The choice to pursue a learnership programme The HSRC has developed a population database that contains a wealth of information to describe the demographic profile of participants and the size and shape of the learnership system since its inception seven years ago. However, current databases cannot tell us why participants chose to enrol for a learnership programme, or whether they completed the programme, or what the labour market results of completing such programmes are. For that purpose, we conducted a large-scale survey of the learnership pathways of 6 819 learnership participants, representing about 14% of the total of learners enrolled in the first year of the NSDS Phase II (between 1 April 2005 and 31 March 2006). Here, we reflect on the participants' choices to pursue a learnership programme. What motivates participants to enrol?Participants have high expectations of the learnership qualification. Of those who are still registered on a learnership programme, 99% expect that the qualification attained will enable them to access work or to improve career opportunities. With the benefit of hindsight, the primary motivation articulated by those who had completed or terminated their programme was to improve skills and gain work experience and a formal qualification. | "99% expect that the qualification attained will enable them to access work or to improve career opportunities" |
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A difference is evident between the employed, who are motivated by career advancement goals, and the unemployed, who are motivated by a desire for certification that can enhance employability. Access to free study was a significant motivation for some groups of learners, particularly the young and unemployed.Migration to pursue a learnership programmeThe survey identified high levels of migration to another province in order to pursue a learnership. Migration occurs for a range of reasons, including the belief that a higher quality education and training will be received, the belief that locating oneself closer to particular economic areas will increase the probability of accessing employment after study, the need to undertake a programme not offered closer to home or for more personal reasons. Figure 1 below describes provincial migration patterns. The strongest trend to move away from home to pursue learnerships was found in Limpopo, where almost half of the learners (49%) undertook their study in another province. Learners from Western Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal tended to undertake their learnerships in their home province. These trends demonstrate, first, the strong desire of learners to advance in terms of accessing training and second, the uneven spatial distribution of economic and educational opportunity. 
Figure 1: Learner migration
Source: Learnership survey, HSRC, 2007 A ‘zig-zag' pattern of progressionA critical aspect of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) is to enable articulation across programmes and, by so doing, to enable learner progression from one qualifications level to another. Figure 2 shows that, for almost two-thirds (63%) of learners, the most common ‘progression' pathway was, in fact, backwards, in the form of enrolment at a lower NQF level than their existing highest qualification. This is a very definite message in terms of the nature of progression. Only a small proportion of learners are progressing in a linear movement, advancing up a qualifications ladder. For the most part, progression can rather be described as a ‘zig-zag' movement between qualifications levels. Significantly, more than two-thirds (70%) of those enrolled at a lower skills level already held a matriculation certificate. They were willing to enrol for occupationally oriented qualifications at NQF Levels 1-3, which they perceived would provide better opportunities for employment. Almost 80% of the group that enrolled for a lower NQF level qualification than their highest qualification are black learners. These trends highlight the strong desire to pursue certification that can help gain access to the labour market. They support the widespread claims that the matriculation certificate is not serving this purpose effectively. Figure 2: Learner progression
Source: Learnership survey, HSRC, 2007 |  |
A desire for certificationWhat stands out most starkly from the survey is that there is a strong desire to pursue learnerships in order to gain occupational and workplace-related certification. Participants are willing to move away from their homes to pursue a learnership programme, or to register at a lower level, if this will create an opportunity for employment. For the full report, e-mail media@hsrc.ac.za. The research team from the Education, Science and Skills Development (ESSD) programme at the HSRC was led by Glenda Kruss and Renètte du Toit and included Mariëtte Visser, Lesley Powell and Elizabeth Earle, with Andre Kraak as leader of the Department of Labour research programme.
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