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Background:
The SAIE’s initial focus was to provide training materials for illiterate or
semi-literate adults using the Best Game
Simulation Tool as its core. This provides an interactive and intensive
work-out in which participants learn basic business management
principles by running a virtual venture in the training room.
All the SAIE’s materials are designed using the Action Learning and
Experiential Discovery Learning methodologies and have been tried
and tested since 1991. Through simulation of the real world, the SAIE
training materials ensure that the mental stimulus of the class room
approximates as closely as possible real life situations, but with
considerable enhanced exposure to problem solving. The courses also
promote the essential ability to apply forward planning, perhaps for the
first time amongst entrepreneurs. Indeed the SAIE programme
materials build learning layer by layer so that participants are not
overwhelmed or threatened by the concepts confronting them. Each
layer presents new challenges which are mastered before the next
layer is revealed. Participants are forced to make planning choices
which then inevitably play out in the simulation as consequences. Each
of the teams start off at the same point with the same challenges and
opportunities. They land up with very different results and are soon
engaged in deep and passionate debate about how they made their
choices and what they would do differently if they were able to replay
their position.
The core Business Simulation developed in 1991 consists of four core
modules viz. Profiting from a Home Business; Supply and Demand;
Reaching your customer; Consolidation. The learning points build
incrementally on each other and are continually reinforced with the
running of each successive module. In addition to teaching a wealth of
business-specific skills, the courses are very successful in emphasising
important life-skills such as teamwork, the essential elements of good
communication, organisation, negotiation and compromise.
In 1994 the Institute developed entrepreneurial business development
training tools for schools – known as the Business
VENTURES programme – to meet the
needs of the new curriculum and outcomes based education.
BusinessVENTURES offers learners from Grades 2 to 12 the opportunity
to engage in activities that capture their attention, stimulate their
imagination and their interest in business whilst assisting them
develop entrepreneurial attitudes, habits and skills. As a creative
simulation tool, the courses also enable participants to discover the
ideas within themselves. The repeated exposure to the programme in
each grade assists learners gain an in-depth understanding of the
concepts, achieved by doing, which is the very basis of Outcomes
Based Education. Each BusinessVENTURES programme includes all the
Learning Outcomes for the Economic and Management Sciences
Learning Area of the new South Africa school curriculum in both the
RNCS and FET Grades.
In 2004 the Institute worked with various food gardening, small scale
agriculture and household food security and poverty alleviation training
organisations across the country to develop Agri
Planner, a training tool specifically for the food
production and growing sector. AgriPlanner empowers growers to
demonstrate how food gardens can become more than sustainable
sources of food security for households. Indeed, by developing in
growers an understanding of business principles, the programme
demonstrates how these gardens can become more effective in
employment creation and income generation. This programme is used
in both rural and urban settings and assists growers from survivalist
“backyard” gardeners to master growers and small-scale farmers.
The Institute now has a comprehensive range of training materials for
all sectors (production, manufacturing and retail) and all settings: from
urban to rural, illiterate and semi-literate skills training courses and
individuals developing their own micro-businesses, to graduates at
business schools, corporates involved in employee intrapreneurship,
retrenchment and/or retraining courses and small businesses or
individual entrepreneurs seeking the skills and knowledge to develop
business plans and start new enterprises.
New courses are also being developed for the tourism sector and for crafters and other local producers. See the Development page for more information.
Our Learning Philosophy
Since we develop learning materials, you would think that we’re passionate about teaching. But you’d be wrong. We’re not passionate about teaching. We’re passionate about learning. And this subtle shift in focus from teaching to learning is what really defines our educational philosophy...
Our products:
Small Business Development (Adults):
Agriculture:
Tourism:
- Wings of Welcome (Tourism)
Small Business:
Education (Youth):
- Life Orientation – Foundation Phase
- GET – Economic & Management Sciences – Intermediate Phase
- GET – Economic & Management Sciences – Senior Phase
- FET – Business Studies
