Submitted in fullfilment of part of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Technology: Management Sciences, Durban University of Technology, 2014. / The study explores issues around human resources and training within Eskom using the Medupi Power Station as a case study. This power station is currently being constructed in the Limpopo province approximately 350 kilometres north of Gauteng. The main aim of the study was to identify the skills shortages on the project and make recommendations on how to manage them in the long and short term. The research objectives included ascertaining the types of skills shortages being experienced and perceptions regarding the employment of expatriates and their contribution to knowledge transfer at Eskom. The mixed methods approach was utilised to conduct the research. The combination of quantitative and qualitative methods using questionnaires and interviews provided detailed and relevant data for addressing the research questions. A sample of 48 highly skilled employees who are currently working on the Medupi Project participated in the study. They included senior management, engineering and other technical staff and human resources personnel. The results revealed the nature of the skills shortages on the Project, namely supervisory, civil engineering and contracts management skills. The findings regarding the employment of expatriates reveal that they are employed on a contract basis and can terminate their contract on a short notice. This has an adverse effect on continuity on the Project. In addition, the local employees believed that the expatriates are chiefly motivated by the financial incentives and are not fully capable of transferring skills as they do not have power station experience. The study proposes a new knowledge transfer model for the Medupi Project. According to this model, the line management’s ability to provide an enabling work environment and support for on-the-job training influences knowledge transfer. Furthermore, employee motivation to acquire and utilise a newly learnt skill on the job, the setting of goals that are achievable given the multitude of constraints experienced on the Project, and senior management support are key determinants of line managements’ success in providing an enabling knowledge transfer environment. / D

M.Com. (Business Management) / Compliance with Employment Equity Act no 55 of 1998 is very important for organisations in South Africa. Recent reports attested that no significant change or progress achieved as far as Employment Equity (EE) is concerned. With no doubt South Africa faces shortage of skills and this may be a hindrance to EE Transformation. The Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) is not isolated from the skills shortage challenges, particularly because they seek specialised skills and competencies such as those of Chartered Accountants CA(SAs). The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), stated in their press release (Olivier, 2012) that this particular institution has 33 167 registered Chartered Accountants in South Africa. This means a small pool from which the Auditor-General of South Africa can draw its potential employees. The AGSA is not unique to the changes and legislative requirements faced by other organisations. As a result, these organisations are required to embark on a transformation journey to ensure Employment Equity achievement within their respective environments. Although reports have been showing some encouraging progress towards achieving the objectives of the Employment Equity Act, the journey is still long. This research attempted to establish the state of transformation and the challenges faced when implementing EE in AGSA. Based on these, the researcher proposed a change process to increase attainment of EE targets. For this study, the researcher focused particularly within areas where the AGSA struggles to attract suitably qualified employees. The researcher further assessed the employees’ perceptions related to EE how these perceptions are addressed. The researcher collected by means of self-administered questionnaires, interviews, as well as a case study. The sample included Corporate Executives, Business Executives, Senior Managers, Managers and Trainee Auditors. The collected data was analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Findings of the study revealed that different business units were implementing different strategies in an attempt to address their Employment Equity challenges. Some areas within the AGSA realised progress while others made only minimal progress. The research further revealed the need for an integrated approach towards achievement of the EE target. This may ensure a concerted effort and eradicate working in silos. A need for appropriate and formal EE structures was also established. Recommendations for an integrated approach as well as required structures for EE were discussed in the last chapter of this research.

Masters of Commerce / Information and Communication Technology is a mixed set of technological tools and resources used to create and manage information. It involves technologies such as radio, television, video, DVD, telephone (both fixed line and mobile phones), satellite systems, computer (network hardware and software) as well as the tools and services associated with these technologies. ICT is increasingly seen as a major enabler of efficiencies and a catalyst for innovations. With adequate skills to effectively use ICT, it can also prove to be a foundation upon which sustainable socio-economic developments can be built. The problem in South Africa, however, is that of a severe shortage of technical skills in the ICT sector. The paradox is that despite the efforts at national, provincial and organisational levels to redress the shortage of skills, the problem persists. The aim of this study thus, was to understand the magnitude of skills shortages in under-developed areas of the Eastern Cape, so as to inform corrective measures. The Actor Network Theory (ANT) was used mainly as an analytical framework to analyse the problem of e-Skills shortages in South Africa. ANT helped in framing the context of the problem. It offered useful lenses of viewing the e-Skills development phenomenon as a network of stakeholders (actors), subjects (actants), processes and a determinant of information flows within the e-Skills development network. The study was mostly descriptive (and partly explanatory), seeking to clarify the status quo, the causes, and ultimately, to explore appropriate solutions. The interpretive approach was followed to conduct qualitative research. In this instance, a purposive sampling method was used to draw participants mainly from un/employed grade 12 (grade 12) graduates of 26 participants, consisting of 18 to 35 years of age. Participants were also drawn from high-level management in the training and development organisations and local employers of ICT graduates of Centane and Butterworth villages in the Eastern Cape. Content analysis technique was used to analyse and interpret data. Findings do reflect a severe lack of basic ICT skills, with causal factors varying from a lack of awareness about ICT careers, to a lack of access to ICT tools, with the majority of the affected grade 12 graduates neither being employed nor doing any tertiary studies. It is therefore recommended for the government to revisit the e-Skills policy and its implementation structures in rural areas. The Department of Education (DoE) in the Eastern Cape should also create educational networks that will provide remote schools with low cost, but high performance Internet access. A re-look into the general quality of education in rural areas is also urgent.

Yes / Purpose - As a backdrop to the empirical contributions contained within this special issue, this guest editorial reviews the context of construction employment. It summarises the challenges inherent in construction work which have impeded the development of human resource management within the sector and discusses the mutually supporting contributions of the papers in furthering our understanding of how to improve the performance of the industry. Design/methodology/approach ¿ The operational context of the sector is reviewed briefly, before the efficacy of the industry¿s employment practices are examined through a review of the contributions contained within the special issue. Findings ¿ The papers reveal the interplay of structural and cultural factors which have led to the skills shortages currently impeding the industry¿s development. There is a need for the sector to modernise and formalise its working and employment practices if performance and productivity improvements are to be achieved. Originality/value of the paper ¿ By revealing the interconnected nature of the construction employment perspectives presented within this special issue, this paper presents a case for adopting a fresh transdisciplinary research agenda for addressing the industry's employment concerns.

The pre-hospital industry is faced with many challenges, one of which is the skills shortage of advanced life support paramedics in the country. The industry has naturally dictated competition both nationally and internationally for the recruitment of these advanced life support paramedics. Staff turnover has increased as a result of this issue which also has financial implications on the individual business of constant recruitment and turnover. The purpose of this study is to investigate problems that currently exist in the industry with regards to the advanced life support paramedic employment which will provide valuable information on retention strategies and reduce staff turnover.

The pre-hospital industry is faced with many challenges, one of which is the skills shortage of advanced life support paramedics in the country. The industry has naturally dictated competition both nationally and internationally for the recruitment of these advanced life support paramedics. Staff turnover has increased as a result of this issue which also has financial implications on the individual business of constant recruitment and turnover. The purpose of this study is to investigate problems that currently exist in the industry with regards to the advanced life support paramedic employment which will provide valuable information on retention strategies and reduce staff turnover.

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2020 / This thesis examined the impact skills shortage among artisans in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) field have on the industry. The rationale for this investigation is based on the view of engineers and company owners in the HVAC industry that there is a dire need to train more artisans and to improving the skills of already qualified artisans. The thesis employed a mixed method research approach and reviewed relevant literature. Empirical data was obtained from HVAC contracting companies being members of the South African Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association (SARACCA) in the Western Cape. The study demonstrates that there is a shortage of skilled and qualified artisans in the HVAC industry. Although there are individuals within the HVAC industry who are passionate about training, their efforts cannot supply the whole industry with knowledgeable qualified artisans. More emphasis should be placed on basic education, the level of artisan training, continuous training of qualified artisans and the retention of skilled artisans. Based on the findings, the study concluded that skilled artisans and poor quality workmanship is being experienced on a continuous basis. The lack of skilled artisans and the cost implication to obtain skilled artisans force companies to employ unskilled labour. It is recommended that the industry should work closer with government agencies to ensure that training being offered by private training institutions and colleges is aligned with the industry requirements. This together with an improved education system will secure skilled artisans.

As a traditional country of immigration, New Zealand has often looked outside of its borders for its population composition and as a result 19 percent of New Zealand's current population were born overseas. In recent times, immigration has been used by successive governments as a means of countering severe skills shortages and off-setting a declining birth rate. While attention in the media, public and to some extent in academic circles has been largely focused on the increasing volume of immigrants to New Zealand from Asian countries, migration from Europe has often been overlooked and yet it remains an important component of the New Zealand's migration flows. This thesis explores this stream of migration - from the member states of the European Union to New Zealand - by examining the specific case study of contemporary European Union migration to the Canterbury region, incorporating migrants who live, work and study in Canterbury. The thesis used surveys and in-depth interviews in addition to secondary data to investigate the composition of the European Union migrant population in Canterbury, as well as exploring the motivations and experiences of these migrants. Conceptualising the motivations of contemporary migrants from the EU to New Zealand is difficult, due to a multiplicity of theories and frameworks surrounding the topic of migration. As such, this thesis suggests a three level framework drawn from in order to better understand the motivations of target population. Although the experiences of the surveyed migrants were largely positive, some difficulties were noted, particularly while seeking work and building friendships with New Zealanders. Finally, this thesis proposes a number of recommendations at a policy and academic level which may assist in furthering understandings of the important but often ignored group of European Union migrants in New Zealand.

Thesis (M. Tech. (Human Resource Management, Dept. of Management Sciences))--Vaal University of Technology, 2009. / Key skills shortages, coupled with high levels of unemployment are well documented in South Africa. Learnerships, which are meant to reduce the skills shortage, are not addressing this problem as the SETAs have failed to communicate the benefits of learnerships aggressively to companies. Thus, the purpose of this research is to determine organizational perspectives of learnerships within the MERSETA organizations in the Sedibeng district municipal area. A literature study of learnerships and applicable legislation in South Africa was undertaken in order to contextualize the South African skills development initiative. The empirical portion of the study involved conducting a survey using a self-administered questionnaire designed to elicit perspectives of learnerships within small, medium and large organizations (n=150) that fall under the MERSETA and that are situated in the industrial areas of Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging and Meyerton, within the Sedibeng district municipal area. The data obtained indicate that although almost two-thirds of the researched organizations do currently implement learnerships, these organizations experienced several barriers and challenges when taking on learnerships. It was found that the MERSETA organizations within the study area also lack understanding and familiarity with the learnership system and their perceptions towards learnerships are for the most part, negative. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations, targeted at the National Skills Authority, the Department of Labour, the MERSETA and the SETAs, are made to assist organizations in various areas to overcome the identified barriers and challenges emanating from learnership implementation. / Central Research Committee (Vaal University of Technology)

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the challenges that a Namibian bank faced in recruiting and retaining skilled employees. The study adopted a qualitative research approach and the data were collected through face-to-face interviews with 20 participants from the Namibian bank. The researcher used the Five-Phased Data Analysis Cycle as described by Yin (2011) to analyse the data. Ensuring trustworthiness, the researcher used Guba's Model of Trustworthiness as cited by Krefting (1990). The major findings of the study were the shortcomings in the Namibian bank remuneration structure, lack of training and no employee recognition. The recommendations of the study are that the Namibian bank needs to implement training and development for its employees, review its remuneration structure and demonstrate appreciation of staff by showing recognition, better salaries and incentives. / Business Management / M.Com. (Business Management)