workforce to make it better reflect the demographics of the nation, but it will not be an easy task.

This is the view of Brian Kirchmann, chief executive of the South African Property Owners Association (Sapoa), who points out that careers in property, and even property ownership, were closed to much of the population for long periods. 'We find that we are trying to introduce people into the industry who have little experience and often little interest in this field of work because there were no opportunities for them in the past.

'Our members - the owners of commercial property - realised before the introduction of the employment equity legislation that it made moral and business sense to open up our industry to all parts of the population. 'Six years ago, we set up a bursary fund, to which our members contributed and we started the process of getting people from the disadvantaged sectors to become property professionals,' he says.

The bursary fund was stopped when the skills development legislation was introduced, although there are still a few bursary students at universities and technikons completing the courses they set out on. 'The establishment of the Sector Education and Training Authorities (Setas) and, in particular, the learnership programmes they introduced provided a perfect alternative,' Kirchmann says. 'So we set up, through the property chamber of the Services Seta, a learnership scheme, whereby talented young people from the previously disadvantaged sector, who have the potential to become property professionals, are provided with the training and practical experience required to make a successful debut in the industry.

The training is provided by Sapoa, while the practical experience comes from working for one of the members for the year of the learnership. 'The learners will typically do our one-year Certificate for the Commercial Property Practitioner Course (CCPP), by correspondence, while working for a major property company and receiving mentorship from experienced professionals in the field,' Kirchmann says. Because Sapoa's courses have been registered with the SA Qualifications Authority (Saqa), the companies can claim the cost of the training against the skills levy that they all have to pay, and qualify for other grants for participating in an official learnership programme.

The member companies, in return, undertake to provide practical, hands-on experience for the learners and to prepare them for an immediate, value-adding entrance into the industry when the learnership is completed. 'There is no obligation on the company concerned to employ the learner, although in quite a few cases, that is in fact what happens,' Kirchmann points out. Sapoa has accepted the responsibility for training in the industry and, on behalf of its members, it plays a major role in setting training standards and in advising on the content of property courses at tertiary institutions.

The CCPP course is their flagship and, according to Kirchmann, just about everyone in a management position in the industry will have done it. This year-long course is presented by Pretoria University and it provides the necessary skills and knowledge for the broker and practitioner to function effectively in the commercial and industrial property sectors. Sapoa also presents several shorter courses in property. There is a three-day Basic Property Programme, which is a beginner-level course imparting a basic knowledge of the various principles and forces at play in the industry. The Property Intermediate Programme is an intense, four-day course aimed at people in junior- and middle-management positions.

It is aimed at extending basic knowledge and at understanding the relationships between the various disciplines involved in the industry. The Property Development Programme is run at UCT's Graduate School of Business and it is pitched at senior managers. It concentrates on property finance, valuation, investment and marketing and management. Each year, 64 top practitioners are selected to go on the course.

Sapoa also organises workshops and seminars, as well as its own annual convention. The organisation also represents its members on lobbying and advocacy bodies, making sure that their views are communicated to the law-makers. 'We try to supply on-going education for our members, to keep the industry at the forefront of development,' Kirchmann says. 'The challenge of bringing new people into the profession has made training more important than ever.' 

Sapoa can be contacted on 011-883-0679