Employment and learning pathways of learnership participants in the NSDS phase II

Abstract

It is striking that the period in which learnerships have been implemented is very short seven years. The challenges of creating a new skills development system based on the old fragmented and unequal system of `manpower training? are vast. Empirical evidence on the pace, catalysts and constraints on the achievement of learnership targets is critical to address these challenges more effectively and efficiently. Hence, in 2004, Jennings, Everatt and Smith were commissioned to conduct research for the Department of Labour (DoL) with the aim of evaluating the internal and external efficiency and effectiveness of learnerships, and to assess their impact on the labour market outcomes of beneficiaries. In 2006 the DoL requested the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) to do a repeat study. The brief for the HSRC study was very broad: to undertake a study that evaluated the effectiveness of learnerships in terms of internal efficiency and the labour market outcomes of learnership participants.