LEARNERSHIP



The History of Learnerships

The Skills Development Act and Skills Development Levies Act were devised to implement structures and processes to transform skills development in SA. A critical look at how employers and training providers have provided education, training and work experience in the past indicates that education and training provision has not always linked theory and practice. Learnerships are intended to address the gap between current education and training provision and the needs of the labour market and are often seen as the crux of skills upliftment in terms of the Skills Development Act. Learnerships seek to address the following labour market issues:

  • the decline in levels of employment in South Africa
  • the unequal distribution of income
  • unequal access to education and training, and employment opportunities
  • the effects of race, gender and geographical location on advancement
  • the skills shortage amongst the labour force

What is a Learnership?

A Learnership is a new vocational education and training programme. It is a work-based approach to learning and gaining a qualification and includes both structured work experience (practical) and structured institutional learning (theory). Criteria, as set out in the Skills Development Act, indicate that a Learnership must:

  • Include a structured learning component
  • Include practical work experience
  • Lead to a qualification
  • Relate to an occupation

It combines theory and practice and culminate in a qualification that is registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). A person who successfully completes a Learnership will have a qualification that signals occupational competence and which is recognised throughout the country. A Learnership is one of the routes to a career and assists current employees to improve skills, have existing skills recognised and assessed and to gain qualifications. It also assists people who are unemployed to find access into the world of work. The following are components of a Learnership qualification:

  1. Fundamental:
    Basic educational requirements to take part in the Learnership -usually life-skills, numeracy and literacy competencies and communication skill.
  2. Core:
    the mainframe of the learning programmes (what the qualification is going to be based on) –the core skills and knowledge required.
  3. Elective:
    the specialised areas or the application of the core skills and knowledge in defined work situations.

Why is a Learnership important?

The programme is outcomes-based. The learner interacts within the working environment (practical). The learner interacts with clients and obtains an understanding of workplace dynamics. Assessment occurs at various stages and is based on the learners’ competence (learner centred). The qualification is recognised both nationally and is benchmarked against international standards.

Who can apply for a Learnership?

The following people can apply for a Learnership: people leaving schools and colleges, unemployed people and people already in jobs.

How to Participate in a Learnership?

Plan a career path. Identify the Learnership that supports the chosen career path. Find out as much information as possible about the Learnership. Enquire about the applicable criteria for entering the Learnership. Find an employer willing to provide practical work experience.

How much will it cost?

There is no charge for a person to go on a Learnership. Everyone selected for a Learnership programme must receive a learner allowance by the employer.

How long does it take?

The length of a Learnership will differ but will normally not be less that one year.

Who are involved in a Learnership and what are their roles?

The learner is placed in a Learnership, signs a Learnership agreement with an employer, stating the rights and responsibilities of the learner, and follows the learning programme.
The employer provides the work experience part of the Learnership and signs the same Learnership agreement stating the employer’s rights and responsibilities, including agreements on a level of the Learnership allowance.
Training providers provide the training on behalf of the employer and sign the same legal agreement stating the training provider’s rights and responsibilities. (SETA) in this case organises and facilitates the funding of a Learnership in a specific area of the economy

What will I get at the end of a Learnership?

If the Learnership is completed successfully you will have a qualification that is recognized throughout the country. To prove that you have the qualification you will be given a certificate.

Will I get a job after completing the Learnership?

If you are unemployed when the Learnership begins, there is no guarantee of a job at the end. After the Learnership, you gain a qualification and work experience and you become more employable than before.

Other ways to apply for a Learnership for the unemployed

The Department of Labour recruits, selects and refers unemployed people who meet the minimum criteria for a particular Learnership to employers looking for learners. Register with the Department of Labour as a work seeker at any labour centre.