Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1994. / The date on cover and spine was mis-printed as "1995". Includes bibliographical references (leave 146-173). Also available in print.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 78-90). Also available in print.

Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1988. / Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Master of Agribusiness / Department of Agricultural Economics / Allen M. Featherstone / The world is an ever-changing place with many demands on both companies and their employees. Finance individuals in a large multi-national company also have many demands placed on them as they grow and develop with the companies in which they work. A detailed analysis was performed on one large multi-national company in the agriculture sector to determine: 1. a framework to assess the skills that finance individuals need, 2. the desired skills and needs of the finance organization, 3. a current assessment of finance experiences and skills, and 4. the gaps between the current state and the desired skill level state. Although there are a number of criteria and competencies that can be used for assessment, this thesis focused on the critical skills and experiences for two key areas: 1. accounting and technical skills, and 2. analytical and business acumen skills. Skill set levels were measured at three criteria levels: Basic, Intermediate and Advanced. The desired state of the organization and the current state of the organization was defined and mapped on a Skill Set Grid and gaps were identified. When looking at the results, the data indicate that Company XYZ has several areas to explore further and refine. There were many gaps in the current state of the skill sets versus the desired state of the skill sets in both the areas of accounting and technical skills and analytical and business acumen skills. Further, the analytical and business acumen skills were significantly in need of further improvement. In addition, several areas of further refinement could occur that would further enhance the use of this skill assessment methodology. However, both the company and the employees who received feedback valued the information developed in this process.

Magister Commercii (Information Management) - MCom(IM) / The high rate of youth unemployment is a global phenomenon and a worrying factor. This contradicted the opportunity presented by the ICT sector, which requires e-skills, particularly e-literacy/or digital literacy skills in the entire sectors of the economy, not only ICT. Ala-Mutka (2011) defines e-literacy skills as the "basic technical use of computers and the internet". ICT skills are viewed as essential in the modern day world in order to improve individual’s chances of securing and keeping employment. Various initiatives to improve youth employability in South Africa, particularly those that are studying TVET colleges or those have already graduated. Various approaches have been adopted such envisaged by the White Paper for Post-School Education and Training of 2013 i.e. preparation for workplace, self-employment through close cooperation of TVET colleges and industry (DHET, 2013). Employers assume that graduates are familiar with computer and Internet usage. Thus, the study set the following objectives: • To understand the theoretical and contextual background of promoting employability; • To explore existing employability frameworks that might be relevant for promoting employability; • To identify and categorize the factors that are relevant for promoting employability obtained from pertinent literature; • To validate these factors by interviewing key TVET stakeholders and ICT experts; • To propose an employability framework customized for the South African context; and • To explain the use of these factors within the proposed employability framework. The objectives were realised by reviewing pertinent literature, which led to the development of an employability conceptual research framework for South Africa. A conceptual research framework that consists of five factors from the e-skills national curriculum competency framework: (i) e-skills for service delivery; (ii) e-skills for new jobs; (iii) e-skills for existing jobs; (iv) self-employment; and (v) ICT practitioner skills. In-terms of e-skills levels i.e. ICT user skills, e-business skills and ICT practitioner skills. The first three sets of e-skills are associated with ICT user skill, e-skills for self-employment are associated with e-business skills and then ICT practitioner skills. This conceptual research framework was subsequently empirically verified using an interpretive approach by interviewing key TVET stakeholders and an ICT expert. The empirical findings affirmed the validity of the above-mentioned employability factors but also uncovered two additional factors: (iv) practical experience and infrastructure. These factors were subsequently incorporated into the final employability framework for South Africa. The main contribution of this study is the fact that it brings a new employability framework for TVET colleges for the South African context, with the hope that it can be applicable in similar environments in the developing context. There are some limitations in the present study due to a small research sample that was caused by the unavailability of employed graduates. However, it is believed that this limitation did not deem the results and the academic and practical contribution of the study invalid.

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.

Thesis (DPhil (Social Work))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Social Work / unrestricted

The aim of this qualitative study is to explore and describe the mathematical thinking skills that students require for a first level programming subject that forms part of the National Diploma in Information Communication Technology (ICT) at a University of Technology (UoT). Mathematics is an entry requirement for many tertiary programmes, including ICT courses, unfortunately the poor quality of schooling in South Africa limits learners' access to higher education. From the literature it is evident that students lack fluency in fundamental mathematical and problem-solving skills when they enter higher education. In this study, the concept of programming thinking skills is explored, described and linked to mathematical thinking skills. An instrument (Mathematical and Programming Thinking Skills Matrix for the Analysis of Programming Assessment) has been developed and used to analyse examination papers of a first-year programming subject (at TUT) in order to identify mathematical skills as these appear in programming assessments. Semi-structures interviews were conducted with first-year programming lecturers, examiners and moderators. The literature as well and the results of the analysed data indicated and confirmed that mathematical thinking skills are extremely important when learning to program. The results of the study indicate a strong relationship between mathematical thinking skills and programming thinking skills. The outcome of this study is therefore a set of mathematical thinking skills that needs to be developed when compiling a mathematics curriculum for first level programming students studying towards a National Diploma in ICT. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / MEd / Unrestricted

South Africa is one of the leading countries globally when it comes to mining and extracting minerals from the Landscape. Mining companies in South Africa are not satisfying their legal responsibilities by effectively “closing down” mines. Derelict mine sites occur all over the country and are not rehabilitated or reused at all. These mines leave behind a trail of idle landscapes, influencing the environmental and social structure of its context. This dissertation investigates the role of the landscape architect in the revival of an abandoned dumping site on the Johannesburg mining belt, in the south of the city, within the proposed Corridors of Freedom Framework. It seeks ways of transforming derelict mining spaces into spaces for opportunity as proposed by the Johannesburg Spatial Development Framework and the Urban Framework for Turffontein. The two main issues caused by the derelict mining sites in Turffontein are that of unemployment and environmental pollution. The hypothesis states that landscape design can respond to the site’s socio-environmental issues through a: didactic landscape intervention that creates awareness of the unemployment and environmental pollution; and a programme that focuses on skills development, material generation and rehabilitation. In order to test the hypothesis, research was done on key contextual and site-specific issues through on site mapping and available desktop information. Existing urban frameworks and Spatial Development Frameworks regarding the future plans of the Turffontein precinct were consulted, along with a literature review and precedent study in order to identify made use of informal interviews to solutions and opportunities at a wide range of scales. The author gather insight on the site and context related matters. In conclusion, it is argued that a didactic landscape intervention, focused on skills development, remediation, and material generation can address the key social and environmental issues of the Turffontein area. The design programme directly responds to the contextual needs, while the experience of the site design is educational. By respecting the genius loci of the place, didactic moments are created along a route in the landscape to create awareness with the users of the socio-environmental constraints challenges of the site and context. The aim is to allow future generations to experience and learn through the design intervention that confronts them with the immediate challenges and creates opportunity for growth and change. / Mini Dissertation ML(Prof)--University of Pretoria, 2018. / Architecture / ML(Prof) / Unrestricted