What will need to be done differently. The programmes historically provided by the Departments of Education and of Labour were significantly different. The Department of Education’s programmes offered mainly by the Public and Private Adult Learning Centres focused principally on literacy and numeracy for adult learners. The Department of Labour’s courses, on the other hand, were principally of a more practical nature – teaching learners practical skills with which to survive in the informal economy. In future, there is a need to combine these two elements together into programmes which both strengthen learners’ literacy and numeracy skills whilst, at the same time, providing them with skills to achieve sustainable livelihoods. Over the four years ahead a clear national plan for this sector will need to be developed which not only addresses the sustainable livelihood objective, but also lays the foundation for subsequent advancement to higher levels of learning where the learners so desire. This shall form a central part of the proposed Green Paper process.
What will need to be done differently. The Quality Council for Trades and Occupations was developed to address these problems. It must rationalise the existing registered learnerships with reference to the Organising Framework of Occupations and must determine whether learnerships and the associated learnership agreements should embrace all three components of the occupational qualification or only the practical and work experience components. If it determines the latter then there is need to align learnerships with college and university of technology programmes so that their respective roles are clarified and their collaboration promoted. Funding complementarities will also need to be clarified. The establishment of ESDA’s firmly in the South African skills development landscape will also result in the expansion of provision of learnerships if they achieve their objective of expanding the participation of SMME in the provision of learnerships as well as of employers outside of the urban centres.
What will need to be done differently. The current pass rate of artisans at INDLELA is 45% and it should be improved in order to contribute to the demand of qualified artisans in the country. For pass rates to be increased there is need to improve the quality of learning programmes and to clarify the level of preparedness that learners need to have to take a trade test. It is expected that the functioning of the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations, the NAMB, the establishment of ESDAs, the strengthening of the relationship between SETAs and FET colleges will result in significant improvement in the quality of learnerships, apprenticeships and skills programmes.
What will need to be done differently. Research shows that college graduates who fail to get work experience seldom make a successful transition to work in their field of study. In order to increase the workplace placement rate of NCV and “N” learners more effective partnerships with employers, including with government as an employer, should be developed – which requires the active participation of SETAs. Intrinsic to this process is also the improvement of the quality and enhanced relevance of learning programmes to the needs of the work place. In addition to the above, the earlier outlined initiatives with regards to the NCV need to be undertaken and the updating of the N courses in line with QCTO occupational programmes need to be accelerated. There is also a need to review the learnership / apprenticeship / internship alternatives that are currently available for those seeking work experience. The precise role and function of each of these must be clarified.
