Enterprise training

Abstract

This chapter considers the status and distribution of enterprise training in South Africa against the backdrop of training provision in the apartheid era, and the promulgation of a new skills development regime post-1994. Using recent enterprise training surveys as the basis of the analysis, the chapter finds that reasonable progress is being made with training in large and medium-sized firms, and a significant turnaround in training is occurring at the intermediate level, through the new learner ship system. Less impressive has been the participation of small firms in the levy-grant system. The analysis shows that training in largely provided through in-house, short course and employer-specific instruction that is unlikely to upgrade the skills base of the workforce in accordance with the National Qualifications Framework. In addition, the beneficiaries of key forms of training remain white and male, particularly in positions requiring high skills. These findings suggest that the implementation of the new skills development regime has only just begun.