M.Ed. / The study under discussion followed on a request to develop a programme which would fill the existing gap between general formative preparatory academic education and general formative preparatory vocational education. The background of the precarious beginnings of education in South Africa was reviewed with specific reference to technical education. A study of the available literature confirmed that there is a need for more technically trained people, technically trainable people, students who have completed their technical vocational studies, an orientation programme and lecturers with management skills. The purpose of the study is, therefore, to investigate how lecturers managed the orientation programme at technical colleges. Technical colleges which acted as facilitators of the orientation programme, was introduced. This post-school institution with its general functions of continuing vocational education, must fulfil the needs of the community and the requirements of the industry it wishes to serve. The function and place of technical colleges were discussed as well as the management functions of education institutions, lecturers and students. The development of the orientation programme was also discussed. A suitable programme had to be developed to orientate students at a technical college. After making a few alterations, Jansen's model for curriculum development was used. Curriculum developers firstly, had to determine what the students had already achieved and secondly, what was expected from students at the end of the orientation programme. After this gap between the achieved and the expected had been clearly identified, the orientation programme could be developed. This programme was tested as a pilot programme, declared as general policy; and then implemented at technical colleges and private training institutions on a national level. The successful implementation of such an orientation programme depends, inter alia, on the classroom management skills of the lecturer. In an attempt to evaluate the success of the lecturers' management skills, a questionnaire was developed as an measuring instrument. The questionnaire was completed by orientation students to determine the management skills of the lecturer. The design of the above questionnaire covered five management aspects, namely, classroom activities, student activities, interpersonal relationships, activities during lesson presentation and administrative duties. Forty four questions were designed and approximately eight questions for each management aspect were included in the questionnaire. An experimental group selected from sixteen technical colleges, was requested to complete the questionnaire voluntarily. These colleges are situated in rural districts, semi-urban and typically urban areas. The students originated from all levels of the community and no preference was given to race, sex, language or background. A total of 177 students participated in this survey. The questionnaire was completed under examination conditions but there was no specific time restriction. All participants were enrolled for all five orientation subjects, namely, engineering technology, engineering drawing, engineering science, industrial communication and mathematics. The performance ability of the students covered the whole spectrum. For admission to the programme, the lowest and highest standard the repondents had obtained, were restricted to Stds 6 to 10 for statistical reasons. To increase the validity and usefulness of the questionnaire, the items in the measuring instrument were checked to ensure that they were based on the managerial competency of the lecturer. The content validity of the measuring instrument was improved in this manner. The Department of Education gave its approval that technical colleges be used for this investigation. On the basis of the empirical investigation, it was discovered that during the first order (PFA) factor analysis, nine factors were identified from the 44 items which appeared in the questionnaire. A second order factor analysis indicated that the 44 items could be reduced to one factor with a reliability coefficient of 0,948. When only 39 items are considered the reliability increases to 0,950 and this factor was named "efficient management." In conclusion, the 39 items can be considered to be one scale and it represents the lecturers' efficient management of the various classroom activities. This factor was also tested by means of multiple statistical techniques in an attempt to find significant differences between the various independent groups. No significant statistical differences were discovered between the scale averages of the various groups. This was an indication that the groups held the same opinion about the management of the orientation programme. With the high average scale marks obtained by the various participating colleges, this investigation proved that lecturers had succeeded to manage the orientation programme successfully. The research results showed that, according to the opinion of the students, no significant statistical differences existed in the lecturers' management of the orientation programme to orientate students towards vocational education. There are however a few deficiencies noticeable in the competency of lecturers in certain management aspects. This research gives an indication of some problems which currently exist with the presentation of the orientation programme. Clear solutions cannot be provided. However the research does indicate that an orientation programme can be successfully presented at technical colleges with the necessary awareness, adaptation, training and positive attitudes as needed by the community , the world of work and the country.

M.Ed. (Educational Leadership) / One of the most important choices that a student has to make is that of a career. Because of the financial implications, it is of the utmost importance that a student makes the right choice. To be able to do so, the student must know him-/herself and must be aware of the demands of the specific career. The purpose of this study is to determine whether a student's self and career perception have an influence on the successful completion of his/her studies. The point of departure of this study is the perceptual tradition and self-concept theory. This tradition operates on the premise that all behaviour is a function of the individual's perceived world. Each person has a unique system of perceptions about the self and this self-concept generates behaviour and is selective as far as the assimilation of other perceptions is concerned. This tradition maintains that each person is a conscious agent who considers, constructs, interprets and then acts. Research was undertaken to investigate the self and career perceptions of students and the effect that they may have on successful career choices. The most important findings were: The students all have a positive self-concept as well as a positive perception of the future. They all feel that the economy and politics will not have a negative influence on their future career. Students who have made a successful career choice had a thorough knowledge of their future careers and of their own ability, likes, dislikes and interests whereas students who have made a wrong choice did not have such knowledge at first. The following is recommended: The vocational guidance teacher should guide pupils towards in-depth self-perceptions and career perceptions.

The scarcity of skills is a global phenomenon, affecting the capacity building, economic growth and development components of all nations. The African continent has been affected by skills shortages, emanating from certain socio-economic factors. This resulted in the ‘brain drain’, emigration and absorption of skilled talent to developed countries, in search of a better standard of living and employment opportunities. The issue of scarce skills in South Africa was identified by the Government in 2006, due to an identified shortage of expertise and proficiencies, required to fill numerous vacant positions within the local government to meet service delivery needs. The identification of skills shortages led to the formulation of macro-economic policies to address the issue of scarce skills and the identification of the most affected professions, which included, inter alia, engineers; technicians; project managers; and architects. Despite the implementation of these policies, underlying factors compound the issue, complicating and limiting remedial efforts. The South African Government is faced with the challenge of providing quality basic services for the public, especially at the local level. The country has since 2010 experienced multiple incidents of service delivery protests, predominantly in the under-developed communities. The Eastern Cape is no exception, as the Nelson Mandela Bay area has experienced protests, concerning poor service delivery, primarily in Walmer Township. The provision of basic services, are of dire necessity to the communities, as the Eastern Cape is one of the poorest provinces in South Africa. The educational system at primary and secondary levels is faced with challenges in the Eastern Cape province. These challenges are the shortage of teachers; poor infrastructure; and teacher absenteeism. This compounds the issue of scarce skills acquisition and development; the volume of skilled, expert and proficient talent available to the municipality, to fill in vacancies, gaps and areas with shortfalls and deficits within the entity, is reduced and minimal, underscoring the depth of the entrenchment of this scarcity of skills issue. The primary focus of the study is to expose the factors contributing to skills shortages and the implications, apropos service delivery, from the municipal workers’ perceptions. The study highlights and describes the factors affecting scarce skills acquisition and development in South Africa, along with providing a background of the Eastern Cape and demonstrating that the shortage of skills, within the Infrastructure and Engineering Department of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, has an impact on the production, efficacy and efficiency of services for communities. The study also emphasises the essentiality of quality leadership and management within the organisation, a pivotal aspect in ensuring the municipality performs at optimal level, meeting organisational goals. This is a critical issue, as the study revealed that sound management and leadership is lacking within the municipality, affecting quality of the service delivery output. The findings of this study further revealed that adequate training and development is lacking in the municipality. This is hampering skills development, outstandingly with regard to technical skills talents, as their training needs are not met.

The purpose of this study was to analyse the effectiveness of Statistics South Africa's internship programme in developing the statistical skills of interns. A mixed method approach which included semi-structured interviews, document study and electronic questionnaires was used to gain insight into the thoughts and perceptions of 38 participants. The study revealed that many of the crucial elements for a successful internship programme are present in the current internship programme. It was also found that the interns do not get the opportunity to implement or utilize their skills in the areas in which they are being placed. The absorption and retention strategy also seems to pose a challenge for the internship programme of which the goal is to retain as many statisticians as possible. Finally, a proper absorption strategy, better and more formal assessments, and a higher salary level for interns being absorbed into the organization should also be considered / Language Education, Art and Culture / M. Ed. (Adult Education)

Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / In developing countries like South Africa, a skills shortage is already one of the most important problems of the twenty-first century. Consequently, South African public institutions have adopted an internship programme to enhance skills development, knowledge and experience, concentrating on a particular population. An internship, as established by the South African Cabinet in December 2002, is a graduate work experience programme aimed at unemployed graduates aged 18 to 35. Therefore, the study assessed the impact of the internship programme on skills development in selected government departments in Limpopo Province. Secondary to the aim, the study explored the nature of internship programme and skills development in public institutions. It also evaluated the link between an internship programme and skills development and concluded by highlighting challenges and opportunities for an internship programme. The researcher used a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods, with semi-structured questionnaires for current and previous interns, to achieve the study's goals. Face to face interviewing method was used to collect data from public officials in the three selected government departments in Limpopo Province - Department of Education (DOE), Provincial Treasury, and Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. Although public institutions are regarded as hosts of internship programme, pitfalls associated with the internship programme in the South African public institutions persist. The study found, to a large extend, a huge impact of internship programme on skills development in the three selected government departments in Limpopo Province. The study further established that not all participants were clear with the job description of the internship programme. The imprecise job description could confuse interns as they would not know their expected daily performance in government departments. The study argues that such may result in displacement and a lack of sense of belonging among interns within their respective government departments. / (Services SETA)

Bibliography: pages 84-89. / Proponents of CB claim that the system can provide an effective and efficient framework for a large scale national ABE programme which articulates with national education and vocational training systems. This framework provides a particular kind of answer to the 'literacy for what' question. The emphasis is on development. In this research, this view is contrasted with a version of literacy which gives a different answer to the 'literacy for what' question. Researchers such as Street and Wagner and many of the Non-government organisations affiliated to the National Literacy Co-operative prefer to view literacy as a free standing programme concentrating on individual and local needs. These contrasting positions will be used to consider the relative strengths and weaknesses of CB for ABE. While the possibility of using a CB system for the ABE programme in the building industry will be considered, the research will also consider the opportunity of CB beyond the specific needs of the building industry.

This study explored the effects of the Skills Development Act 97 of 1998 on transforming municipal management training and development. The pre-1994 education and training was premised on the policy of separate development. This policy prevented the majority of the people, mainly blacks, from receiving adequate training and development. Resultantly, training and development in South Africa have assumed significance since the adoption of a constitutional democracy, especially at the local government sphere which constitutes the coalface of service delivery. Investment in human resources training and development at management level is imperative for institutions to gain strategic and operational advantage.Analysis and interpretation of data in this study were undertaken through official document analysis, interviews and structured questionnaires. The major findings of the study indicate that according to the first objective the majority of respondents are qualified as they possess higher education qualifications due to the assistance of the municipality, with nearly half currently involved in furthering their studies. As far as the second objective is concerned, the researcher found out that the majority disagree with the statement that opportunities are created to motivate employees to use the workplace as an active learning environment to acquire new skills. Further analysis and interpretation of data show that according to the third objective the majority of respondents do not undertake crucial management courses relevant to the workplace. Final data analysis and interpretation of the fourth objective reveal that the majority of respondents are not aware of the support and financial investment in education, training and development of municipal officials, due to aspects such as lack of consultation and transparency. / Public Administration / M.Tech. (Public 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)

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)

This study explored the effects of the Skills Development Act 97 of 1998 on transforming municipal management training and development. The pre-1994 education and training was premised on the policy of separate development. This policy prevented the majority of the people, mainly blacks, from receiving adequate training and development. Resultantly, training and development in South Africa have assumed significance since the adoption of a constitutional democracy, especially at the local government sphere which constitutes the coalface of service delivery. Investment in human resources training and development at management level is imperative for institutions to gain strategic and operational advantage.Analysis and interpretation of data in this study were undertaken through official document analysis, interviews and structured questionnaires. The major findings of the study indicate that according to the first objective the majority of respondents are qualified as they possess higher education qualifications due to the assistance of the municipality, with nearly half currently involved in furthering their studies. As far as the second objective is concerned, the researcher found out that the majority disagree with the statement that opportunities are created to motivate employees to use the workplace as an active learning environment to acquire new skills. Further analysis and interpretation of data show that according to the third objective the majority of respondents do not undertake crucial management courses relevant to the workplace. Final data analysis and interpretation of the fourth objective reveal that the majority of respondents are not aware of the support and financial investment in education, training and development of municipal officials, due to aspects such as lack of consultation and transparency. / Public Administration and Management / M.Tech. (Public Management)