Page 117 - KZN Top Business Women 2019 eBook

You only get one chance to live this life,

so live it to the fullest.

Brenda extending the scope of her accreditation to Looking for new things to do
Director, the Education, Training and Development Practices
at New Generation Skills Brenda has a level of contentment for the distance
SETA. In turn, this accreditation led to her offering that she has come but would like to grow further.
the full Occupationally Directed Education Training
RENDA VILBRO’s career in learning and and Development Practices (ODETDP) qualification. “The company has a footprint in Durban, Cape Town
development which has been driven by and Johannesburg but I would like to see where the
Ba passion for people resulted in the esta- This accreditation has come with advantages. business can take us. Our vision is to be the training
blishment of New Generation Skills in 2005. The “Training facilitators allows me to handpick my provider of choice though quality service delivery
company has a strong family ethos with both her son team and we only use the best to ensure that the that inspires leaders and managers to maximise
and mother involved, respectively, in administration company maintains its high standards,” says Brenda. their potential.”
and financial management. Brenda’s role includes “New Generation Skills prides ourselves on high “As I encourage our learners to be life-long learners, so
setting the standards, marketing and the deve- energy, creative, and contemporary workshops that I am myself a life-long learner, I certainly don’t know it
lopment of her people. are delivered by professional facilitators who walk all. I am looking for new things to do and new ideas,
the talk.”
After several years teaching maths and science, an because you are never too old to learn and develop
opportunity arose for Brenda to follow her heart, “We are now accredited with a wide range of SETAs, yourself as a person.”
which she says she ‘jumped at’. At that time, schools because as we have grown as a company, so we have In reflecting on her journey, Brenda says that she has
had become multicultural and she saw a need to train had to extend our scope across most industries,” had her fair share of ups and downs. “There have been
teachers to be better prepared to meet the changing said Brenda. times when I have failed. I have had to pick myself up
needs of the classroom. Train from the heart quickly because I have responsibilities…”
Education management One of the challenges that Brenda faces is to en- Speaking of the role of women in business, she says

Brenda worked in the NGO sector teaching adults for courage companies to train from the heart and to that the reality is that business is still dominated by
a period of five years during which time she com- send employees on training courses that are of value. men. “Women have to work much harder to be
pleted a master’s degree in education management. “Often training is merely a tick the score card exercise respected and to be taken seriously by men. We
in order to comply with legislation. New Generation constantly have to prove ourselves, but we are just
“I then began freelancing as a facilitator with a focus Skills is relationship driven, we prefer to work closely as capable of getting the respect of colleagues.”
on leadership and management programmes, so the with our clients, through a partnering approach, to Significantly, New Generation Skills was awarded
next step was to open my training company.”
identify skills that will develop people to fly.” the eLan Property Group SMME Award at the 2019
New Generation Skills was accredited as a training Brenda commented she is inspired by the people Standard Bank KZN Top Business Awards.
provider with the Services Sector Education and that come on her training programmes. “Training is Brenda’s hard work is apparent in that she is up at 5am
Training Authority (SETA) and is now registered with rewarding – it changes lives. When you see people every morning. Her day starts with a gym session,
the Department of Higher Education to remain grasp concepts, the lights come on, and they enjoy which she says sets the tone for the day. “Our work is
compliant with legislation requirements.
learning – this inspires me to help them to achieve busy and very fast paced, and there is no real end to
During her early years, call centre training was in their goals. Often, I have had people come to training the day. There’s always work to prepare for the next
demand and her facilitation in this field saw her believing that they won’t succeed. I have been able day.” To achieve a work-life balance, Brenda makes
being selected as the 2009 KZN Facilitator of the year to motivate them to work through a full qualification. sure that she finds time to relax on weekends, which
by Business Process Enabling South Africa (BPESA). I believe that my God given talent is that I have the is usually by taking leisurely walks on the beach and
In addition, she received the 2009 BPESA National power to motivate people. I have always tried to swimming.
Facilitator of the year award. These awards, says keep positive despite the negatives that happen If she could give advice to her younger self, she would
Brenda, were among the highlights of her career.
around me. I am able to bring a smile to people’s say: “You only get one chance to live this life, so live it
The BPESA Awards provoked a request for her to faces and instil hope in them because I am very to the fullest, and whatever happiness means to you,
provide more facilitator training which resulted in hopeful.” chase it.”

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