WHAT
SORT OF SPONSORSHIP
AND
TRAINING IS OFFERED BY FIRMS?
Firms
offer FOUR
categories of training:
1.
APPRENTICESHIPS
2. BURSARIES
3. LEARNERSHIPS
4. SKILLS UPGRADING
These
are discussed below:
1. APPRENTICESHIPS
An
apprenticeship is an agreement between an apprentice and an employer for a
set period of time during which the apprentice works and receives
training.
The
apprenticeship system in South Africa has been effective in training a
home-grown Artisan skills-base.
This skills base has been used to build South Africa's
impressive infrastructure:
Roads, Railways, Harbours, Air Services, ISCOR, SASOL, Mining,
Pelindaba and the Atomic Energy Program.
Characteristics of an apprenticeship in South Africa which
attract attention are:
 |
An
apprentice's levels of pay are far better than those of most
learnerships. (Learnership
'cash grants' can amount to little more than travel and pocket
money).
|
|
An
apprenticeship creates legally binding conditions which give
protection to an apprentice so that he cannot simply be dismissed.
|
|
An
apprentice is usually guaranteed at least two trimesters of
technical college training. Failing
a subject does not mean termination of his apprenticeship.
|
The
apprenticeship system has come to an end in South Africa and is being
replaced by learnerships. No new apprenticeships will be
registered by the Department of Labour.
2. BURSARIES
A bursary is not a contract of employment like an apprenticeship.
It does not involve the employer in legal conditions set by
government regulations and supervised by the Department of Labour.
Bursaries are payments of money which are paid periodically to an
educational institution and can be quickly terminated.
A bursary holder has no security of tenure.
While a bursary holder performs well and passes his subjects he can
be reasonably confident that the bursary will be continued.
3.
LEARNERSHIPS
A learnership shares many characteristics of an apprenticeship.
According to the Skills Development Act (Act No. 97 of 1998) a 'learnership
agreement' means a structured learning agreement entered into for a specified
period between
|
a
learner
|
|
an
employer
|
|
a
SAQA accredited training provider.
|
The
learnership agreement must be registered with the SETA (Sector Education
and Training Authority) and cannot be terminated before the specified
period unless:
|
the learner has completed the
learnership;
|
|
the SETA approves the termination; |
|
the learner is fairly dismissed for a reason related to his conduct
or capacity as an employee.
|
These sections of the Act appear to give the learner a security of
tenure similar to that of an apprentice, but some training professionals
believe that it will be easier to get rid of a non-performing learner than
a non-performing apprentice.
4.
SKILLS UPGRADING
The Skills Development Act and the Skills Development Levies Act
mean that low-level jobs will attract training funds so that workers can
improve their skills, status and pay.
This means that taking a low-level job can be a pathway to career
advancement and success.
|
