The information technology (IT) industry in South Africa has undergone major technological changes, and continues to do so. These changes are dynamic and demand significant interventions on the part of the workforce. If an organisation is to change, then systemic and sustainable changes are essential. Hence, a prerequisite is that employees within this industry need constantly to improve their knowledge and skills. The study was conducted within the broadcasting information technology (BIT) unit of a broadcasting company in South Africa. The aim of the research was to determine if skills development and training promotes professional and organisational development. A case study methodology within the qualitative paradigm was employed. Data was collected through a questionnaire, interviews, observations and document analysis. The research explored crucial issues in training and development in relation to professional and organisational development. The research findings indicated that perceptions of the success of skills development programmes far outweighed perceptions of failure. The research concluded that skills development and training programmes promote professional development. Organisational development, however, was promoted only to the extent that employees remained in the employ of the organisation. In addition, this research suggests that there is scope for future research in this field.

Thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of M.Sc. (Building) in Property Development to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, School of Architecture and Planning at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2017 / The lack of entrepreneurship is an obstacle to economic development. In South Africa (SA), disciplines are taught in a context that is enterprise-based, with no emphasis on the need to impart business start-up skills within specific disciplines. A culture of entrepreneurship is lacking, resulting in low records of entrepreneurship incidents in SA. The challenges and/or benefits of integrating entrepreneurship education within the South African real estate (RE) course and its effects on graduates’ entrepreneurial intent, is not well understood. The purpose of the research is to investigate whether the introduction of entrepreneurship education within the RE discipline would encourage graduates to become entrepreneurial in the practice of real estates. A mixed methodology approach has been used in this research. Primary and secondary research data has been made available in the form of questionnaire surveys of graduates and course directors/lecturers from the University of the Witwatersrand and other international universities that have entrepreneurship education embedded within their real estate programmes, as will be selected by the researcher. The research has found that both pedagogical strategies of course work and applying experiential learning teaching methods would be required to effectively integrate entrepreneurship education within a real estate programme in a manner that would stimulate graduates to be entrepreneurial in the practice of real estate, although it was not known whether the graduates would actually start businesses and when they intended to do so. It was also found that those students whose studies took place in real estate programmes that had entrepreneurship education embedded in them were more commercially aware. The integration of entrepreneurship education also resulted in an improvement of graduate self-esteem and confidence. Graduates were endowed with adequate professional, interpersonal, technical and business skills. The research, however, found the majority of real estate courses lacked in teaching graduates to be more versatile. The courses largely lacked in the provision of industry exposure and were inadequate in teaching graduates how to market themselves and their real estate businesses. According to the findings on the individual entrepreneurship test, graduates that studied entrepreneurship-based real estate courses had a higher probability of starting a business. / MT2018

Thesis (M.Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2008 / Aim: Although a lot of money is spent on training in the Office of the Premier, such training programmes are never evaluated to determine the efficacy. Thus it is not clear whether such training improves service delivery or not, and if there is visible improvement, and how much of that improvement was in fact brought about by such training programmes. The aim of the study is to investigate whether employees’ training programmes are aligned with the training needs. Furthermore, the aim is to determine if the compilation of the workplace skills plan is informed by the employees’ skills needs. The National Skills Development Strategy (2005-2010) for the Public Service states that for the public service to succeed in its mandate of providing effective and efficient service delivery to the citizens, the government needs to invest in the training and development of the public service. Participants: A total number of 70 (seventy) officials from the Transversal Human Resources and Corporate Services participated in the study. In addition 7 (seven) managers from these sub branches were interviewed. Instruments: The study used both qualitative and quantitative approaches. For the qualitative approach, the researcher used structured interviews. The quantitative approach involved a data collection procedure based on structured questionnaires administered to both the Transversal Human Resources and Corporate services. Results: The study revealed that training programmes are not always aligned to the employees’ training needs. Although employees indicated their training needs in specific skills, they received training in skills that they did not require, but yet v identified as crucial. The study confirmed that of the two sub-branches, employees from the Corporate services are the ones who receive more training compared to employees from Transversal Human Resources. Conclusion: The study concludes that the development of the skills plan is partially aligned to the training needs of employees in the Office of the Premier. This conclusion is based on the fact that the respondents’ skills were audited in the past two years whereas the skills development plan is compiled and submitted to Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) every year. This study’s conclusion is based on the findings that, the respondents’ skills were not audited this financial year and that in instances where respondents attended training intervention evaluation was never conducted. However, there is the challenge of ensuring that all employees attend some training at least once per year.

The study discloses unaccompanied children´s socialization in their new society. The purpose of the study is to investigate how unaccompanied children's schooling is an important factor in their socialization and skills development in their new society. For example, we have chosen to illustrate how their school works and if and whether the teachers receive the support they need in order to help children develop their skills so they can find their way in society. The research is based on three different methods. The first method is based on literature research. The second one is a qualitative method and in doing so we have made use of a semi – structured method of interviewing. This method’s importance lies in how individuals perceive and interpret their social reality. The third method is participant observation, and it is a method that allows observing the interaction while it takes place, and gives us a good opportunity to analyze the role that context plays in people´s actions and attitudes, which results that you get a deeper understanding of the researched phenomenon. The study showed that unaccompanied children´s schooling and skills development are important factors of socialization in their new country. In some interview responses and the literature reviewed, revealed that teachers do not get adequate support from school authorities.

The skills shortage and unequal standards of training in South Africa provided the stimulus for the Skills Development Policy. The purpose of the study was to analyze and appraise the Amaoti Vegetable Farming Learnership (AVFL), a skills development programme implemented in the Amaoti area. The aims were to establish what changes occurred to the scheme, which was implemented on a piece of land of land with no farmer as an employer; and to ascertain whether the AVFL achieved its intended purpose of providing participants with agricultural skills. Data were gathered via one-on-one interviews with six participants and two focus groups. One major finding that emerged from the study was that the programme equipped participants with agricultural skills. Another significant finding was that the elderly project learners did not accept being supervised by young mentors and perceived it demeaning. This resulted in a strained relationship between the two groups and subsequently led to non-productive supervision. The concurrent training of both learners and mentors also contributed to the strained relationship between the two groups. The study also found that the recruitment process did not adhere to the Skills Development Act, which prescribed that learnership participants should be recruited from labour centres. In the case of the AVFL, recruitment was conducted in the community. The use of land was problematic in that there were no resources. Recommendations included: 1) training of mentors should be done before the implementation of the learnership and should take into account cultural implications such as age differences; 2) resources need to be available on the land including water, ablution, and sick bay. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Durban, 2010.

This thesis investigates an adult education program led by Casa de la Mujer, a women’s organization in San Juan del Sur in the south of Nicaragua. At this centre, women acquire vocational skills and engage in workshops about women’s rights, domestic violence awareness and sexual and reproductive health. Several gender and development scholars suggest that empowerment can be achieved through women’s informal education programs that aim to facilitate critical learning for consciousness-raising and self-awareness. This was the topic of my field research at this centre. I conducted semi-structured interviews and participant observation to gain an understanding of how those in the program feel that their participation has impacted their gendered power social relations and livelihood opportunities. My research indicates that despite facing various barriers, through the skills development and gender training programs participants of Casa de la Mujer are able to act as agents to make strategic life decisions.

<p>This study investigated the extent to which skills development is implemented within the naval dockyard Simon's Town within the context of the NSDS and the various forms of legislation. In March 2001 the Department of Labour embarked on an initiative called the National Skills-Development Strategy to address unemployment, and thus enhancing the economy. One of the areas that were identified to address the above concerns was the skills-development of its people. It is against this background that this study investigated the implementation of the NSDS within the Naval Dockyard.</p>

According to Statistics South Africa (2005, p.1) approximately 5 percent of the total South African population are affected with different types of disabilities. People with disabilities experience marginalization and despite legislation and advocacy their employment opportunities are limited. Due to lack of social and physical infrastructure they are excluded from places of employment. This study aimed to document the perceptions and experiences of mildly intellectually disabled adults with regard to skills training at two protected workshops in the Durban region. The medical, social and biopsychosocial models of disability have influenced policy design and legislation over the years. In recent years due to a paradigm shift disability is viewed within the biopsychosocial model of disability. Thus the theoretical and conceptual framework underpinning my study is the biopsychosocial model of disability which focuses on functioning at the level of the whole person in a social context. The second conceptual lens of my study focuses on the concept of self-determination. Self-determined individuals are those that bring about a change in their own lives. Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences forms the third conceptual lens of my study. This new concept of intelligence includes areas such as music, spatial relations and interpersonal knowledge in addition to mathematical and linguistic ability. The study was conducted within the interpretivist paradigm. It was a qualitative study that adopted a life history approach. Interviews and observation were the two methods of data collection as this enabled me to gain an in-depth understanding of the participants’ perceptions and experiences. The data is presented in the form of life history narratives. Content analysis was used to analyse the data and coding was used to categorise the data into themes. The conclusions reached in the study are included with recommendations for areas of further research with the aim of skills training leading to an income generating activity as well as improving the employment opportunities of mildly intellectually disabled people. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

Personalen är företagens viktigaste tillgång är ett vanligt förekommande uttryck och kompetens anses idag utgöra en förutsättning för goda resultat och framgång (Björklund &amp; Holmqvist, 1999; Johansson &amp; Johrén, 2011). Det kan dock vara svårt att konkretisera ökade kunskaper i samband med utbildning, vilket kräver en diskussion angående hur verksamheten och medarbetare påverkas. Få organisationer har idag strukturerade system att spåra och upptäcka det värde och de positiva effekter som en investering i kompetensutveckling kan medföra (Chong et al., 2000). GKN Aerospace Sweden AB arbetar aktivt med ett utbildningsverktyg för kompetensutveckling som benämns "Training Days". Syftet med dessa utbildningsdagar är att med hjälp av interna lärare utbilda personalen för att höja kompetensnivån och för att uppmuntra till kunskapsutbyte. Syftet med studien är att ta fram en föreslagen beräkningsmodell för investering i kompetensutveckling samt undersöka vilka effekter som dessa interna utbildningsdagar ger, både ur ett individperspektiv och ett organisatoriskt perspektiv. Studien består av ett kvalitativt och tolkande synsätt, där metoder för datainsamling utgörs av informantintervjuer och enkätundersökning. Tanken med "Training Days" och interna lärare syftar att alla ska kunna dela med sig av kunskap, då det finns mycket kompetens inom organisationen. Konceptet innebär att medarbetare utbildar andra medarbetare, vilket leder till att företaget "tankar ur" kunskap från nyckelmedarbetare till övriga anställda. Resultatet och slutsatserna från studien visade att kunskapen och informationen från "Training Days" var värdefull och bidrog med att förbättra deltagarnas arbete och ledde främst till mer generell kunskap men även mer fördjupad kunskap. Den modell som valts att appliceras på konceptet är bottom-line vilken enligt Smith (2004) är en modell av utvärderingskaraktär som kompletteras med monetära mått där fokus i metoden ligger på att bedöma effekterna av investeringar på deltagarnivå. Effekterna från dessa utbildningsinsatser anses för medarbetarna vara ökad effektivitet, förbättrad arbetsprestation samt förbättrad arbetskvalitet. Ur ett organisatoriskt perspektiv erhålls en konkurrensfördel då medarbetarna besitter en djup och generell kunskap, samt att det för-modligen har en viss påverkan på företagets ekonomiska resultat och framgång / The staff is the company’s most important asset is a common expression and compe-tence is considered today as a condition for good results and success (Björklund &amp; Holmqvist, 1999; Johansson &amp; Johrén, 2011). It can though be difficult to concretize increased knowledge in education, which requires a discussion of how the business and employees are affected. Few organizations today have structured systems to track and discover the value and the positive impact that an investment in competence development may entail (Chong et al., 2000). GKN Aerospace Sweden AB is actively working with a training tool for competence development called the "Training Days". The purpose of these training days is that with the help of internal trainers educate the staff to raise skills and to encourage the exchange of knowledge. The purpose of this study is to develop a proposed calculation model for investment in competence development and to study the effects that these internal training days provide, both from an individual perspective and an organizational perspective. The study consists of a qualitative and interpretive appro-ach, in which methods of data collection consists of informants interviews and a survey. The idea of the "Training Days" and internal trainers aims that everyone can share their knowledge, because there is a lot of expertise within the organization. The concept means that employees train other employees, resulting that the company pass on knowledge of key employees to other employees. The results and the conclusions from the study showed that knowledge and information from the "Training Days" was valuable and contributed to improve the participants’ work and led mainly to more general knowledge but also more in-depth knowledge. The model applied to the concept is the bottom-line which according to Smith (2004) is a model of evaluation character, supplemented by monetary measures where the focus of the method lies in determining the effects of investments on a participant level. The effects of these educational interventions considered for the employees to be increased efficiency, improved job performance and improved work quality. From an organizational perspective obtains a competitive advantage as employees possess a deep and general knowledge, as well as it presumably have some impact on the company’s financial performance and success

The emerging knowledge economy necessitates rapid skills development, to ensure that organisations sustain a competitive edge. Rapid skills acquisition would enable organisations, whether public or private sector, to take advantage of new emerging opportunities and improve performance by ensuring that their employees are well equipped with relevant skills. The South African labour market has, however, been engulfed by both a skills shortage and a brain drain, which has worsened performance in the public sector – as is evident from the widespread public protests. In this study, the researcher conducted an explorative investigation to gain an in-depth understanding of factors that could influence e-Learning diffusion as an innovative way of facilitating rapid skills acquisition. In order to conduct this investigation, the researcher employed qualitative techniques in the form of a case study, using grounded theory analysis techniques. Grounded theory analysis results enabled the researcher to formulate propositions. Furthermore, these propositions were used to formulate important factors and questionnaire items that were used to test proposed findings, using a survey research design. Findings revealed that the public sector, as with society at large, is adopting sociallyorientated computing practices, to open up social platform integration into the employee learning experience. Findings reveal that social platform integration would be fruitful, if the entire instructional design was based on social constructivist, epistemological principles, with the appropriate social technology. / Thesis(PhD (Computer Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.