South Africa is facing increasing competition as it becomes a more active participant in the "global village". The current South African skills base is inadequate and existing education and training structures are doing little to ensure a high degree of flexibility and multi-skilling. In addition, many people have acquired skills which are not recognised by traditional, formal learning institutions. Future workforces will require a high degree of flexibility and multiple skills in order to keep abreast of the fast changing workplace and technological innovations. Furthermore, vocational training is often perceived as less valuable than an academic education qualification. It is these, and other issues which stimulated some debate around the transformation of education and training in South Africa. The recommended structure to guide this transformation is a national qualifications framework. The National Qualifications Framework (NQF) will form a backdrop for recognition of and awarding of qualifications. The Framework aims to integrate vocational and academic qualifications and maintain internationally comparative standards. This study focusses on the impact the introduction of the Framework is likely to have on industry. It was discovered that on the whole, organisations, unions and industry training boards are in agreement about the need for such a structure and the potential benefits thereof. However, most retain some reservations about the implementation process and the practical considerations of time and money are hindering the full acceptance of the Framework. While the process is in its infancy in many industries, certain other industries are rather well established in the process of implementation. The Framework is far from finalised, and even once fully implemented, will require ongoing maintenance and adaptation. For this reason most participants in this discussion indicated varying degrees of reservation about the overall success of the National Qualifications Framework. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of Natal, 1997.

South Africa is facing increasing competition as it becomes a more active participant in the "global village". The current South African skills base is inadequate and existing education and training structures are doing little to ensure a high degree of flexibility and multi- skilling. In addition, many people have acquired skills which are not recognised by traditional, formal learning institutions. Future workforces will require a high degree of flexibility and multiple skills in order to keep abreast of the fast changing workplace and technological innovations. Furthermore, vocational training is often perceived as less valuable than an academic education qualification. It is these, and other issues which stimulated some debate around the transformation of education and training in South Africa. The recommended structure to guide this transformation is a national qualifications framework. The National Qualifications Framework (NQF) will form a backdrop for recognition of and awarding of qualifications. The Framework aims to integrate vocational and academic qualifications and maintain internationally comparative standards. This study focusses on the impact the introduction of the Framework is likely to have on industry. It was discovered that on the whole, organisations, unions and industry training boards are in agreement about the need for such a structure and the potential benefits thereof. However, most retain some reservations about the implementation process and the practical considerations of time and money are hindering the full acceptance of the Framework. While the process is in its infancy in many industries, certain other industries are rather well established in the process of implementation. The Framework is far from finalised, and even once fully implemented, will require ongoing maintenance and adaptation. For this reason most participants in this discussion indicated varying degrees of reservation about the overall success of the National Qualifications Framework. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)- University of Natal, 1997.

This study discusses the provision of vocational skills in Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) centres in the North West Province (NWP) of South Africa. Currently, South Africa is engulfed with challenges of high unemployment rate, skills shortages and poverty amongst the adult population. The standardisation of the ABET system and the colonialism ideologies ·can be blamed for the current poor state of ABET centres. A qualitative research method was used. The qualitative research design was the best choice because it was concerned with how the research respondents create meaning based on their understanding and experiences about the provision of skills in the ABET centres. Two case studies were used as the methodology to carry the research. Triangulation was used to collect data. Structured interviews, focus group interviews, observations and visuals were utilized to collect detailed data about vocational skills in the ABET centres in the NWP. lnterpretivism research paradigm was used as an epistemological position, to position me in the study. Critical theory was used to frame the study. The use of critical theory enabled me to investigate the different types of skills that were offered in the two ABET centres and the impact they have in the socio economic development of the ABET learners. The use of critical theory in this study enabled me to come up with alternatives of improving the current programmes that are being offered in the ABET centres faced by ABET learners need collective efforts from all the stake holders that are involved in the designing of the ABET curriculum and learning programmes. ABET is dysfunctional and it needs to be urgently overhauled. ABET learners depend on the grants offered by the government. Facilitators are under prepared and unprepared to teach the school subjects that they were currently responsible to teach. ABET centres do not have physical building structures that belong to them, this causes or poses a serious challenge in teaching and learning. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Comparative Education)

For more than three decades, the World Economic Forum’s annual Global Competitiveness Reports have studied and benchmarked the many factors underpinning national competitiveness. The quality of higher education and training is considered particularly crucial to ensure national competitiveness. The globalizing economy requires countries to nurture pools of well-educated workers who are able to perform complex tasks and adapt rapidly to their changing environment and the evolving needs of the economy. Vocational and continuous on-the-job training and the constant upgrading of workers’ skills is critical to sustain the economical status of the country. Despite the acknowledgement that education, training and development (ETD) is a key driver for a country's economical sustainability and growth, the contributions that companies make to this effect are a concern. This is ascribed to the difficulties experienced in companies regarding the management of ETD. In this study it is postulated that communication problems are at the heart of the challenges which are experienced in managing ETD. Strategic conversation is proposed as one of the methods to address the communication and performance shortcomings experienced by business and ETD managers. It is argued that if the level of conversations is raised to make them strategic, the potential to optimise results and make an impact at organisational and national level is increased. Hence, the purpose of this study was to propose a Strategic ETD Conversation (SETDC) model to optimise Return on Occupational Training Expectations (ROTE) that would contribute towards the achievement of organisational and national strategic goals. In lieu of the limited empirical research available on the strategic conversation phenomenon in general, the purpose of this study was inter alia to conduct empirical research to explore the essence of strategic ETD conversations in order to propose a model of practical value to ETD managers. Hence, the empirical research was situated in both an explorative paradigm and a pragmatic paradigm with the aim to provide practical solutions and an instrument to successfully engage in strategic ETD conversations which would enhance the quality of ETD and thus contribute to global competitiveness. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

The study centres on the development of a didactically justified design model of a competency based modular training system for the Printing, Newspaper and Packaging Industries. The design model is represented in a diagram form identifying the components of the design model in relation to their systems function. The components of the design model are; training needs analysis, aims and objectives of training, the learner initial situation, the code of practice for training within industry, the pre-interactive training phase, the interactive training phase and training outcomes. Checklists are developed for using the design model as well as some practical examples of the implementation of the design model in creating a training system which features sound andragogic didactic principles and practices. The use of the design model enables the development of a practical competency based modular training system which meets the unique requirements of the Printing, Newspaper and Packaging Industries. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Didactics)

This thesis analyses conflicts in the role of business as a social partner in the South African economy by studying skills development in the Border-Kei Region. Skills development is a key component of the South African government’s programme of labour market regulation and is founded on a participatory approach. The skills development framework requires the participation and co-operation of multiple social partners but relies heavily on the role of business in the attainment of national and sectoral skills development objectives. Unfortunately, however, there are significant conflicts in the role which business is expected to play which consequently hinder the efficiency of the framework and the likelihood that that these objectives will be realised. One of the most pertinent examples of these conflicts is the voluntary nature of the skills development framework, which incentivises but does not compel organisations to invest in training and development. Other conflicts include dissonances between national and employer led strategies and organisational disincentives to engage in training and development. This qualitative study uses an interpretive approach to study how and to what extent the Skills Development Act is implemented in selected organisations in Buffalo City as well as studying the issues pertaining to the implementation process. By using a purposive sampling approach, this research includes both primary data in the form of semi-structured interviews and secondary data in the form of documentary sources. The data represents the perspectives of business, labour and government and provides significant depth of insight into the discussions and issues surrounding skills development in Buffalo City. This dissertation argues that South Africa’s vocational training system, institutionalised through appropriate legislation, may not be sufficient to mobilise social partners, and of primary concern in this research – business – to invest in skills development. It suggests that extensive reliance on business is an insufficient way in which to upskill the labour market. However, with few alternatives to this approach, it is subsequently essential that business is encouraged to buy into the collective interest of skills development objectives. This primarily entails overcoming the challenges that embody the framework and increasing state emphasis on skills development.

The aim of this mixed-methods research study is to investigate the effectiveness of a Municipal Skills Development Programme (MSDP) in the improvement of service delivery in a District Municipality (DM) in South Africa. A concurrent embedded mixed-methods strategy was used, as it uses one data collection phase during which both qualitative and quantitative data are simultaneously collected and treats both qualitative and quantitative research data gathered on an equal basis. Collected data were not integrated or triangulated but resided side-by-side as two different pictures of the effectiveness of the MSDP. From a total population of 80 managers in the DM and its five Local Municipalities (LMs) who had attended the MSDP, qualitative data was gathered by conducting individual interviews with a convenient sample of 10 managers (Sample 1). Quantitative data was gathered by means of a self-designed questionnaire from a convenient sample of 50 managers (Sample 2). The audio-recorded and transcribed qualitative data obtained from the 10 semi structured interviews were analysed by means of content analysis, while the scores obtained from the 50 survey questionnaires were used to calculate the frequency of responses and then represented by figures and tables. Qualitative findings indicated that the majority of participants (90% of 10 managers interviewed) are of the opinion that the implementation of the MSDP within the DM was successful and has led to improved service delivery. Quantitative results indicated that the total sample of 50 managers rated the MSDP as having improved service delivery in the DM. The overall mixed-methods assessment indicated that the MSDP is a successful way of improving the service delivery in a DM in South Africa and that the attendance of the MSDP by all managers is essential for improving the service delivery of local governments in South Africa. A limitation of the study was that the study was conducted in only one DM and may not represent the views of all local government employees in South Africa. Recommendations were that the relationship between the MSDP and other organisational variables such as productivity, efficiency and effectiveness should be studied, while all managers of the DM who have not yet attended the MSDP should be encouraged to do so. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Learnerships are occupational and vocational education training programmes that have been provided to fast-track acquisition of qualifications for unemployed youth, equipping them with knowledge, skills and experience. This research is an investigation of learners’ experiences of learnership programmes and the factors affecting the retention of the learners. More precisely, the research is about learners’ experiences of learnership programmes in an information technology (IT) organisation in South Africa. The retention rates of learners in learnership programmes have been comparably low in recent years. In order to understand this phenomenon, one had to investigate the factors that affect such retention rates. This is a study of the lived experiences of learners enrolled in a learnership programmes, conducted to examine their perceptions of a learnership qualification. A qualitative research approach was used to collect the lived experiences of 16 participants selected from one training provider. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with the learners. The data collected was analysed by adopting thematic analysis and findings presented in a narrative form. The results from both the theoretical framework and the empirical inquiry suggest that competitive remuneration, career advancement possibilities, exciting jobs and opportunity for personal development improve learner retention, whereas the lack of these attributes is seen to entail turnover. The study was conducted in only one IT organisation and the results cannot, therefore, be generalisable throughout the IT learnership programmes. Future studies should include learners from a sizeable number of organisations and should also consider organisations in other provinces, and not those in Gauteng alone. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

South Africa is a developing country that contends with a serious skills deficit that hampers its economic growth prospects. To address this skills deficit particularly at intermediate level, the government identified the public Further Education and Training (FET) College sector to serve as a medium to counter the challenge. Subsequent to the aforementioned decision by the government, political and financial support was pledged to the sector. Legislation that is attributed to the sector was also enacted and amended to capacitate the sector to perform optimally. The focus of this research was the capability of the public FET College sector in the province of Gauteng to respond credibly and qualitatively to the skills needs of the province‟s labour markets. Thus, the primary purpose was to evaluate the role that the sector in the province plays to address the skills shortage. The research design for the study was triangulation in nature, encompassing qualitative and quantitative methods. Nine public FET colleges, six companies and the Indlela Training Centre were sampled for gathering information regarding the responsiveness, articulation and efficiency of the province‟s public FET College sector. Students, lecturers, HODs and company‟s skills development managers were interviewed and sampled for the completion of questionnaires. Some significant differences in perceptions relating to the role played by the province‟s public FET college sector in addressing the skills shortage were found. Findings indicated that the massive financial and political support pledged to the sector by the government did not translate into efficiency, credibility and responsiveness nor capacitate the sector. In terms of the findings employers are skeptical about the quality of graduates that the province‟s public FET colleges ect or produces. Further, it was found that the sector‟s lecturers are inappropriately qualified and this contributes to the inefficiency of the sector in performing optimally. The lack of a formal skills development partnership between the sector and the labour markets hampers the articulation and the responsiveness of the sector to the skills needs of labour market. However, the current development whereby all the skills development institutions have been placed under one department has the potential to add value to the skills development landscape, particularly the public FET College sector. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Educational Management)

Die doel van hierdie ondersoek is om die gestruktureerde onderhoud, in die vorm van die Targeted Selection Interview tegniek, as geldige keuringsinstrument ter voorspelling van opleidingsukses van bestuursdienstepraktisyns in die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens te ondersoek. Daar is gebruik gemaak van 'n opnamemetode en die opleidingsprestasie van kandidaatbestuursdienstepraktisyns is vergelyk met die resultate wat kandiddate behaal het in hulle evaluering tydens die gestruktureerde onderhoud. Korrelasies is bereken tussen die tellings behaal vir elke dimensie wat die onderhoud evalueer en die tellings onderskeidelik behaal vir elke opleidingsmodule voltooi tydens die 1 0-weke-bestuurs-dienstesertifikaatkursus wat aangebied word deur die Technikon Pretoria. Die resultate behaal in die ondersoek dui op lae, nie-beduidende korrelasies tussen die gestruktureerde onderhoud as keuringsinstrument en die kandidaatbestuursdienstepraktisyns se prestasie tydens opleiding. Die resultate dui dus daarop dat die Targeted Selection Interview wat die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens toepas, nie opleidingsprestasie voldoende voorspel nie. / The aim of this study is to investigate the validity of the structured interview, in the form of the Targeted Selection Interview technique to predict training success of management services practitioners in the South African Police Service. A survey method has been used to obtain the data regarding the training success of candidates and the evaluation results of the structured interview. The correlation was calculated between scores obtained for every dimension measured by the interview and the scores for every training module compl~ted on the 1 0-week management services certificate course, presented by the Technikon Pretoria. The results obtained indicates low, insignificant correlations between the structured interview as selection instrument and the training results of candidate Management Services practitioners. The results thus indicate that the Targeted Selection Interview as applied by the South African Police Service, does not sufficiently predict training success. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Bedryfsielkunde)