Tracer Study on Skills Programmes For The Past Three ...

TETA Tracking and Tracing of Skills Programmes – March 2020 1

TETA Tracer Study on Skills

Programmes

For The Past Three Financial

Years (16/17; 17/18; 18/19)

05 June 2020

FINAL REPORT


CONTENTS

LIST OF ACRONYMS ..................................................................................................................... 5

LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................................... 6

LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................................ 8

Section 1: Introduction.............................................................................................................. 9

1.1 Problem Statement ........................................................................................................... 9

1.2 Research Questions ....................................................................................................... 10

1.3 Research Methodology ................................................................................................... 11

1.3.1 Literature Review ..................................................................................................... 11

1.3.2 Survey of Employers in the Transport Sector ........................................................... 12

1.3.3 Telephonic Survey of Beneficiaries of Skills Programmes ........................................ 17

1.3.4 Cases Studies .......................................................................................................... 20

Section 2: Literature Review ................................................................................................... 21

2.1 Transport Subsectors ...................................................................................................... 21

2.1.1 Land Transport ........................................................................................................ 21

2.1.2 Air Transport ............................................................................................................ 22

2.1.3 Sea Transport .......................................................................................................... 22

2.1.4 Logistics in Transport ............................................................................................... 23

2.2 Performance Delivery Environment ................................................................................. 23

2.3 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis ........................... 24

2.4 Trends Affecting the Transport Sector ............................................................................. 24

2.4.1 Shifts in Modes of Transport .................................................................................... 24

2.4.2 Digitalisation ............................................................................................................ 26

2.4.3 Shifts in International Trade ..................................................................................... 28

2.4.4 Software-Driven Process Changes .......................................................................... 29

2.4.5 Changes in the Internal Market ................................................................................ 30

2.4.6 Machine-Driven Process Changes ........................................................................... 30

2.5 Readiness to Introduce New Technologies ..................................................................... 31


2.6 The Fourth Industrial Revolution and How It Affects the Transport Sector ...................... 32

2.6.1 Skills for the Fourth Industrial Revolution ................................................................. 33

2.6.2 What Specific Skills Are Needed for the Fourth Industrial Revolution? ..................... 35

2.6.3 Building the Workforce of the Future ........................................................................ 38

2.7 Secondary Research Recommendations ........................................................................ 39

Section 3: The Voice of the Employers .................................................................................. 41

3.1 Skills Needs in the Transport Sector ............................................................................... 41

3.2 Perception of TETA and TETA-Funded Training ............................................................. 42

3.2.1 Perception of TETA.................................................................................................. 42

3.2.2 Using TETA-Funded Training .................................................................................. 44

3.2.3 TETA Service Perceptions ....................................................................................... 46

3.3 Value Derived from TETA-Funded Skills Programmes .................................................... 48

3.3.1 Value Employers Derive from Skills Training............................................................ 48

3.3.2 Employers’ Views on the Value of Skills Training to Beneficiaries ............................ 50

Section 4: The Voice of the Beneficiaries .............................................................................. 53

4.1 Beneficiary Profile ........................................................................................................... 53

4.2 Economic Benefits .......................................................................................................... 56

4.2.1 Employment Opportunity ......................................................................................... 56

4.2.2 Employment at the Time of the Survey .................................................................... 58

4.2.3 Income Potential ...................................................................................................... 61

4.3 Non-economic Impact ..................................................................................................... 63

4.4 Beneficiaries’ Satisfaction with Training .......................................................................... 65

Section 5: Case Studies .......................................................................................................... 66

5.1 Baker Becomes Seaman ................................................................................................ 66

5.2 Zone Controller ............................................................................................................... 68

5.3 Chief Administration Officer ............................................................................................ 69

5.4 Fishermen ....................................................................................................................... 71

Section 6: Conclusion and recommendations ...................................................................... 73

6.1 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 73

6.1.1 Summary of Beneficiaries’ Location and Employment Status ................................... 73

6.1.2 Economic Benefit of Skills Training to Beneficiaries ................................................. 73


6.1.3 Non-economic Benefits of the Skills Training ........................................................... 74

6.1.4 Meeting the Needs of Employers in the Transport Sector ........................................ 74

6.2 Recommendations .......................................................................................................... 75

6.2.1 Considering Additional Skills Programmes ............................................................... 75

6.2.2 Creating Awareness among New Employers of TETA-Funded Training and Processes

75

6.2.3 Awarding Certificates ............................................................................................... 75

6.2.4 Reviewing Training Providers and Processes of Validating Training ........................ 76

6.2.5 Offering either Follow-up Training or a Bundle of Training Options to Unemployed

Beneficiaries .......................................................................................................................... 76

6.2.6 Improving Beneficiary Database and TETA Reporting ............................................. 76

6.2.7 Doing more Regular Follow-Ups with Beneficiaries .................................................. 76

APPENDICES ........................................................................................................................... 77

Appendix A: References ............................................................................................................ 77

Appendix B: Online Survey ........................................................................................................ 79

Appendix C: Beneficiary Questionnaire ..................................................................................... 84


LIST OF ACRONYMS

4IR Fourth Industrial Revolution

AET Adult Education and Training

ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations

BOC Bombela Operating Company

DHET Department of Higher Education and Training

EU European Union

SETA Sector Education and Training Authority

SDFs Skills development facilitators

SWOT Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats

TETA Transport Education Training Authority

WSP Workplace Skills Plan


LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Summary of research methods used in the TETA tracking and tracing study of skills

programmes .................................................................................................................................. 11

Figure 2: SurveyGizmo survey diagnostics ................................................................................... 12

Figure 3: Study’s banner for use in survey and messaging ........................................................... 13

Figure 4 :Percentage of companies with headquarters in different provinces ................................ 15

Figure 5: Job role of respondents .................................................................................................. 16

Figure 6: Respondents' personal familiarity with TETA.................................................................. 17

Figure 7: Modal shifts in developed countries ............................................................................... 25

Figure 8: Modal shifts in developing countries ............................................................................... 26

Figure 9: Technological readiness assessment of countries.......................................................... 32

Figure 10: Progression of the various industrial revolutions .......................................................... 33

Figure 11: Historical skill shifts from 2002 to 2016 and modelled skill shifts going forward to 2030

..................................................................................................................................................... 34

Figure 12: The nine pillars of the 4IR (Industry 4.0) ....................................................................... 35

Figure 13: Employee life cycle ...................................................................................................... 38

Figure 14: Percentage of respondents from each chamber who identified a skills gap in the subsector

..................................................................................................................................................... 41

Figure 15: Infographic of brand perception through association .................................................... 43

Figure 16: Use of TETA-funded training over the past few years (N = 178) ................................... 45

Figure 17: Perceived value of the training to the transport subsectors (excluding “don’t know”

answers) ....................................................................................................................................... 46

Figure 18: Importance of the role of TETA to each subsector ........................................................ 47

Figure 19: Perception of TETA value and service delivery (n = 110) ............................................. 47

Figure 20: Employers' perception of the promptness with which learners receive certificates (n =

110) .............................................................................................................................................. 48

Figure 21: Those to whom employers provide skills training (n = 50) ............................................ 48

Figure 22: Advantage that applicants with skills training have during the recruitment process (n =

48) ................................................................................................................................................ 51

Figure 23: Earnings implication for skills-trained employees (n = 48) ............................................ 51


Figure 24: Advantage skills-trained beneficiaries have in terms of promotion and career progression

(n = 48) ......................................................................................................................................... 52

Figure 25: Age and gender distribution of the beneficiary sample (n = 500) .................................. 53

Figure 26: Geographic distribution of beneficiaries (n = 500) ........................................................ 54

Figure 27: Race distribution of the beneficiary sample (n = 500) ................................................... 55

Figure 28: Number of skills training courses completed (n = 500) ................................................. 55

Figure 29: Employment status before and at present (after skills training) ..................................... 56

Figure 30: Employment trends by gender...................................................................................... 57

Figure 31: Work experience of employed beneficiaries offered training (n = 188) ......................... 58

Figure 32: Unemployed beneficiaries’ perception of future employment opportunities (n = 249) ... 58

Figure 33: Type of employment prior to and after skills training ..................................................... 59

Figure 34: Size of company beneficiaries were employed in at time of survey (n = 228 in employment)

..................................................................................................................................................... 59

Figure 35: Employment opportunity attributed to skills training (n = 465) ....................................... 60

Figure 36: Impact of possessing a certificate/proof of skills training on securing a job (n = 494) ... 60

Figure 37: Increase in salary after skills training (n = 38)............................................................... 62

Figure 38: Income distribution of employed skills-trained beneficiaries (n = 160) .......................... 62

Figure 39: Perceived impact of skills training on earnings potential (n = 214) ................................ 63

Figure 40: Skills training helps in getting a promotion (n = 215) .................................................... 63

Figure 41: Soft skills and other benefits gained from skills training (n = 464)................................. 64

Figure 42: Relevance of the skills learned to current job (n = 213, currently employed) ................ 65


LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Distribution of respondents from transport subsector ....................................................... 14

Table 2: Size of responding businesses by transport subsector .................................................... 15

Table 3: Population size by subsector for the of beneficiary survey ............................................... 18

Table 4: Response rate of beneficiaries surveyed telephonically .................................................. 19

Table 5: Response rate per subsector .......................................................................................... 19

Table 6: Political, economic, societal, technological, environmental and legislative factors that affect

the South African transport sector ................................................................................................. 23

Table 7:SWOT analysis of the transport industry in South Africa .................................................. 24

Table 8: Skills categories that the youth will need for the Fourth Industrial Revolution .................. 37

Table 9: Summary of Skills focus area .......................................................................................... 39

Table 10: Summary of skills training planned/required per level .................................................... 42

Table 11: Reasons for not using TETA-funded training (n = 69) .................................................... 45

Table 12: TETA-funded training used per sector (n = 110) ............................................................ 46

Table 13: Employers’ views on skills programmes (n =50) ............................................................ 49

Table 14: Advantage that employees with skills training have in the workplace (n = 48) ............... 51

Table 15: Employer perception of geographic access to training ................................................... 52

Table 16: Gender distribution by subsector (n = 500) .................................................................... 54

Table 17: Age distribution of beneficiaries by subsector ................................................................ 54

Table 18: Employment status at the start of skills training by subsector ........................................ 56

Table 19: Employment status at time of survey (2020) per sector ................................................. 57

Table 20: Cross-tabulation between employment status at start of skills training and receipt of

certificate (n = 494) ....................................................................................................................... 60

Table 21: Certificates received by subsector ................................................................................. 61

Table 22: Would you recommend the skills training to another learner? (n =488) ......................... 65


Section 1: Introduction

The purpose of this section is to introduce the study objectives and explain the chosen research

design.

1.1 Problem Statement

The transport sector has been highlighted by the government as a key contributor to South Africa’s

competitiveness in global markets. It is regarded as a crucial engine driving economic growth and

social development. Since 2012, the transport sector has contributed approximately 10% of the

country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Growth in transport services weakened from 1.4% over the first three-quarters of 2017 to 0.9% in

the same period of 2018. Growth was dampened by derailments on the iron ore line, a decline in

overseas tourist arrivals and aircraft movements, and a national bus strike. The transport sector

faces many challenges, such as the impact of socioeconomic and policy factors, education levels

and government regulations on the demand and supply of labour). Technology is also a significant

factor in the transport sector because the many risks associated with the obsolescence of skills and

technology could have a significant impact.

The Transport Education Training Authority (TETA), which assists the government in implementing

its strategy to address the skills needs in the transport sector, funds various learning programmes

designed to move the transport sector forward and mitigate the concerns mentioned in the preceding

paragraph. As set out in the Skills Development Act, 1998 (Chapter 3, section 10), Sector Education

and Training Authorities (SETAs) are responsible for developing the skills of those who are

employed or want to be employed in their respective sectors. Their task is to ensure that people

learn skills that are needed by employers and in communities. Skills taught should be useful, not

only to entry-level staff (to assist them in coping with a new job) but also to those who are employed

(to assist them in furthering their careers).

A tracking and tracing study is a method of measuring if training programmes meet these standards

set out above. Over the past few financial years, TETA has concentrated on doing tracer studies of

TETA-funded full qualifications (such as artisanship, learnership, workplace-based learning and

internships), while overlooking skills programmes. From a return-on-investment point of view (i.e.

Treasury spending, DHET reporting and TETA strategy development), a need was identified to

conduct a tracer study on the impact of skills programmes to fill this gap.

This study will be of particular significance for the following reasons:

It will assist TETA in accomplishing its legislative mandate.

The study’s recommendations will feed into the TETA sector skills plan.

It will serve as an evidence-based guide in terms of TETA’s budget allocation for skills

training programmes for both employed and unemployed beneficiaries.


1.2 Research Questions

The key research questions are centred on understanding the current employment situation of

beneficiaries and any economic benefits derived from training. The key study objectives include:

• What are the labour market outcomes relating to the effectiveness of TETA-funded

programmes in 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19?

• What is the destination (in terms of location and employment status) of the beneficiaries of

TETA-funded skills programmes after training?

• Do the training programmes meet beneficiaries’ needs to enable them to fulfil the

requirements of the job market and take advantage of employment opportunities? Do

beneficiaries experience an increase in salaries and promotions, and do they show an

improved attitude towards further training?

• Where are the beneficiaries located, what gender are they and what job changes have they

experienced?

• What is the trend in beneficiaries’ career progression paths?

To these main research questions we added the following secondary research questions to obtain

a full understanding of the impact of the skills training:

• Do soft skills (e.g. communication skills and confidence) improve as a result of the training?

• Does the improvement in soft skills contribute to better employment opportunities?

• Are there any other benefits/outcomes of the training outside the employment sphere?

• Does the training help beneficiaries to motivate or help others in their communities?

Although we were able to obtain answers to most of the research questions during the interviews

conducted with beneficiaries, we gained an overall understanding by also surveying employers and

reviewing literature sources. The research methodology is explained in more detail in the next

section.


1.3 Research Methodology

Employing a mixed methods approach, we collected qualitative and quantitative data through both

primary research and secondary sources. Figure 1 provides a summary of the different approaches

we used, and the subsequent sections discuss each method in detail.

Figure 1: Summary of research methods used in the TETA tracking and tracing study of skills programmes

1.3.1 Literature Review

A literature review of public documents relevant to skills training in the transport sector was

conducted. The guiding principles we used for selecting sources included relevance, credibility and

validity.

• Relevance: We used relevant sources that provided relevant and recent data, in

other words, data that were up to date and not older than five years. However, we

regarded some data older than five years as acceptable, particularly in the case of

published academic sources.

• Credibility: We gave preference to studies and data produced by national

organisations, universities and reputable bodies.

• Validity and triangulation: We ensured validity by obtaining information from

multiple sources as far as possible. This enabled comparing the findings of different

researchers where applicable.

Section 2 of this document is dedicated to the literature review conducted; it presents a brief

overview of each of the different transport subsectors, a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and

threats (SWOT) analysis of the sector in general, a discussion of key trends affecting the subsectors

and, finally, a detailed review of the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.


1.3.2 Survey of Employers in the Transport Sector

The employers in the transport sector were viewed as key role players in providing information for

this research project. As we could obtain the email contact details of employers from TETA, we

considered an online survey to be a cost-effective method of obtaining information. More detail on

the survey’s design and objectives, database of the population, distribution, response rates and

analysis methods are provided below:

Design and objectives of the online employer survey

The survey was designed in collaboration with TETA to answer three key questions. These are:

1) What are some of the key skills needed in the transport sector?

2) How do employers perceive TETA and its role?

3) How do employers view the skills programmes and what benefits do the programmes offer?

(Do the training programmes meet the expected job markets and employment

opportunities?)

Once the survey had been designed and approved, it was programmed using a survey software

solution called SurveyGizmo. SurveyGizmo allows for the completion of a survey on the internet,

using either a computer, tablet or mobile phone.

SurveyGizmo has an automated diagnostic function to estimate the length and accessibility of the

survey. As indicated in Figure 2, the study’s survey was shown to be readily accessible and to take

about eight minutes to complete. Accessible surveys are designed to be accessible to people who

are diverse in terms of range of hearing, movement, sight, and cognitive ability.

Figure 2: SurveyGizmo survey diagnostics

When checking the actual time spent on completing the survey it was found to be between five and

seven minutes.

Population database

TETA provided a database of employer contact information. This database was cleaned to exclude

duplicate contact names as well as companies without contact information. As a second level of

cleaning, the names of skills development facilitators (SDFs) were removed as these individuals are

often external contractors who have little or no knowledge of the usefulness of training to employers.

Some companies had two contacts on the database and both were included to maximise the

probability of receiving a response from the relevant company.

A total of 1 047 names appeared on the database, representing 963 unique companies (with unique

SDLNumbers). However, initially 121 emails could not be delivered, and another 52 issues occurred


when sending the list through Microsoft Outlook. The total number of companies on the final list

(excluding email failures or companies no longer in business) was 859.

Distribution

The first name and email address of each contact on the population database were uploaded into

the survey distribution system of SurvyeGizmo, and unique email links were sent to each person on

the population database. The unique links were also sent through a regular Outlook email address

to ensure that spam filters did not block the invitation. Two reminder messages were also sent. The

survey was open from 11 February to 27 February 2020.

For this study, a banner was designed specifically for use on all survey and email communications

with employers so as to lend these a distinctive look.

Figure 3: Study’s banner for use in survey and messaging

The use of the banner was expected to yield the following benefits:

• Create awareness about the tracer study and give it momentum.

• Provide an opportunity to create a positive brand perception of TETA.

• Improve response rates to surveys.

Response rates

A total of 178 (21%) respondents completed the survey that had been emailed to the companies on

the population database. The emails that were undeliverable are excluded from this calculation.

Provided below is a description of the profile of respondents in terms of the transport chamber their

businesses operated in, the size of the businesses, their geographic locations as well as the job role

of the respondents. Employers familiarity with TETA is also mentioned in below as this aspect

speaks to how well they might be positioned to answer questions relating to TETA.

Chambers/Subsectors

As indicated in Table 1, all transport chambers/subsectors were represented in the survey. However,

only one employer from the Taxi subsector participated, making the size of this sample negligible.

Although representation from the Rail subsector was relatively small (n = 9), respondents came from

Transnet and Prasa, both large employers whose views are important.


Table 1: Distribution of respondents from transport subsector

% n

Aerospace 11% 20

Forwarding & Clearing 12% 21

Freight Handling 11% 20

Maritime 13% 24

Rail 5% 9

Road Freight 32% 57

Road Passenger 11% 20

Taxi 1% 1

Other 3% 6

Due to the small sample size of the Taxi subsector, separate results for this chamber will not be

provided in the rest of the report.

The employer survey is not a critical component of the Skills Programmes tracer study. Indeed the

beneficiary survey addressed this original project scope completely. IQbusiness offers the employer

survey as a value-added service to find some insight from an alternative perspective to support the

findings and conclusions from the main part of the study. As such not having representation from

the Taxi industry is not a limitation for the Skills Programme tracer study but it would be a limitation

if the survey was used as a complete needs analysis of the industry or as a stakeholder satisfaction

survey. In that instance another alternative (other than email addresses) of administering surveys to

the taxi employers might be needed because evidently respondents do not access their email, this

is experienced with other studies as well.


Company size

Most of the respondents operated small- to medium-sized companies (82% had fewer than 500

employees). Maritime in particular was characterised by small businesses with fewer than 100

employees (79%), whereas Rail, Road Freight, Aerospace and Freight Handling had a number of

larger businesses.

Table 2: Size of responding businesses by transport subsector

Company size – Number of employees

Chamber Base size

1–99 100–499 500–999 1 000–4 999

5 000–9 999

10 000+

Aerospace 20 40% 25% 10% 25% 0% 0%

Forwarding & Clearing

21 43% 52% 5% 0% 0% 0%

Freight Handling 20 25% 65% 0% 10% 0% 0%

Maritime 24 79% 17% 4% 0% 0% 0%

Rail 9 22% 44% 11% 11% 0% 11%

Road Freight 57 39% 33% 14% 11% 4% 0%

Road Passenger 20 25% 65% 5% 5% 0% 0%

Total 178 42% 40% 8% 8% 1% 1%

Company location

The geographic distribution of companies presented in Figure 4 shows that most companies

participating in the study were located in or had their headquarters in Gauteng, the Western Cape

or KwaZulu-Natal.

Figure 4 :Percentage of companies with headquarters in different provinces


Job role

When cleaning the database of employers, preference was given to individuals who worked for the

companies themselves and had job titles such as training managers or financial managers. The final

sample still included 25% skills development facilitators as the job titles had been incorrectly

recorded in the original employer database.

Figure 5: Job role of respondents

The sample was weighted in favour of the views of companies’ human resources (HR) managers,

training managers and financial managers. The category of Other (20%) included jobs described as,

for example, HR office, HR administration and general office roles. Overall, it can be concluded that

the individuals who responded were senior and knowledgeable representatives of transport

employers whose views carried weight in this survey.

Familiarity with TETA

The sample appeared to be split between those respondents who knew TETA very well or fairly well

(55%) and those who knew only a little about the authority (45%). Because of the nature of the work

of skills development facilitators, they work more closely with TETA and know TETA better than, for

example, the financial managers (35% vs. 4% knew the authority very well).

Skills development

facilitator25%

HR manager26%Training manager

7%

Financial manager /CFO15%

CEO7%

Other20%


Figure 6: Respondents' personal familiarity with TETA

Analysis of findings

The data obtained were exported from the survey system directly to the IBM analysis software

programme SPSS. The descriptive statistics were computed using SPSS, and these statistics, which

include percentages, frequencies and cross-tabulations, are presented in this report by means of

tables and graphs.

Section 3 of this report provides the results of the employer survey. This section is referred to as

“the voice of the employers”.

1.3.3 Telephonic Survey of Beneficiaries of Skills Programmes

The telephonic survey of beneficiaries was the main source of collecting data to meet the study’s

research objectives. This section of the report provides a description of the design and objectives of

the telephonic survey, database of the population, collection methodology, response rate and

analysis of the findings. As an understanding of the demographic profile of beneficiaries forms part

of the objectives, their profile information is provided in Section 4 and not in this methodology section

as in the case of the employer survey.

Design and objectives of telephonic survey of beneficiaries

The beneficiary survey was designed in collaboration with TETA to answer the following key

questions:

1) What is the profile of beneficiaries in terms of gender, age, and location?

2) Do the beneficiaries receive any economic benefit from the training? Are they employed,

have they changed jobs, have they been promoted or given salary increases?

3) What other impact has the training had, for example, on attitudes to further training and soft

skills?

18%

37% 36%

9%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

I know them very well I know them fairly well I know a little about them I don’t know much, if anything, about them


Database of beneficiaries’ contact details

TETA did not have at its disposal a single source of information that contained both the names and

contact numbers of beneficiaries applicable to this study’s period of interest (financial years 2016/17,

2017/18, 2018/19). Although Excel spreadsheets were available containing details (e.g. ID number

and name) of beneficiaries from each of the eight chambers for each year, beneficiaries’ contact

details were not included. Scanned copies of learning agreements (signed by beneficiaries) did,

however, contain beneficiaries’ contact details.

The data on the Excel spreadsheets were used to obtain an estimate of the size of the population

whereas hard copies were made of the learning agreements from which contact details were

obtained in order to conduct the telephonic interviews. As indicated in Table 3, there were 1 614

unique beneficiaries in the datasets. The datasets of certain subsectors, such as Maritime, included

a few duplicate names because their beneficiaries, particularly in the Maritime subsector, had

completed several skills courses. However, each person was interviewed once only.

Table 3: Population size by subsector for the of beneficiary survey

Database

Aerospace 129

Freight Handling 33

Forwarding & Clearing 108

Maritime 305

Rail 254

Road Freight 187

Road Passenger 127

Taxi 471

Total 1614

Collection methodology

Telephonic interviews were conducted to administer the survey, which was paper-based. While the

trend in market research is to use computer-assisted telephonic interviews, it was decided to use

printed copies of the survey as the database records were available in printed format and the printing

of copies had already put time constraints on the project. An agile approach was needed to ensure

that the project timelines could be adhered to.

Response rate

A total of 505 beneficiaries who had finished their training completed the survey. This represented

31% of the total population, which made for a sample that was large enough to allow for generalising

the results to the full population.


Very few beneficiaries who could be reached refused to participate, and the response rate achieved

was mostly determined by contactability.

Table 4: Response rate of beneficiaries surveyed telephonically

Number Percentage

No contact information 104 6%

Can’t remember doing the training/terminated training 63 4%

Wrong number/Number does not exist 333 21%

Voicemails 591 37%

Refused 22 1%

Deceased 1 0%

Completed surveys 500 31%

Total 1 614 100%

Of the beneficiaries, 4% could either not remember doing the training at all or had terminated training

before completion. As the duration of skills training is often very short, and the survey covered

periods as far back in the past as 2016/17, it is foreseeable that some beneficiaries might not recall

the details of training undertaken. In a few cases it appeared that the beneficiaries had been

scheduled to undergo training but that the training had never taken place.

Table 5 indicates the percentage of the responses obtained from each subsector. In each case, the

percentage is not based on the distribution of responses but on the population size of each subsector

(as presented inTable 3)

Table 5: Response rate per subsector

Number Percentage

Aerospace 40 31%

Freight Handling 14 42%

Forwarding & Clearing 44 41%

Maritime 58 19%

Rail 139 55%

Road Freight 109 58%

Road Passenger 3 2%

Taxi 93 20%

Total 500 100%


Analysis of findings

The data from the paper surveys were captured in Excel. The Excel file was imported into SPSS

from where the frequency and percentage tables were computed. Section 4 of this report provides

the results of the beneficiary survey. This section is referred to as “the voice of the beneficiaries”.

1.3.4 Cases Studies

A number of the beneficiaries who had completed telephonic surveys were selected for more in-

depth interviews. These interviews focused on learning more about the beneficiaries as individuals

and on contextualising the training they had undertaken in terms of their personal circumstances. A

total of four case studies were conducted and these are presented in Section 5.

21

Section 2: Literature Review

In the literature review conducted for this report for the Transport Education Training Authority

(TETA), the transport industry is looked at in its entirety, spanning the period under review (i.e.

from 2016 to 2019). Each transport subsector is discussed and the trends that impact on the

transport industry are investigated. As the Fourth Industrial Revolution has a significant effect on

the transport sector, this issue is discussed throughout. Special attention is given to the skills

required in the transport sector and the impact of technology on the workforce.

South Africa’s transport sector is a key contributor to the country’s competitiveness in global

markets and a major contributor to the South African economy in terms of gross domestic product

(GDP) and employment. South Africa’s land, air and sea transportation networks are the biggest

and most efficient in Africa, servicing industries that span the continent. The South African

government regards the transport sector as crucial to driving the country’s economic growth and

social development.

The South African transport industry faces several challenges, for example low ridership, lack of

public transport accessibility in rural areas, equity imbalances and congestion.1 In addition, the

country’s transportation is generally unsafe and unreliable, and the transportation systems are

costly. Public transport facilitates many economic and societal activities; therefore the provision

of safe, accessible and affordable public transport infrastructure is essential for the socio-

economic development of the South African population.2

The ongoing and effective planning, building and operating of infrastructure are crucial to a

country’s economic success. In terms of infrastructure competitiveness, South Africa has shown

improvement from 2018 to 2019. According to the Global Competitiveness Index 4.0 rankings

for 2019, South Africa’s competitiveness gained momentum after the recent shift in the political

landscape, and the country moved up seven places to rank 60th on the index. However,

structural reforms are needed to re-ignite the economy and offer better opportunities to a larger

portion of South Africa’s citizens.3

The South African transport sector is divided into eight subsectors.

2.1 Transport Subsectors

The figures and percentages given for each subsectors reflect the average over 2018 and 2019

financial years. The subsectors are the following:

2.1.1 Land Transport

Road freight employees number about 70 000.

The volume of goods transported between production sites or ports and

markets has increased.

It is estimated that 80% of all freight is transported by road.

The road freight market accounts for about 640 million tons of freight per

annum.

1 Jennings, 2015, “Public Transport Interventions and Justice in South Africa.”

2 Aropet, 2017, “Southern African Solutions to Public Transport Challenges.”

3 Schwab, 2019, Global Competitiveness Report.

22

Approximately 90 000 people are employed in two main sub-subsectors of

the Rail subsector, namely: passenger services (i.e. the Passenger Rail

Agency of South Africa [PRASA]); and goods and freight (i.e. Transnet SOC

Limited).

Transnet and PRASA are the largest railway operators in South Africa.

Bombela Operating Company (BOC), trading as Gautrain, is the third most

significant operator in the country.

Other rail operators include those at ports and mines (as surface operators)

and in cross-border operations, tourism and the heritage railway system.

A number of medium-sized rail enterprises make a significant economic

contribution to the transport sector.

Currently most of the tonnage of goods and freight transported consists of

coal and mineral ore for local and foreign markets.

The rail industry has lost to the more competitive road freight subsector a

significant portion of its traditional market share in moving general freight.

The formal Road Passenger public sector provides direct employment to

about 30 600 people.

An average of 153 000 people are indirectly dependent on the subsector for

contract work to repair the road network.

The subsector operates about 25 000 buses in South Africa, of which

approximately 18 000 are used for formal public transport activities.

Public operators transport on average 816 million passengers per annum

The Taxi industry employs approximately 400 000 to 600 000 people.

Of the workers, about 95% are African, and less than 2% are women.

It is estimated that 69% of households use taxis daily. There are over 300 000

taxi operators/owners in South Africa, and most of them operate as sole

proprietors.

2.1.2 Air Transport

South African Aerospace transport employs about 30 000 people.

The biggest employers are state-owned enterprises, such as South African

Airways, South African Airways Technical, Denel, SA Express and SA Airlink.

Large organisations dominate the aviation industry.

Small-, medium- and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) are growing rapidly and

have recently been estimated to comprise about 75% of the subsector.

The subsector is estimated to transport about 70% of passengers and 60%

of goods in the country.

2.1.3 Sea Transport

The sea transport subsector has about 14 000 employees.

More than 95% of South African trade (by volume and by trade) is moved by

sea and is handled by the country’s seven commercial ports.

South Africa is one of the top 12 sea-trading nations.

The government, through the Ocean Economy initiative of Operation Phakisa,

prioritises this subsector for job creation development, social and economic

development, improved competitiveness, and speedier and more effective

implementation of emergent policies and programmes in line with the National

Development Plan (NDP) 2030.

23

2.1.4 Logistics in Transport

The logistics subsector provides employment to about 22 000 people,

including international couriers and shipping agents.

This subsector makes a major contribution to trade facilitation within South

Africa and manages over 80% of the country’s international trade.

The estimated cost of logistics in South Africa (as a percentage of GDP) is

12.8%.

The freight-handling subsector has about 25 000 employees.

Eight commercial ports serve this industry.

The cost of freight management contributes significantly to South Africa’s

GDP.

2.2 Performance Delivery Environment

Political, economic, societal, technological, environmental and legislative factors in South Africa

affect the transport sector and therefore have an effect on TETA. These factors are summarised

in Table 6 below.

Table 6: Political, economic, societal, technological, environmental and legislative factors that affect the South African transport sector

Political Economic Societal

Political leadership changes

Resistance to change

Corruption

Fourth Industrial Revolution

Weakening rand

Retrenchments

Increased taxes

International trade

agreements

Labour disputes (protected

and unprotected strikes)

HIV and AIDS

Protests

Taxi industry disputes

Theft of transport

infrastructure (e.g. cable theft)

Vandalism of transport

infrastructure

High unemployment rates

High youth unemployment

Technological Environmental Legislative

Shift to automation and

robotics (Fourth Industrial

Revolution)

High cost of data

Lack of technology skills and

access in rural areas

Green economy places

pressure on the transport

industry and its operators

Green economy creates

research and awareness

programme opportunities

Protection of Personal

Information (POPI) Act No. 4

of 2013

Broad-based black economic

empowerment (BBBEE)

New Treasury legislation

Amendments to

Unemployment Insurance

Fund (UIF) legislation

TETA will need to adjust its training based on how each factor affects the transport industry. To

stay ahead, a proactive approach is essential.

24

2.3 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis

It is important to understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats within the

transport industry. If these are understood, the strengths can be harnessed, weaknesses can be

addressed, opportunities can be exploited, and threats can be eliminated or reduced. The SWOT

outline presented in Table 7 below focus on the general areas that will have an impact on TETA.

Table 7:SWOT analysis of the transport industry in South Africa

Strengths Weaknesses

Transport, storage and communication

account for 9% of the South African GDP.

The various transport subsectors employ in

excess of 900 000 people.

Funding constraints

Poorly maintained infrastructure

Opportunities Threats

Upskill current and future workforce (TETA).

The transport sector is a key economic driver.

Employ skilled youth.

Theft and vandalism of infrastructure

Protests and strikes

2.4 Trends Affecting the Transport Sector

The transport sector is an ever-changing environment that grows continuously. Moreover,

modern transport and logistics have become increasingly complex over the past decade. A

number of trends have emerged, resulting in the implementation of new technologies in many

segments of the transport chain. These trends will continue to have significant effects on all

transport modes in the future. Of these trends, six have been singled out:

Shift in modes of transport

Digitalisation (automation)

Shifts in international trade

Software-driven process changes

Changes in markets’ domestic commerce

Machine-driven process changes

2.4.1 Shifts in Modes of Transport

A shift in the modes of transport used can be expected within the next two decades, as more

focus is being placed on emission-control policies, infrastructure investment and the adoption of

new technologies. New technologies and infrastructure will enable transport to become faster,

more economical and efficient, and easier to access. The global focus on emission control is

increasing, and targets are being set to reduce emissions that are harmful to human health and

the environment. Environmental taxes (CO2 emission taxes included) have already been

introduced in many countries around the world.

In this regard, Australia, New Zealand and Europe are the front-runners. International pressure

on countries to implement emissions tax is mounting, and this tax is having a huge impact on the

transport sector. In May 2019, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law the Carbon Tax Act

25

No. 15 of 2019. Essentially, this Act enforces the polluter-pays principle in respect of large

emitters, and encourages firms and consumers to take negative adverse costs (externalities) into

account when they make decisions about future production, consumption and investments. Firms

are incentivised to adopt cleaner technologies in future and in particular over the next decade.4

Modes of transport on which less tax is payable will become the modes of choice. Changes in

the employment market (e.g. in professional categories) have been noted as a result of shifting

patterns in trade and transportation modes. (Shifts in job types are discussed later in this report.)

An international study conducted by the World Maritime University (Schröder-Hinrichs et al.,

2019) explored modal shifts in the member countries of the European Union (EU) and the

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The latter grouping includes Indonesia,

Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei. It

can be inferred that the EU represents developed countries whereas ASEAN represents

developing countries. Much of the data on ASEAN are applicable to Africa; however, it is

important to note that Asian countries are technologically advanced and adopt new technologies

quickly.

The projection is that Africa will move in a direction similar to that of Asian nations but at a slower

pace due to its slower adoption of technology Figure 7 portray these findings.

Figure 7: Modal shifts in developed countries

Source: Eurostat; World Maritime University analysis and forecast (in Schröder-Hinrichs, Song, Fonseca, Lagdami, Shi, and Loer,

2019).

Figure 7 predicts that in developed countries the percentage of inland waterway navigation,

together with rail transport, is forecasted to increase as a result of the development of technology,

emission-control policies and renewable energy policies. The inland waterway transport system

is expected to increase 14.4% in 2040 compared to an increase of 4.3% in 2015. Rail transport

4 South African Government, 2019, ”President Cyril Ramaphosa Signs 2019 Carbon Tax Act into Law”.

26

is expected to increase up to 15.67% in 2040 compared to 12.3% in 2015. Conversely, road

transport will decrease, which could be attributed to the use of new technologies and the need

to reduce CO2 emissions. However, such trends must be looked at in a regional context also

and will need to be examined further.5.

Figure 8: Modal shifts in developing countries

Source: ASEAN StatsDataPortal; World Maritime University analysis and forecast (in Schröder-Hinrichs et al., 2019).

Figure 8 predicts an increase in rail and waterborne freight movements in developing countries.

Historically, the inland waterway transport mode was the least developed mode of transportation

in terms of volume. The situation is expected to change in future, since modal shifts are expected

due to emission-control policies and investments in infrastructure. Expectations are that, from

2015 to 2040, approximately 19.1% of all freight, which was previously transported by road, will

be transported by rail. For the period 2015 to 2040, substantial increases in maritime transport

(including 5.6% by inland waterways and 19.8% by sea) are forecasted. It is projected that road

transport, which made up 91% of developing countries’ transportation in 2015, might decrease

to 53.5% by 2040. This significant drop would be mainly due to new infrastructure.6

2.4.2 Digitalisation

Digitalisation refers to the adoption or increase in the use of digital or computer technology.

Digital technologies improve processes, lower costs and increase productivity (e.g. operation

and maintenance) and they are used to implement new business models that provide new

revenue and value-producing opportunities.7 Digitalisation is already significantly transforming

and impacting the transport industry. Digitalisation has the potential to reshape entire businesses

5 Schröder-Hinrichs, Song, Fonseca, Lagdami, Shi, and Loer, 2019, Transport 2040.

6 Schröder-Hinrichs, Song, Fonseca, Lagdami, Shi, and Loer, 2019, Transport 2040.

7 International Association of Public Transport (UITP), 2017, Digitalisation in Public Transport.

27

and offer them and their consumers more convenience. Automation and other new technologies

will be and are being introduced progressively within all transport sectors, but there will be sector-

specific differences. While this trend indicates a gradual introduction of technology, disruptive

technologies may emerge in selected subsectors, for example in airport passenger operations,

customer and sales services, passenger security check systems, luggage and cargo logistics,

taxi and local bus operations and, in the case of Europe, the train control system. 8

2.4.2.1 Four Clusters of Technology

Evolving technology trends can be discussed in the context of four technology clusters. By

clustering the technologies, a deeper understanding can be gained of why each of these

technologies is needed. The four clusters of technologies that can be identified are:9

1. Automation of vehicles and infrastructure (e.g. automated commuter trains, ships,

aeroplanes, cranes, control centres)

2. Maintenance of vehicles and infrastructure (e.g. condition-based maintenance,

inspection drones, repair robots, additive manufacturing of spare parts)

3. User interfaces for customers and equipment operators (e.g. chatbots for travel advice

and ticketing, customer service robots providing information and catering)

4. New services (e.g. mobility as a service, cross-modal transport on demand, availability-

oriented business models)

Automation of Vehicles and Infrastructure

The automation of vehicles and infrastructure can include the automation of tasks that are highly

complex and extremely difficult for human operators to control and/or of tasks that may be

repetitive and tedious. Tasks such as these (at all levels) promote human error; therefore the

aim of introducing automation is to assist operators of vehicles and infrastructure in performing

tasks that could be error-prone when performed by humans, as well as to free operators’ mental

resources to focus on strategic tasks.

Maintenance of Vehicles and Infrastructure

In order to maintain safety standards, the maintenance of vehicles and infrastructure is critically

important. Maintenance operations can be dangerous for humans, are time-consuming, and tend

to interrupt daily operations. To avoid these issues, maintenance is now often being done

remotely (by humans from a different location) or by robots.

User Interfaces for Customers and Equipment Operators

User interfaces aim to create safe, effective, efficient and satisfying experiences for people. User

interfaces replace the human component in a bid to save time and increase efficiency. A popular

example is online check-ins for flights and the self-help machines at airports. These systems aim

to make checking in at airports less frustrating and time-consuming. Virtual reality, telepresence,

augmented reality and mixed reality, in combination with digital twins and reliable data networks

with sufficient bandwidth, make it possible to remotely operate vehicles or maintenance

equipment by means of, for example, robots and inspection drones. Tele-medicine is a field that

already routinely allows for remote examinations and operations.

8 Schröder-Hinrichs et al., 2019, 21, Transport 2040.


28

New Services

The interconnectivity of transport modes makes it possible for the transport sector to develop

and create new services that will drive efficiency. Automation and the availability of real-time data

already have an impact on back-office processes; however, the potential for improved methods

of transport is huge. It is important to note that improvements in the transport sector are possible

without vehicle automation, but the economic benefit of automation will make it very appealing,

as is already evident in the case of transport operators such as Uber.

2.4.2.2 Drivers of Digitalisation

Three main drivers of digitalisation can be identified:

Consumers, particularly Generation Y members (born between 1980 and 1994), are fully

adjusted to the digital environment. They expect to be always connected and they are

increasingly willing to share their personal data.

Digital technology continues to expand. Affordable broadband is now available to billions

of people.

The economic benefits derived from digitalisation are immense. Capital has been

invested in new digitalisation technologies.10

The drivers of digitalisation are important in that they point to the external or internal factors that

trigger the digital transformation of businesses. In order to keep up with the ever-changing world

of technology, businesses need to know about digital shifts that are occurring in their industry.11

Which transport subsectors are affected?

Digitalisation affects all eight transport subsectors, namely road freight, rail, road passengers,

taxi, aerospace, maritime, forwarding and clearing, and freight handling. Digitalisation makes

cooperation between supply chain participants possible, provides better supply chain

visibility, allows for real-time management of traffic and cargo flows, simplifies and reduces

administration, and allows for the better use of infrastructure and resources, thereby

increasing efficiency and lowering costs.

What skills are needed?

The workforce will need to be upskilled in artificial intelligence and blockchain technology.

2.4.3 Shifts in International Trade

Land transport between China and the EU is growing visibly, and more rapid growth is expected

in coming years. Growing China-EU volumes, new investments, opportunities to quickly enlarge

land transport fleets and develop new trade route solutions (e.g. services and infrastructure), are

expected to stimulate development.12 New trade route solutions can be expected to transform

international trade, investment in transport infrastructure, and new cross-border services that

service providers offer. The transport sector and its key role players will benefit from the

modernisation of railways, motorways, telecommunications and other facilities. Trade channels

10 Sączek, Antonik, Babicz, Malkiewicz, and Matuszko, 2019, 8, Transport and Logistics Trends.

11 Osmundsen, Iden, and Bygstad, 2018, 5, “Digital Transformation.”

12 Sączek et al., 2019, 10, Transport and Logistics Trends.

29

between China and the EU are expected to expand rapidly in coming years. Such expansion

should lead to reduced transport costs and make the creation of new services possible.13


Changes in international trade will have a significant effect on rail and maritime transport

because these modes of transport are cheaper for bulk transports.


The workforce will need to be upskilled in technologies and will need to be creative to

revolutionise trade route solutions.

2.4.4 Software-Driven Process Changes

Software-driven process solutions, which benefit businesses greatly, are expected to grow over

the next decade. The development of basic technologies, such as artificial intelligence, the

Internet of Things, big data analysis and blockchain (distributed ledger technologies), and the

associated pressure on businesses to be effective create a favourable environment for the

development of software-driven process solutions.14 A benefit of software-driven processes is

that maintenance work can be performed remotely (an operator operates the system but is

offsite). This can increase safety and help minimise human error.

Software-driven process solutions in regard to the following are expected to transform the

transportation and logistics industry:

Intelligent transport systems

Process automation by robots

Foresighted solutions (e.g. for maintenance and delivery)

Blockchain and all other ledger technologies

Artificial intelligence solutions


Software-driven process changes affect all eight transport subsectors, namely road freight,

rail, road passengers, taxi, aerospace, maritime, forwarding and clearing, and freight

handling. Software is developing constantly and is helping to improve daily transactions and

efficiencies.


The workforce will need to be upskilled in robotic process automation and artificial intelligence

and will need to stay abreast of changes in software used every day, such as operating

systems (e.g. Windows, MacOs), office suites (e.g. Microsoft Office, G Suite), presentation

software (e.g. PowerPoint, Keynote), spreadsheets (e.g. Excel, Google Spreadsheets),

communication and collaboration tools (e.g. Slack, Skype), accounting software (e.g.

QuickBooks, FreshBooks, Xero), social media (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) and data

visualisation.

13 Mahnken, 2019, “5 Logistics Trends.”

14 Mahnken, 2019, “5 Logistics Trends.”

30

2.4.5 Changes in the Internal Market

Considerable changes in markets’ domestic business can be expected in the coming years. The

growth of e-commerce across regions, coupled with increasing levels of optimisation in transport,

is highly likely to create a push for sharing economy and integrating value chains between

transport and logistics companies, e-commerce and producers.15 Logistics and distribution

networks have evolved considerably over the last couple of years. From the time electronic

commerce was introduced, everything changed, including logistics. In fact, traditional logistics

chains are basically outdated. Traditional retail models do not provide for the moving of more

freight from one distribution centre to another. Today, some e-commerce companies are

experimenting with and contemplating employing drones for last-mile deliveries. Furthermore, as

the technology for autonomous or self-driving vehicles becomes more sophisticated and vehicles

conform to the requirements of the five levels of autonomous driving, e-commerce companies

can use these vehicles to deliver orders. These smart cars will further reduce delivery times and

allow for data to be gathered easily.


Changes in markets’ domestic business affect all eight transport subsectors, namely road

freight, rail, road passengers, taxi, aerospace, maritime, forwarding and clearing, and freight

handling. As e-commerce saves on transaction costs and improves consumer response

procedures, all industries will want to use it to conduct their transactions.


The workforce will need to be upskilled in using the internet advantageously and using tools

and technologies to assist in logistics management systems.

2.4.6 Machine-Driven Process Changes

Machine-driven process changes are expected to increase the efficiency of transport and

logistics services. These process changes will be made possible in the long term by the

development of basic technologies (including advances in electric mobility) and changes in

regulations. Machine-driven process changes will also be shaped by a growing focus on

environmental sustainability. In the long term, robotisation is expected to improve logistics

processes in supply chain management, warehousing and transport infrastructure. Electro-

mobility is also expected to have a moderate impact on transport and warehousing infrastructure

as well as on road transport, but innovative electro-mobility processes need to be developed first

to make them cost-effective. In addition, the use of augmented reality and mixed reality devices,

which can potentially improve the effectiveness of supply chain management, may become more

popular and will have a moderate impact.16


Machine-driven core process changes affect all eight transport subsectors, namely road

freight, rail, road passengers, taxi, aerospace, maritime, forwarding and clearing, and freight

15 Sączek et al., 2019, 10, Transport and Logistics Trends.

16 Sączek et al., 2019, 27–32, Transport and Logistics Trends.

31

handling, as all subsectors make use of machine-driven processes to improve efficiency and

raise profits.


The workforce will need to be upskilled in new technologies that are used for deliveries and

warehousing. These include:

Robotisation

Electro-mobility

Augmented reality and mixed reality devices

High-speed rail services

Optimisation of last-mile deliveries

2.5 Readiness to Introduce New Technologies

It is important to have a broad idea of how technologically advanced a country is, what the quality

of its infrastructure is, how effective its regulations and institutions are, what the features of its

human capital are, and how strong its political will is to invest in new technologies. Only then will

it be possible to ascertain the readiness of the country to introduce new technologies and

automation.17 The World Maritime University (Schröder-Hinrichs et al., 2019) assessed the

technological readiness of 17 countries on a scale of 0 to 10 (0 being the lowest and 10 being

the highest). Figure 9 presents the overall results of the assessment.


32

Figure 9: Technological readiness assessment of countries

From Figure 9 it can be deduced that although all countries will experience the impact of new

technologies, the degree of the impact will vary due to several factors and variables, for example

the quality of infrastructure, regulations and governance, and human capital. As shown countries

that demonstrate a higher readiness to introduce new technologies and automation are Australia

and the United States, and countries in East Asia, the Pacific region, and Europe. Countries

located in Africa and Latin America lag behind in respect of technological advancement,

investment, regulation, governance, and infrastructure in all economic sectors including maritime

transport.18

2.6 The Fourth Industrial Revolution and How It Affects the Transport Sector

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) refers to a technological revolution that fundamentally

alters the way we live, work, and relate to one another. The 4IR has already begun and has the

potential to raise global income levels and improve the quality of life for populations around the


33

world. To date, those who have gained the most from it have been consumers able to afford and

access the digital world. As far as the transport sector is concerned, technology has made

possible new products and services and greater efficiency, and it has brought the world closer

together. Technology has advanced to such a level that booking a flight, buying products, making

an electronic fund transfer, listening to music, watching a movie, or playing a game can all be

done remotely. Figure 10 below is a graphical presentation of the progression of the various

industrial revolutions.

Figure 10: Progression of the various industrial revolutions

Source: Deloitte (2018).

2.6.1 Skills for the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Millions of young people around the world are unemployed or underemployed, while employers

have jobs they cannot fill. It is a challenge partially embedded in the growing mismatch between

the youths’ skills and the employers’ needs. If left unaddressed, the problem will intensify as the

4IR transforms society, economies, jobs, and people’s personal lives.19 It is predicted that by

2025 over one-third of skills (35%) that are considered important in today’s workforce will have

changed. For the 1.8 billion global youth who today are between the ages of 15 and 29, this

revolution will significantly shape their roles as future workers, consumers, and competitors.20

The 4IR has brought advanced robotics and autonomous transport, artificial intelligence and

machine learning, advanced materials, biotechnology and genomics.21 These developments are

transforming and will further transform the way we live and work. Some jobs will disappear, others

will grow, and jobs that do not even exist today will become the norm. The future workforce will

need to adapt and evolve. The demand for technological skills has been growing since 2002,

has accelerated from 2016, and is predicted to further accelerate by 2030. The need for social

19 Deloitte, 2018, 16, Tomorrow’s Workforce.

20 Deloitte, 2018, 5, Tomorrow’s Workforce.

21 TETA, 2018, Strategic Plan.

34

and emotional skills will also accelerate. However, the ned for both basic cognitive skills and

physical and manual skills will decline. If skill shifts can be understood, then the required focus

can be placed on upskilling and training within the correct skills categories. Figure 11 displays

the evolution that has already occurred in main skill categories and predicts the shifts that will

have occurred by 2030 skills categories. Figure 11 displays the evolution that has already

occurred in main skill categories and predicts the shifts that will have occurred by 2030.

Figure 11: Historical skill shifts from 2002 to 2016 and modelled skill shifts going forward to 2030

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics; McKinsey Global Institute analysis (in Bughin, Hazan, Lund, Dahström, Wiesinger and

Subramaniam, 2018).

A survey done by the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the future of software

and society shows that people expect artificial intelligence machines to be part of a company’s

board of directors by 2026.22 Each industry will experience different changes. Mobile internet and

cloud technologies are already having an impact on the way we work. The use of artificial

intelligence, 3D printing and advanced materials is still at an early stage, but the pace is picking

up fast. Figure 13 depicts the nine pillars of the 4IR. These pillars outline the new technologies

that manufacturers are using to improve all areas of production processes. It is crucial to become

familiar with the nine pillars of the 4IR as they are expected to have an extensive impact across

all industries and society.

22 Gray, 2016, The 10 skills you need to thrive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution .

35

Figure 12: The nine pillars of the 4IR (Industry 4.0)

Source: LCR4.0 (in Du Preez 2019).

2.6.2 What Specific Skills Are Needed for the Fourth Industrial Revolution?

Building on the foundational skills of literacy and numeracy and considering what the future

workforce will look like and what will be required of them, it is possible to identify skill categories

that will be needed in future. These categories provide a frame to prepare the youth for a future

in which jobs and required skills will evolve constantly, and in which agility and continuous

learning will provide a foundation for growth. Automation has accelerated and will continue to

accelerate the shift in workforce skills that are required. The demand for basic digital skills as

well as advanced technological skills, such as programming, will increase, and the skills will

become more advanced. However, there is a clear gap between developed and developing

countries regarding technological skills that will be required in the future because developing

countries are slower in adopting new technologies due to, for example, a lack of infrastructure.

The 4IR will require not only technology-based skills but also social and emotional skills, for

example skills that are needed to lead and manage people effectively. Creativity will be an

36

essential skill the new emerging workforce will be required to have. Jobs will need to be redefined

and agility will be needed in the workplace. Table 8 below represents the skills categories that

the youth will need for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, along with the purpose for these skills

and how these skills can be developed in order to equip employees for the future.

37

Table 8: Skills categories that the youth will need for the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Skill

Categories

Definition Purpose Examples Teaching & Training

Methodology

Workforce

readiness

Foundational to individuals’ entry and

ongoing success in the workplace,

ranging from doing an initial job search

to maintaining continuous employment

To support the youth in finding and

securing employment and

succeeding within the workplace

Literacy, numeracy, digital literacy, resume

writing, self-presentation, time

management, professionalism, etiquette,

social norms

Team-based

Project-based

Practical application

Experiential case

simulation

Business exposure

Job shadowing

Mentorship

Coaching

Soft skills Personal attributes, social skills and

communication abilities that support

interpersonal relationships and

interactions with others

To support the youth in integrating

and collaborating with internal and

external workplace stakeholders

such as customers, co-workers, and

management

Communication, critical thinking, creative

thinking, collaboration, adaptability,

initiative, leadership, social emotional

learning, teamwork, self-confidence,

empathy, growth mindset, cultural

awareness

Technical

skills

Knowledge and capabilities to perform

specialised tasks

To give the youth technical or domain

expertise to perform job-specific

tasks

Computer programming, coding, project

management, financial management,

mechanical functions, scientific tasks,

technology-based skills and other job-

specific skills (e.g. nursing, farming, law)

Entreprene

ur-ship

Knowledge and abilities that support

success in creating and building a

workplace opportunity or idea

To support the youth in establishing

their own business, entering into

freelance, contract or gig work,

and/or developing as self-starters

within a work environment

Initiative, innovation, creativity,

industriousness, resourcefulness,

resilience, ingenuity, curiosity, optimism,

risk-taking, courage, business acumen,

business execution

Lifelong Learning

A continuous process of gaining new knowledge and skills as individuals’ progress through their professional and personal careers.

38

2.6.3 Building the Workforce of the Future

Workforces will need to concentrate on upskilling in the next decade to ensure they have the

right skills that the new technologies require. The success of a new workforce will be evidenced

by workers’ ability to keep up with all the changes in the work environment and to evolve and

adapt continuously. The workforce of the future needs to willingly embrace technological change

and creativity. Talent strategies (e.g. attracting new employees) need to improve and evolve

continuously. Talent strategies should focus on the youth and the skills they will need by 2030.

Attention should be paid to each quadrant of an employee’s life cycle. Figure 13 represents the

important aspects of the employee life cycle.

Figure 13: Employee life cycle

Source: Deloitte (2018)

39

2.7 Secondary Research Recommendations

Automation and technology will continue to have significant implications and impacts on future

workforces and the skills they will need. At present, the fast pace of technological developments

is overwhelming. New technologies are and will be transforming workforces and work processes.

Although automation and other new technologies have the potential to transform future jobs and

the structure of the labour force, the transformation process will be evolutionary rather than

revolutionary. It has to be acknowledged that the global demand for transport workers will change

due to technological advances, in particular as regards automation. Technology has the potential

to reduce manpower requirements, but the trend to expand international trade can

counterbalance this.

TETA needs to focus on providing training in robotic process automation and artificial

intelligence. These technologies have featured throughout this document. It is also important to

offer training in software applications because they change continually. Software skills are

extremely useful especially in respect of remote working. Upskilling and re-training staff will save

jobs.

Table 9: Summary of Skills focus area

Focus Area Why? How?

1. Technical skills We are currently in the 4IR era,

which requires many technical

skills that relate to artificial

intelligence, robotics and

automation. In order to stay

ahead, technical training is

essential. Digitalisation is

changing the nature of jobs

daily. Jobs that exist today may

not exist in 2030, and some

jobs that will exist in 2030 do

not exist now.

Upskilling and training in

computer programming, coding,

project management, financial

management, mechanical

functions, scientific tasks,

technology-based skills, and other

job-specific skills (e.g. nursing,

farming, law)

2. Soft skills Creativity and forward-thinking

are skills that are in high

demand and will be in high

demand in 2030, as

developing new technology

requires creativity and other

soft skills.

Communication, critical thinking,

creative thinking, collaboration,

adaptability, initiative, leadership,

social-emotional learning,

teamwork, self-confidence,

empathy, growth mindset, cultural

awareness

3. Entrepreneurship The economy has a lot of

space for entrepreneurs and

forward-thinkers.

Initiative, innovation, creativity,

industriousness, resourcefulness,

resilience, ingenuity, curiosity,

optimism, risk-taking, courage,

business acumen, business

execution

40

Four primary challenges that TETA needs to consider regarding youth workforce development

are:

1. Reimagine 4IR as a unique opportunity to be welcomed, not a problem to be confronted.

2. Reposition discrete and disconnected programmes as a system-wide, unified set of

approaches.

3. Realign toward achieving both scale and impact, rather than framing solutions as scale

versus impact. When understanding scale and impact consideration must be given to the

following points:

a. Is scale considered in terms of an idea, a program, or a policy?

b. Is scaling measured by increasing participation or expanding to a new

geography?

c. How is impact measured?

d. How scale is best achieved given available resources?

e. How are digital platforms and technology being developed and leveraged in light

of barriers in terms of access and equity?

4. Reframe the possibilities available for marginalised youth, including those who historically

have been difficult to reach, and pay particular attention to women and girls.

Once these challenges have been addressed, successful workforce development can occur.

41

Section 3: The Voice of the Employers

This section provides a detailed analysis of the results from the employer survey. The section is

divided into three broad areas: the skills needs in the transport sector, employers’ perception of

TETA and the training courses it funds, and the value of skills programmes to employers and

beneficiaries.

3.1 Skills Needs in the Transport Sector

The first question in the survey was an open-ended one asking the responding employers which

categories of skilled employees were the hardest to find. The responses to this question tended

to be specific to each subsector; for example, Aerospace required aircraft technicians whereas

Maritime needed skippers. This question brought a few general issues to the fore, including:

All the subsectors/chambers needed qualified female candidates. Of all the comments,

10% referred to this need. It seemed especially hard to recruit female drivers for the Road

and Rail subsectors.

In addition to the difficulty of finding employees with technical skills, employers found it

hard to find employees with general skills such as operations-, administration- and IT-

related skills.

I believe that there is skills shortage across the board and in turn the same resources

move between businesses. There needs to be basic business and admin skills given to

all levels. (Employer from Road Freight)

Middle managerial positions were also often hard to fill.

Most employers agreed that there was a skills gap in their subsectors. Road Freight employers

were less likely to perceive a gap, whereas other subsectors, such as Aerospace, Maritime and

Freight Handling, identified a skills gap. Figure 14 indicates the percentage of respondents from

each chamber/subsector who identified a skills gap.

Figure 14: Percentage of respondents from each chamber who identified a skills gap in the subsector

The skills that employers planned to provide to entry-level staff and staff with at least one to three

years’ work experience differed from subsector to subsector, yet many common themes were

identified. These themes are presented in Table 10.

85%

76%

85% 88%

78% 70%

80%

Aerospace(n = 20)

Forwarding &Clearing (n = 21)

Freight Handling(n = 20)

Maritime(n = 24)

Rail(n = 9)

Road Freight(n = 57)

Road Passenger(n = 20)

42

Table 10: Summary of skills training planned/required per level

Training of entry-level staff Training of staff with one to three years’

experience

Top three skills mentioned:

Employers regarded training in soft skills,

such as communication and business

ethics, as especially important.

At least 11% of employers mentioned the

importance of computer skills training for

entry-level staff.

Employers planned providing for sales

and customer care training.

Other skills mentioned in which training was

required:

Health and safety training, especially for

entry-level staff

Administrative skills

Literacy and adult education and training

Employers started to prepare these

employees for management

positions or for more advanced

technical positions.

In the Maritime subsector, for

example, many employers planned

to provide mate and skipper training.

Supervisory and management

training (e.g. in leadership skills,

problem-solving, and time

management) became important.

Employers who employed drivers

started sending them for training in

advanced or defensive driving.

3.2 Perception of TETA and TETA-Funded Training

This section presents the views of employers in the transport sector of TETA and the training it

funds. It focuses on skills training and also looks more broadly at the role of TETA and the variety

of training options offered.

3.2.1 Perception of TETA

The survey employed a projective questioning technique, namely that of association, to

determine employers’ perception of TETA. Porr et al. (2011) defines projection as the way in

which individuals assign subjective perceptions, feelings, and desires to other people or

objects without the inhibition of rational scrutiny. In the case of this study, respondents were

asked to associate TETA with one of the animals presented through pictures (see Figure 15)

and to provide a reason for their association.

Customer service and brand perspective are not directly related to the tracing skills

programme beneficiaries – from where they were to where they are today. It is however

related to the impact that TETA makes in the industry and when one considers that ultimately

the skills programmes offered to make an impact, these aspects are therefore not totally

unrelated. The TETA leadership team can use this information not only in the context of the

skills programmes but to grow the impact they have in all learning intervention areas. It

should be used as indicative and exploratory concepts of brand identity.

Of interest to this study was not respondents’ choice of animal (elephant (31%); tiger (21%);

fox (11%); sheep (20%); cow (9%); snake (2%); shark (1%)) but the reasons for their choice.

Understanding their reasons for associating TETA with specific animals provided the real

insight the study wanted to gain from implementing the projective questioning technique.

43

Figure 15 depicts the typical qualities of the animals that could have triggered an association

between a specific animal and TETA. Associations with the tiger, dog and elephant are

mostly regarded as positive, although the elephant also conveys the idea of slowness, as

does the sheep. The sheep, fox and cow generally have negative associations. These are

the main trends, although each animal (e.g. the fox) also has positive associations.

Figure 15: Infographic of brand perception through association

Some of the comments (presented verbatim) that typified employers’ reasons for choosing a

specific animal include:

Elephant

I feel TETA is a large organisation and that they are willing to help, so non-threatening, but

everything takes long to happen, and they are slow. Also, they have very qualified agents

willing to assist above and beyond, but the office staff can never assist when you walk in,

and don't get back to you.

I think TETA is big as an elephant because it helps out a lot with funding and it is all over, not

limiting to one province. They are the Giant in assisting with skills and all other related issues.

Because it is a big organisation and takes care of all the organisations it is affiliated with, like

the elephant takes care of its children.

Tiger

TETA has made a significant impact on the industry by supporting the Maritime sector.

Because I feel that TETA takes charge of its industry and in leading providers into the right

direction.

Tiger represents competitiveness and courage, which the section requires.

44

Dog

[It is] trustworthy and reliable.

The little that I experienced – they are very helpful to answer your question but they don’t say

why.

You are making sure that we obey by the rules (watchdog).

Sheep

[I] don’t believe the TETA is actively engaging and looking for training opportunities with

companies (to assist staff to grow).

[They are] mild in their approach, but need constant persuading to follow industry train of

thought.

A sheep is very vulnerable and easy to lead; however, TETA has not been very transparent

with leading, and the ways to capitalising on the Discretionary Grant has been poor.

Cow

I chose the cow because I think they look as if they [are] well fed, require a huge amount of

effort to produce the goods despite giving the facts and figures.

A cow provides sustenance with milk and beef (required training programmes) and has to be

maintained with expensive nutrients and dips (extensive and detailed reporting

requirements).

Because it provides milk and meat for people to survive.

Fox

[I] struggle to get a response from TETA – as shy as a fox.

My feeling is that they will listen at problems and find solutions to that problems.

They rarely respond to emails nor answer switchboard, so they are never there.

3.2.2 Using TETA-Funded Training

Learnerships (43%), followed by skills programmes (28%), are the most popular forms of TETA-

funded training that employers used (see Figure 16).

45

Figure 16: Use of TETA-funded training over the past few years (N = 178)

It seemed that four in 10 employers had not used any of the training options (see Figure 16) over

the past few years (from FY 2016/17 to FY 2018/19). Their reasons for not making use of these

training options are presented in Table 11. Often, employers were not sure how to go about

making use of the TETA skills programmes (29%). Some employers decided not to participate

in the training programmes as it took too long to obtain the funding (20%). Addressing these

reasons for not using the TETA-funded training is within the control of TETA through improved

service delivery and marketing and communication efforts.

Table 11: Reasons for not using TETA-funded training (n = 69)

Percentage

Don’t know how to go about doing this. 29%

It takes too long to get the funding from the TETA. 20%

We have just not thought about it yet/not gotten around to it. 19%

Our company is too small. 17%

There are no relevant courses or training programmes that meet our needs. 13%

The funding from TETA is not enough. 7%

We don’t perceive the training to offer value for money. 3%

Other 35%

Comments left in the “Other” answer category indicated that some companies were too new to

the sector to have made use of the training offered, whereas other employers seemed to be

struggling financially. An example of such a comment is given below:

Company trying to keep its head above water at the moment and we are trying to keep

people in jobs. Last four years have been tough financially for our company.

Table 12 indicates the distribution per subsector of training undertaken through TETA. A large

percentage of the employers from the Road Freight and Freight Handling subsectors did not

undertake TETA-funded training over the past few years (51% and 45% respectively indicated

“none of these”). Road Passenger employers and Forwarding and Clearing employers made

significant use of learnerships whereas Rail and Aerospace undertook apprenticeships more

often than did other subsectors. Maritime employers found short skills programmes especially

useful.

43%

12% 12%

28%

2%

39%

TETA-fundedlearnerships

TETA-fundedapprenticeships

Bursaries throughTETA

TETA-fundedSkills programmes

TETA-funded AETprogrammes

None of these

46

Table 12: TETA-funded training used per sector (n = 110)

Learner-ships

Apprentice-ships

Bursaries through TETA

Skills training

AET None of these

Aerospace 30% 40% 10% 30% 0% 30%

Forwarding & Clearing

67% 5% 10% 33% 5% 24%

Freight Handling 35% 0% 10% 15% 0% 45%

Maritime 38% 4% 29% 54% 4% 25%

Rail 33% 44% 11% 33% 0% 33%

Road Freight 42% 7% 7% 18% 2% 51%

Road Passenger 65% 20% 15% 35% 5% 25%

Note: AET = Adult Education Training

Employers were asked to provide their perspectives on the value that TETA’s different training

programmes had or could have for their subsector even if they had not made use of these

programmes. Many of those who had not used the training nevertheless opted to answer “don’t

know”, and these answers were left out in preparing a graphic representation (see Figure 17) of

the value employers perceived the training to have.

Figure 17: Perceived value of the training to the transport subsectors (excluding “don’t know” answers)

Training programmes were generally seen as having great value to the subsectors. It was found

that rail employers used apprenticeships more often (78%) and attached more value to

apprenticeships than did other subsectors.

3.2.3 TETA Service Perceptions

Employers who had made use of TETA training over the past few years were probed about their

experience of working with TETA. This section therefore excludes those who had not used any

TETA training over the past few years, and the base size of this part of the survey was 110

respondents.

As can be seen in Figure 18, many employers agreed that TETA played a particularly important

role in the transport sector. Employers in the Maritime subsector especially strongly agreed

(69%) with this statement. On the other hand, the Rail and Aerospace subsectors regarded TETA

as playing a small role.

73% 57%

65% 76%

45%

22%

30% 24%

19%

36%

5% 13% 11% 6%19%

Value oflearnerships (n =

170)

Value ofapprenticeships (n =

158)

Value of bursariesthrough TETA (n =

163)

Value of skillsprogrammes (n=

169)

Value of AETprogrammes (n =

155)

No value

A little

A lot

47

Figure 18: Importance of the role of TETA to each subsector

In the employers’ view, the process of applying for training was relatively efficient, although there

was room for improvement (see Figure 19). The employers expressed the opinion that funding

for training could be increased (for the percentages see Figure 19).

Figure 19: Perception of TETA value and service delivery (n = 110)

The Maritime subsector was a notable outlier as its employers found the process of applying for

training much easier than did the other subsectors’ employers (56% strongly agreed). The Road

Freight and Forwarding and Clearing subsectors found the process to lack efficiency. The

availability of adequate funding was a concern raised by the Aerospace subsector (43%

disagreed, strongly disagreed).

A general issue that emerged in several studies conducted for TETA was the timely issuing of

certificates. As indicated in Figure 20, employers generally felt that although learners received

the required certificates after completion of their training, it took TETA too long to issue the

certificates (52%).

The certification of short skills programmes refers more to a layman's interpretation of the word

‘certification’ – as a proof of successful completion of training. For example, without any

14%

50%

36%

69%

17%

58%

60%

36%

44%

36%

19%

50%

19%

27%

29%

6%

9%

13%

33%

23%

13%

14%

18%

7%Aerospace (n = 14)

Forwarding & Clearing (n= 16)

Freight Handling (n = 11)

Maritime (n = 16)

Rail (n = 6)

Road Freight (n = 26)

Road Passenger (n = 15)

Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree

19% 17%

45% 35%

23%

24%

7% 18%

2% 6%

The process of applying for the trainingwith the TETA is relatively efficient

The funding provided is generallyadequate

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Neutral

Agree

Strongly agree

48

acknowledgement of training completed, how would a seaman show his qualifications to be

allowed on a ship?

Figure 20: Employers' perception of the promptness with which learners receive certificates (n = 110)

3.3 Value Derived from TETA-Funded Skills Programmes

This section focuses specifically on skills programmes. To explore the experiences of employers,

we questioned those (50 in total) who had offered short skills training programmes over the past

few years. The statistics provided are based on the full sample of 50 respondents as the sample

sizes of individual subsectors were too small to work with.

We found that employers offered skills training to their employees only (48%) or to both their

employees and the unemployed (48%). Short skills training programmes were seldom offered to

unemployed individuals only.

Figure 21: Those to whom employers provide skills training (n = 50)

The remainder of this section is divided into two subsections: the first focuses on the benefits

that employers derive from skills training, and the second section presents the employers’ views

on the value of the training to beneficiaries.

3.3.1 Value Employers Derive from Skills Training

Employers were asked to respond to several statements pertaining to the value that employers

derive from TETA skills programmes. As indicated in Table 13, most employers felt that the skills

training produced well-trained individuals (74%). Even though there is a variety of training

options, not many respondents agreed that the range was sufficient (40% did not agree).

35%

53%

12%

Yes, learners receive theircertificates promptly

Sometimes it has taken time/toolong

We have seen that some studentsnever receive their certificates

Both employees and unemployed

48%Employees only48%

Unemployed individuals only

4%

49

Table 13: Employers’ views on skills programmes (n =50)

Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree

Strongly disagree

Once trained, employees have the right skills for the position they were trained for.

30% 44% 24% 2% 0%

TETA skills programmes cover the range of skills needed in the subsector.

26% 34% 26% 14% 0%

Employers were asked to specify how the skills programmes had helped them. Their comments

(presented verbatim) are listed below under the themes that emerged once the responses had

been analysed.

Skills programmes give employees a broad perspective.

It gives a broader understanding [of] and insight into the business. Helps employees to better understand the position that they are appointed to fill.

Improvement of skills leads to improvement of morale and productivity.

It improves productivity and hence our company works with people, they had gained good customer relationship skills. Employees that are regularly trained for their work are very productive and it helps them to understand their work better, all for the benefit of employees and the company. Improving skills to improve productivity and ability

Skills training develops the soft skills of employees, which includes having more

confidence.

It definitely contributes to their self-esteem and confidence, understanding of the business, and in some instances hard skills.

Skills training develops a learning culture.

Help with building the learning culture. It helps the organisation especially when employed learners who has not studied for a long period takes on a learnership. We find that these employees move out of their comfort zone and create new goals for themselves.

Through undergoing skills training, employees who have experience are given an

opportunity to get formal recognition.

It helps my company by bridging the gap in qualifications; most people have the

experience but no qualifications.

Skills training helps employees keep up with new developments in their

subsectors.

50

Short skills programmes help employees to keep up with new developments in their daily

duties.

Short skills training programmes allow employees to learn without spending a lot

of time away from work.

Short courses are great especially when employees cannot be off work for long periods of time due to operational demands.

Some of the negative comments that this question elicited showed that a few employers

experienced problems with TETA’s service delivery and regarded the funding as insufficient.

Skills programmes are vital to the organisation but the amount of funding allocated and the process to claim it is not worth the amount we actually get. For example, a vital course costing around R1 300 per learner will only give us about R500 funding and to apply for it and claim it costs more in man hours than we get out. Courses are great. Access to TETA, paperwork, applications etc. are cumbersome and a waste of my team’s time and productivity. Can we just make it free, easy and accessible for corporates? It is our money, we contribute—there are no means of exploiting TRAINING as the people want and NEED it; why does the vehicle to this training have to be an inevitable worthless exercise. The grant funded in rands was not enough to cover the total cost of the skills programme.

Without the assistance of TETA’s funding, 26% of companies would stop offering these types of

training. Although some companies might fund training from their own pockets, it is likely to hurt

them financially, with the result that many of them might eventually decide not to offer training to

employees. The unemployed would be the first to be affected by such a decision.

We wouldn’t be able to afford skill training.

It would have a detrimental effect not just on our business model but other smaller companies that rely on us for training their staff, unemployed persons and other Maritime individuals.

3.3.2 Employers’ Views on the Value of Skills Training to Beneficiaries

In addition to asking employers to give their views on the value they placed on skills training (see

section 3.3.1), they were asked about the possible value that skills training had for beneficiaries.

As indicated in Figure 22, the employers expressed the opinion that beneficiaries who had

undergone skills training had an advantage, even during the recruitment process already.

51

Figure 22: Advantage that applicants with skills training have during the recruitment process (n = 48)

As shown in Table 13, employers indicated that employees who had had skills training had an

advantage in the workplace over other employees who had the same work experience but had

not undergone skills training.

Table 14: Advantage that employees with skills training have in the workplace (n = 48)


Strongly disagree

Skills-trained individuals have an advantage in the workplace over individuals with the same experience but without skills training.

32% 50% 12% 6% 0%

The advantage of skills training is that it might put individuals in a better position as far as salaries

and promotions are concerned. Of the employers, 58% indicated that an employee with no work

experience was likely to earn more than an employee without skills training. In addition, 68% of

the employers indicated that this advantage increased for employees who had work experience

(see Figure 23).

Figure 23: Earnings implication for skills-trained employees (n = 48)

Half of the employers agreed that employees with skills training had an advantage when it came

to getting promoted. However, 44% of the employers felt that this advantage depended on the

type of skills training the employees had received (see Figure 24).

Yes39%

Only certain skills programmes

40%

No, not really 21%

42%

31%

23%

4%

32%

40%

19%

9%

The same really asbefore/without

A little bit more thanbefore/ without

A lot more thanbefore/without

A significant increase

No work experience

1-3 years of work experience

52

Figure 24: Advantage skills-trained beneficiaries have in terms of promotion and career progression (n = 48)

Therefore, from the perspective of employers, skills training gave beneficiaries an advantage.

Employers expressed the opinion that the training could probably be made more accessible to

beneficiaries from a geographic point of view (see Table 15).

Table 15: Employer perception of geographic access to training


Strongly disagree

Geographically it is easy for learners to access training providers.

20% 38% 18% 14% 10%

The next section explores the views of the beneficiaries on the value of skills training.

Yes50%

Only certain skills programmes

44%

No, not really6%

53

Section 4: The Voice of the Beneficiaries

Section 4 presents the results of the beneficiary survey. Based on the total population sample of

1 614 (see Section 1, paragraph 1.3.3), the sample of 500 beneficiaries who had already

completed the TETA skills training represented 31% of the total population trained. The section

below (4.1) introduces the responding beneficiaries in terms of their demographic profile. The

section after that (4.2) focuses on the potential economic benefit of skills training to beneficiaries,

and section 4.3 looks at the non-economic impact of skills training. The last section touches on

beneficiaries’ satisfaction with the training and the challenges they faced during training.

4.1 Beneficiary Profile

The gender distribution of the survey was 60% men and 40% women. Overall, the sample was

skewed in that it favoured the youth—65% were 35 years of age or younger (i.e. the South African

official classification of youth). At the time of the survey, 26% of the respondents were aged

between 35 and 50. Some respondents could have fallen in the youth category when undergoing

training two to three years previously. Of the respondents, 9% were over the age of 50, and the

oldest respondent was aged 72.

Figure 25 shows the age distribution by gender. Within the different age categories, the men

tended to be slightly older than the women.

Figure 25: Age and gender distribution of the beneficiary sample (n = 500)

Those who had undergone training in the Maritime and Freight Handling subsectors were mostly

men whereas trainees in the Aerospace and Forwarding and Clearing subsectors were mostly

women. The sample’s gender distribution by subsector is indicated in Table 16. No results are

shown for the Road Passenger subsector as the sample of only three respondents did not

provide enough responses to reflect a reliable view.

54

Table 16: Gender distribution by subsector (n = 500)

Gender Aerospace (n = 40)

F&C (n = 44)

FH (n = 14)

Rail (n =139)

RF (n = 109

Maritime (n = 58)

Taxi (n = 93)

Men 35% 34% 79% 58% 58% 88% 65%

Women 65% 66% 21% 42% 42% 12% 35%

Note: F&C = Forwarding and Clearing; FH = Freight Handling; RF = Road Freight.

All the subsectors offered skills training to older beneficiaries too, but the Maritime subsector had

a higher percentage of beneficiaries over the age of 50 than did any of the other subsectors

(19%) (see Table 17).

Table 17: Age distribution of beneficiaries by subsector

Age Aero (n = 40)

F&C (n = 44)

FH (n = 14)

Rail (n =139)

RF (n = 109

Maritime (n = 58)

Taxi (n = 93)

18–25 23% 14% 29% 20% 13% 7% 9%

26–35 58% 61% 36% 40% 60% 38% 60%

36–50 13% 23% 29% 33% 19% 36% 23%

Over 50 8% 2% 7% 7% 8% 19% 9%


The interviews held with fishermen in Arniston in the Western Cape revealed that the older

fishermen had been the first to undergo training as they had already been plying their trade and

could benefit immediately from the training. They indicated that the plan was for the youth to take

up the next offer of training.

The beneficiaries interviewed were spread across the country, with the most being in Gauteng

(21%), Free State (19%) and Western Cape (20%) (see Figure 26).

Figure 26: Geographic distribution of beneficiaries (n = 500)

55

Figure 27 indicates the race distribution of beneficiaries. Black South Africans benefited most

from the skills training (74%) followed by beneficiaries in the coloured group (21%).

Figure 27: Race distribution of the beneficiary sample (n = 500)

The range of skills training that the sample had undertaken was wide, and most training had

been completed in 2016, 2017 and 2018 whereas a few had done training in 2019 (which fell in

the FY 18/19 category). Three respondents recalled doing the training earlier, although it is

feasible that, given the lapse of time, their recall could have been poor. It is also possible that

beneficiaries had completed more than one skills training course over the past few years. Indeed,

as indicated in Figure 28, 18% of the beneficiaries surveyed had completed two to three skills

programmes whereas an additional 7% had done more than three different training programmes.

In the Maritime subsector it was common for fishermen to complete a range of programmes that

they would need to operate safely at sea. In the Rail subsector, 28% of respondents indicated

having completed multiple training programmes. In contrast, respondents from the Freight

Handling subsector tended to have completed only one skills course (100%), as did those in the

Aerospace (80%), Forwarding and Clearing (90%) and Taxi (84%) subsectors.

Figure 28: Number of skills training courses completed (n = 500)

Training courses attended by respondents covered a range of different TETA-funded skills

training programmes. Examples of these included training for divers, business preparation and

safety courses such as in firefighting and first aid, and training in specific skills such as spray

painting, welding and automotive repair.

Black74%

Coloured21%

Indian2%

White3%

One skills course75%

2 - 3 different skills courses

18%

More than 3 different skills

courses7%

56

4.2 Economic Benefits

The economic benefits to beneficiaries of undergoing skills training are discussed in terms of

employment opportunity, current employment, and income potential.

4.2.1 Employment Opportunity

Figure 29 shows the employment status of the surveyed beneficiaries prior to completing skills

training as well as at the time the survey was conducted (i.e. February 2020). 56% of the

beneficiaries were unemployed at the start of their training, compared to 50% at the time of the

survey. Although this indicated a decrease of 6% in unemployment, the net benefit that training

had on employment was only 3% as 3% of the beneficiaries pursued full-time studies as they

were unable to find employment. The calculation of this net benefit took into consideration that

8% of the employed beneficiaries had lost their jobs since completing the skills training a few

years ago, relative to the 11% of unemployed beneficiaries who had found employment since.

Figure 29: Employment status before and at present (after skills training)

Table 18 indicates that all sectors provided training to both employed and unemployed

individuals, although the percentage of unemployed beneficiaries who received training was

especially high in the Taxi (68%) and Aerospace (70%) subsectors.

Table 18: Employment status at the start of skills training by subsector

Aero (n = 40)

F&C (n = 44)

FH (n = 14)

Rail (n =139)

RF (n = 109

Maritime (n = 58)

Taxi (n = 93)

Employed 30% 45% 50% 45% 41% 67% 29%

Self-employed 0% 0% 0% 0% 1% 2% 3%

Unemployed 70% 55% 50% 55% 58% 31% 68%


A review of the beneficiaries’ employment status by subsector at the time of the survey revealed

increases in net employment in all subsectors with the exception of Maritime and Taxi. Rail

showed a very small increase in net employment.

57

Table 19: Employment status at time of survey (2020) per sector

Status Aero (n = 40)

F&C (n = 44)

FH (n = 14)

Rail (n =139)

RF (n = 109

Maritime (n = 58)

Taxi (n = 93)

Employed 45% 48% 64% 46% 50% 60% 28%

Self-employed 0% 0% 0% 2% 2% 2% 1%

Unemployed 50% 52% 29% 49% 45% 38% 67%

Full-time student 5% 0% 7% 3% 3% 0% 4%


The employment trends by gender are shown in Figure 30. Female beneficiaries were most likely

to have been unemployed before they had undergone training and 22% appeared to have found

employment after completing their training. Men, on the other hand, appeared more likely to have

been employed already at the time of completing the survey (56%) and they experienced no

major shifts or changes in employment since completing the training.

Figure 30: Employment trends by gender

Those who were self-employment at the time of the survey tended to run a one-person business,

such as that of a freelance software developer, a mechanic doing odd jobs, a caregiver or a

farmer selling livestock. Only one beneficiary operated a business large enough to employ other

people. This beneficiary was a fisherman who had his own boat and could provide jobs for other

fishermen. One other beneficiary had used his transport skills training to open a school transport

business, but he was supporting only himself at the time of the survey. Therefore, it seemed that

entrepreneurship was not a particularly common way for beneficiaries of the soft-skills

programme to seek to alleviate unemployment.

Figure 31 indicates that it was mostly experienced employees who benefited from skills training.

Of those who were already employed when they undertook the skills training, 53% had more

than five years’ work experience. It was therefore not surprising to find that the employed

beneficiaries of skills training tended to be older, whereas the youths who undertook skills

training were unemployed.

90%

64%

43% 40%

4%

2%

10%

32%

56% 55%

Prior to skillstraining

At present(2020)

Prior to skillstraining

At present(2020)

Women Men

Self-employed

Employed

Studying full time

Unemployed

58

Figure 31: Work experience of employed beneficiaries offered training (n = 188)

While 50% of skills training beneficiaries are still unemployed at the time of the survey, most of

these individuals believed that their chances of getting employment were better after having done

the skills training. However, 35% of these individuals were not so positive.

Figure 32: Unemployed beneficiaries’ perception of future employment opportunities (n = 249)

Most unemployed individuals planned to keep on searching for work (95%), whereas a few were

also considering furthering their studies (6%). Only four indicated that they were no longer going

to look for work. These were beneficiaries who had never really expected to receive economic

benefit from the training, such as housewives.

4.2.2 Employment at the Time of the Survey

It appears that the type of employment generated by the skills training was mostly contract work

and not permanent positions (see Figure 33). Women were more likely than men to be in contract

positions (26% vs. 11%). Of the employed beneficiaries, 66% worked in the private sector and

33% in the public sector.

6%

26%

15%

53%

Less than a year 1 to 3 years 3 - 5 years More than 5 years

Better than before the skills training

65%

The same as before the skills

training35%

59

Figure 33: Type of employment prior to and after skills training

Half of the beneficiaries (50%) who were employed at the time of the survey worked in relatively

large organisations that had more than 150 employees. Of the beneficiaries, 21% worked in

organisations that had 50 to 150 staff members (see Figure 34).

Figure 34: Size of company beneficiaries were employed in at time of survey (n = 228 in employment)

As some beneficiaries might have had more than one job over the past few years, the question

was asked if the skills training had helped them get a job. For 13% of the sample the skills training

was helpful in securing a job. Of the beneficiaries, 36% was already employed and did not need

the training to get a job, whereas 37% indicated that the training had not yet been helpful in their

getting a job. Beneficiaries’ comments suggested that in some cases the employment obtained

might have been only temporary jobs or “piece jobs” for a few months; yet it indicated an increase

in employability.

16% 16%

8% 15%

76% 69%

Prior to training Current employement

Permanentposition

Contract work

Casual labour

5%

20%

21%

50%

A micro company; 1 - 10 employees

A small company; 11 - 49 employees

Medium sized company; 50 - 150 employees

Larger company with more than 150 employees

60

Figure 35: Employment opportunity attributed to skills training (n = 465)

The advantage of training in helping to secure a job strongly correlated with the receipt of a

certificate by the person who completed the training as proof of training. Overall, 49% of the

beneficiaries had not yet received their certificates or any formal confirmation as proof of the

successful completion of training. As shown in Table 20, employed beneficiaries were likely to

receive their certificates as the organisations they worked for often made sure that this would

happen. Of the unemployed beneficiaries, 35% had yet to receive their certificates; not having

proof of training impacted on their ability to use their skills training qualification to obtain

employment (see Figure 36).

Table 20: Cross-tabulation between employment status at start of skills training and receipt of certificate (n = 494)

Employment at start of training Certificate/proof Yes No

Employed 70% 35%

Unemployed 35% 65%

Total 51% 49%

The results (see Table 20) indicated that those who had completed skills training and had

received their certificates were more likely to find a job than those who had completed skills

training but had not received their certificates (16% vs. 11%).

Figure 36: Impact of possessing a certificate/proof of skills training on securing a job (n = 494)

The survey found that the Taxi, Rail, and Road Freight subsectors were particularly negligent in

issuing certificates to beneficiaries who had completed their training.

13%

36% 37%

13%

Yes No – I was already employed when doing

the skills training

No – It has not been helpful

Not sure

16% 11%

52%

18%

21%

56%

11% 15%

Certificate No certificate

Not sure

No – It has not been helpful

No – I already employed when doing the skills training

Yes

61

Table 21: Certificates received by subsector

Aero (n = 39)

F&C (n = 44)

FH (n = 13)

Rail (n =138)

RF (n = 107)

Maritime (n = 57)

Taxi (n = 93)

Certificate 74% 61% 100% 46% 50% 81% 19%

No certificate 26% 39% 0% 54% 50% 19% 81%


The most common answers the beneficiaries gave in response to a question on how the skills

training had helped them get jobs, revolved around the following:

It motivated beneficiaries to search for jobs and kept them positive.

“It motivated me to keep looking for work,” said an unemployed beneficiary who had completed

Safe Driver training. He is now a caretaker.

In certain instances, the trainees gained critical skills and had a certificate to prove that

they had.

One unemployed beneficiary commented that “without these skills I would not be working; I am

employed because of the programme.” This youth was unemployed when he undertook the

freight handling skills training programme and on completion of the training he became an

operations clerk in the Freight Handling subsector.

“With my certificate I applied for work and they responded,” said another beneficiary who, after

having been unemployed, found a job as a general worker after having done a forklift skills

course.

Having a driver’s licence was often a prerequisite for applying for jobs, not only for jobs

in the transport sector.

A beneficiary doing a safe driver course commented, “It has helped me get my licence to apply

for a job.”

“I applied for a buyer job, a requirement was a driver’s licence,” said a beneficiary who had

enrolled for a course in professional driving when getting a job in the Road Freight subsector.

Some skills training provided a basic understanding of computers, which gave the

unemployed an advantage over other entry-level youth.

4.2.3 Income Potential

Employed respondents were asked to indicate what their salaries were prior to and after skills

training (i.e. at the time of the survey). Only 38 employed individuals felt comfortable doing this

and the results showed that most received at least a monthly increase of more than R2 500 over

the past two to three years. Of these employees, 42% could be said to have increased their

income far above inflationary increases.

It should, however, be acknowledged that those with large salary increases might have been

more inclined to share this information; therefore the data may be biased. Although this result

cannot be generalised, it is encouraging that some employed individuals who received skills

training managed to increase their salaries considerably.

62

Figure 37: Increase in salary after skills training (n = 38)

Although not all the beneficiaries provided their exact income to allow for a valid analysis, many

provided information about their income categories. Figure 38 presents a breakdown of the

income levels of skills-trained beneficiaries who were employed at the time of the survey. These

results excluded the “refused” answers. Of the relevant beneficiaries, 62% earned R7 500 or less

a month, and just more than a quarter earned more than R10 000 a month.

Figure 38: Income distribution of employed skills-trained beneficiaries (n = 160)

Employed respondents were further asked to indicate if they believed that the skills training had

had an impact on their ability to earn more. Their responses are graphically summarised in Figure

39. Of the beneficiaries, 20% answered in the affirmative, but the majority (62%), although they

had not experienced the positive impact of skills training on their salaries, believed that skills

training could potentially lead to a salary increase as and when they gained more work

experience.

26%

32%

26%

16%

Up to R2 500 more Between R2 500 and R5000

Between R5 000 and R9000

R10 000 +

20%

42%

13%

26%

Less than R3000 amonth

Between R3000 - R7500

Between R7 500 andR10 000

More than R10 000 amonth

63

Figure 39: Perceived impact of skills training on earnings potential (n = 214)

The results of the survey indicated that getting a promotion could be linked to the issue of one’s

income potential (see Figure 40).

Figure 40: Skills training helps in getting a promotion (n = 215)

4.3 Non-economic Impact

A question was posed to all beneficiaries relating to skills training’s benefits other than economic

and career progression benefits. One such intended benefit/outcome was the acquisition of soft

skills. This question applied to all beneficiaries even if they were unemployed, but only 464 of

them answered this question.

It was apparent that the vast majority of the beneficiaries gained much from the training (see

Figure 41) even if it did not always translate into getting jobs or improving income. The results

indicated that the training increased their confidence in their own abilities, boosted their self-

esteem and motivated them to further their studies. Indeed, 23% completed further training after

the survey.

20%

62%

18%

Yes Not yet, but when I have morework experience it will help

No, it does not help employeesearn more

25%

59%

16%

Yes Not yet, but it might help when Ihave more experience

No, it will never help in megetting me a promotion

64

Figure 41: Soft skills and other benefits gained from skills training (n = 464)

Respondents were asked to indicate what impact the training had had on their lives. Most found

this question difficult to answer, in part because the training was often short and might not be life

changing. Most of the answers centred on gaining skills, knowledge and experience.

Skills and experience can have an impact on lives, and the following comments of beneficiaries

showed the potential impact of skills training on the lives of the beneficiaries at different levels.

[It] opened my mind to more possibilities, and it has motivated me to open [my] own

business.

I have learned more about computing. Now I am trying graphic designing and I feel

motivated to learn more. It has helped my family to see me differently.

I have grown in my own personal capacity as a man; I can provide for my family.

[It] introduced me to the world of logistics. It was an eye-opener for the work I am doing,

helping me understand logistics better.

It taught me to make decisions and stick to them.

It has helped me improve my English.

Although the Taxi subsector did not prove to be very effective in creating economic value through

employment, beneficiaries seemed to feel that obtaining a driver’s license was a life-changing

event beyond the reach of many.

Helped me obtain a driving license which will change my life.

Of the beneficiaries, 23% felt the skills training had no real impact on their lives. This could be

because they had not received certificates or any proof of training. One respondent expressly

said that the skills training did not impact on his life because he had nothing to show as proof

that he had done the course.

81%

80%

78%

85%

80%

79%

14%

16%

16%

11%

11%

15%

4%

4%

6%

3%

8%

4%

0%

0%

Improved communication skills

Your self-esteem has improve

It has helped you work in teams orimproved teamwork

You are more self confident

You feel motivated or enabled tofurther your studies, or do other

training courses

It has helped you stimulate yourcreativity

A lot A little Not really Defnitely not

65

4.4 Beneficiaries’ Satisfaction with Training

Included in the survey were a few questions pertaining to the quality of training and the

challenges trainees experienced during training. Figure 42 shows the relevance of skills training

to beneficiaries’ current jobs. According to 77% of the beneficiaries, the training was relevant to

their jobs, 7% described it as slightly relevant, and 16% indicated that it was not relevant to their

current jobs.

Figure 42: Relevance of the skills learned to current job (n = 213, currently employed)

Table 22 shows the extent to which beneficiaries would recommend the training to other learners

who needed to access TETA-funded training. Generally, beneficiaries would recommend the

training, although those in the Taxi subsector were less likely to do that.

Table 22: Would you recommend the skills training to another learner? (n =488)

Aero F+C FH Rail RF Maritime Taxi

Definitely 100% 100% 100% 91% 93% 100% 82%

Maybe 0% 0% 0% 8% 4% 0% 7%

No 0% 0% 0% 1% 4% 0% 11%


The majority of the beneficiaries did not experience any challenges during the training. However,

a general issue that emerged for those undergoing driving skills training was a lack of vehicles

for driving lessons. Possibly the classes were too large so that the number of cars or trucks was

insufficient. In general, most comments revolved around the fact that more training and more

time to gain practical experience were required. To only a few beneficiaries, transport to and

from the training location was a problem.

It should be mentioned here that poor communication after training, especially relating to the

issue of certificates, does not create a good perception of the training, so much so that one

person regarded the training as a scam. Some training providers even lost beneficiaries’

documents. The interviewers reported that beneficiaries related many stories of complaints about

training providers who either did not pay them the stipends they had been promised, providers

presenting training that differed from the training that had been planned originally, or providers

simply never showing up at all.

Yes, very relevant77%

Somewhat / a little relevant

7%

Not really relevant16%

66

Section 5: Case Studies

Four case studies were conducted in Gauteng (Johannesburg and Pretoria) and the Western

Cape (Arniston and Cape Town). These case studies are presented below.

5.1 Baker Becomes Seaman

A TETA training programme empowered a bakery factory worker to make an entire career

transition. From working on “solid ground”, so to speak, all his life, he found himself at sea! “I’d

never been to sea whatsoever. Obviously, the rate was better, so I took the job!”

When he was younger, he had aspirations of playing soccer professionally. “I used to play for

Cape Town Spurs. That was in my prime. I broke my ankle three times, so that career ended.”

But sometimes good things can come from difficult situations.

Once he had made the initial shift from the bakery to the boat, he learned that he would need

more qualifications to get ahead in his new career. At 30 years of age he was slightly older than

the average trainee but his keenness got him accepted into the training programme. To qualify

to work on board a ship, he completed a pre-skill certificate. Thereafter, he did additional courses

to gain more skills, for example, in firefighting and radio work. His community contributed

financially to his training. “We have an organisation, we call it ZANSEF. In our Muslim culture,

zakat [charity], like we help the needy, and they told me straight, they’re going to give half,

because I was unemployed.”

This dedicated man committed himself to finding permanent work and obtaining a certificate to

work at sea. “I had to take taxis to town and go job-hunting, and I had to walk the docks, right

through to Milnerton, right there to MSC’s offices. So, for two weeks, three weeks, I used to go

there. They used to interview me, interview me. Then I had to wait. After two or three months,

they phone me. I can go work for them.” But the trouble was that overseas jobs, which paid well,

took him away from his family for long periods. What was more, the rand-dollar exchange rate

was too unpredictable to allow him to keep to a saving strategy, and he found it difficult to plan

making provision for his wife and family back home.

He decided that training was a way to enhance his CV and broaden the pool of available jobs he

could choose from.

67

“The programme is successful, but you must be dedicated—like I was,” he explains. “It’s like a

whole day when you go for these courses. Sometimes it’s for the duration of the whole month.

You understand? It’s a two-day course, it’s a three-day course, it’s a five-day course. You have

to commit.”

An non-government organisation, SDCW, spotted his potential, and its chief executive officer—

who understands the maritime industry—helped him get into the right courses.

Despite being slightly over the age stipulated to be considered a youth candidate, the non-

government organisation and TETA allowed him to enrol for the programmes. “If they see your

eagerness and your punctuality, you’re on time and you really want this, then they help you. They

help you. Really, really, they help you,” he says.

As a seaman, he is extremely dedicated. “If I’m going away, I’m earning money for my wife and

my family. No time for friends or chit-chat; I’m just doing my thing.” He and his wife do not have

children of their own yet, but he maintains that he wants to be closer to home when they decide

to start a family.

He regards the training as beneficial because it will help him find a permanent job. “It’s better for

me on sea, because I have proof of the qualifications I have already. So now I just need more

experience of it at sea.”

An amazing experience he had was when the personal survival techniques he had learned on

training courses helped him save lives when a small boat he was on with research scientists

capsized. Very few of the other crew members had similar training.

Some of the people he has trained with are working abroad, and although he does not want to

work so far from home, he has been envious of their higher income. In his opinion, a situation

has advantages and disadvantages: with the outbreak of the coronavirus, many of these people

find themselves stranded in countries such as Italy. “Sometimes things you think are setbacks

are actually better for you,” he shrugs. “You have to have patience.”

Overall, he considers himself as being at an advantage. He differentiates himself from others in

a similar position: to him, training is not about collecting a larger pay cheque or making “big

bucks” but ensuring financial and career security. “I want to be permanent. I want to work. That

is my aim. I just want a permanent job.”

68

5.2 Zone Controller

At 30 years of age, this zone controller is considered a youth hire. A kind, fun-loving soccer fan,

he spends his free time with his girlfriend, watching movies or supporting his team, the Kaizer

Chiefs. Having spent his childhood in Soshanguve, he remains close to his roots and is currently

working for a courier company in Waltloo, Pretoria.

In 2015 he completed his first TETA-funded skills training and from then on up until 2017 he did

a number of programmes, gaining skills in, for example, supply chain management, occupational

health and safety, and warehousing. At the time he started his training, he was a general worker

in a warehouse, packing and lifting merchandise. Since then, he has moved up in his career, an

advancement he attributes to the skills that the training programmes allowed him to acquire.

I remember when my employers told me about this position; there was a point where they

asked me what kind of skills I have and so forth. Then that’s where I told them about the

programme, and that’s where now they said I’m a suited candidate for the position.

Not only did the skills training help him obtain this promotion, but he feels that it also adds value

to his daily tasks at work.

He believes that the training is valuable whether you are young or old, and that learning changes

your perspective. Having a job should not be a prerequisite for training, since the training is

beneficial regardless of whether one is employed or not! The advantages of training encouraged

him to study further. About his latest course, which is supply chain management, he has the

following to say:

I think it’s for anyone. Anyone can do it, regardless of age. Whether you’re 50, whether

you’re 30, you can do it. It’s still just a skills programme that would help you at the end of

the day.

69

South African youth will find it worthwhile

following his example: starting small and,

through being patient and undergoing skills

training, growing towards success. He says

that it all starts with a mindset.

I believe what you tell yourself, it’s a

reflection of what you are.

His perspective is that youth skills

development might benefit from changes at

a policy level. For instance, he considers the

education system to be too narrow.

According to him, more bespoke education

and vocational training is necessary to

develop the individual skills of each particular

person.

His advice to the youth is: “Try in order to fail,

but never, ever fail to try. That’s what I would

like to tell them.”

5.3 Chief Administration Officer

A chief administration role comes with many responsibilities. Many of the functions a person in

this position has to perform are very important, and usually this person has the traits that lead to

success, for instance, an inclination to pay particular attention to detail and a willingness to go

the extra mile. Luckily, in this case, the chief administration officer is a feisty young woman who

loves a challenge, loves to learn, and works hard. “I’m a go-getter,” she says. “When something

is given to me, I always pray about it, so that I can get guidance to see it to the finish!”

70

She was identified by her superior as a good candidate for training. “My superior, who had

confidence in me, nominated me to attend this course,” she explains. The TETA funded course

was a modular one, conducted over five days, and with an intercepting three-month period to

develop a portfolio of evidence. During the five-day facilitation period, learners had to pay close

attention to the content so as to be able to apply it to their portfolios. However, a tutor was

available if learners required support.

She experienced the training as relevant and beneficial. “Our department deals with compliance-

related issues,” she explains. “Our role is to quality-assure every activity.” The training equipped

her with the knowledge to ensure compliance across the board. “Overall, what made me go

ahead was that I thought, let me get the knowledge!”

Through training programmes she expanded her knowledge about topics relating to training,

learnerships, grants, SARS compliance, and legal and logistical matters. To her, the training is

not only about acquiring theoretical knowledge but also about implementing this knowledge in

practice. It has definitely contributed to her daily work. “I could integrate my knowledge into our

day-to-day business; not neglecting the requirements of the legislator, we have to take

cognisance of those things,” she

explains.

She supports her superior’s view that

having a skill without a qualification is

no good, and vice versa. “They need to

go hand in hand,” she says. “To be

competent, you need to have the skills,

the attitude, and the qualification.”

She believes that people, once they

are trained and qualified, never lose

the skills they have acquired.

Education is one of the few things that

can be given but never taken away. By

undergoing training, members of the

workforce improve their employability

and workplace efficacy. “That may be

how society progresses,” she says.

Thanks to her training, this young

woman is not only a chief

administration officer but can call

herself an information management system specialist, a TIMS specialist, as well as an

accreditation specialist.

71

5.4 Fishermen

Four fishermen come together to discuss their experiences regarding their training and the

benefits they perceive it to have for their industry. One of them is a man in his forties, an avid

fisherman who has made his boyhood dream of working at sea a reality. Fishing is not only his

source of income, it is the way he chooses to relax. That is, of course, when he is not supporting

the Stormers!

The second man says he was born a fisherman. He confirms the words of the first respondent

by saying that he took up angling for recreation as much as for a living. Another recreational

activity he enjoys is playing rugby.

“The sea is my life,” begins the third respondent who is a 52-year-old fisherman who loves the

sea with all his heart. In his spare time, he does some woodwork and referees rugby (he is

passionate about sports).

At 57, our fourth respondent is a skipper who has two adult daughters. He agrees that

professional fishermen love to fish, even during downtime, explaining that he has wanted to fish

since he was a child and loves fishing as a pastime.

In 2017, these four were part of a group of 19 fishermen who caught a taxi to travel from their

fishing village of Arniston to Cape Town to attend training. Their skills training was in occupational

health and safety, first aid, and basic financial skills. Since then, nearly all of the respondents

have completed three or more additional courses.

“The training was a wonderful experience,” says a respondent. Each trainee was paid a small

stipend of R75, along with provision for accommodation and transport. The fishermen were

charmed by their lodgings in a local hotel and delighted by the array available at the breakfast

buffet!

“You can just imagine what sort of hotel it was!” says one respondent. “It had a buffet for breakfast

every morning!” For the men, the experience, as well as the change of scenery, was part of the

learning process and they remember it well.

72

“You learn something every day,” one

of the fishermen observes. “Training is

not just for the youth.” He adds that an

established fisherman who spends his

life on the ocean and runs a

successful business catching fish may

experience difficulties when it comes

to the administrative side of the

business. Often, practical people lack

business skills, for instance the ability

to do basic finances.

Courses such as those the fishermen

did can effectively fill these gaps in

knowledge and open doors.

“It opens doors!” a respondent says.

“These programmes help you

advance towards your skipper ticket.”

The next thing the men would like to learn, is firefighting.

“Training is a very good thing,” a respondent says. “It stops our industry from dying out. We don’t

have the means to train the kids ourselves, even if they do show an interest in the industry.”

According to him, there are many young people keen to follow a career in fishing, and many

young skippers hope to hone their skills.

Obtaining a skippers’ licence can be expedited by having specific qualifications behind your

name. For instance, if a young fisherman or aspiring skipper has a document certifying that they

have radio competency skills, their boat licence application will not be thrown out immediately.

When it comes to the youth, these seasoned fishermen have some advice, not only for their

industry but for life: “Life is high pressure and not having a job adds to that pressure. You need

opportunities to do well.”

This is their point of departure when it comes to the improvement and upliftment of the youth in

their community: opportunity. There are not many opportunities, and a matric-level education is

not necessarily enough. Additional courses, programmes to improve skills, and further education

and training in whatever manner they are presented can make all the difference.

73

Section 6: Conclusion and recommendations

This final chapter presents a conclusion in respect of the main objectives of the report: tracking

and tracing beneficiaries in terms of their demographic profile and their destination (location and

employment status) after completing TETA-funded skills programmes; establishing the economic

and non-economic benefits beneficiaries derived from the training; and exploring labour market

outcomes relating to TETA-funded programmes. Recommendations are made about how TETA

can increase the impact of the skills training that it funds.

6.1 Conclusion

6.1.1 Summary of Beneficiaries’ Location and Employment Status

The study objectives called for a description of the destination (in terms of location and

employment status) of the beneficiaries of TETA-funded skills programmes with a view to helping

the study draw conclusions about the some of the research questions, for instance, the degree

to which labour market outcomes were achieved. This section provides a summary of the

beneficiaries’ location and employment status.

A sample of 500 beneficiaries were interviewed, representing 31% of the total sample population

of 1 614 (see Section 1). The gender distribution of the beneficiaries was 60% men and 40%

women. Overall, the sample was skewed toward the youth, with 65% falling into the South African

official classification of youth (35 years or younger). The beneficiaries surveyed were spread

across all the provinces of the country, but most of them were located in Gauteng (21%), Free

State (19%) and Western Cape (20%). The spread of beneficiaries mirrored the spread of

employers in the employer survey, with the exception of the Free State where more beneficiaries

were located relative to employers. However, most of the Free State beneficiaries were

employed in the Rail subsector where a number of large employers instead of many smaller

organisations were responsible for much of the training.

At the time of the study, 46% of the beneficiaries were employed, 50% were unemployed, 1% were self-

employed and 3% were studying full-time. All in all, 10% of the employment was outside the transport

sector.

Of the beneficiaries who were employed, half (50%) worked in relatively large organisations that

had more than 150 employees; 21% worked in organisations that had 50 to 150 staff members;

66% worked in the private sector; and 33% worked in the public sector.. Of the employed

beneficiaries of the skills training programme, 62% earned R7 500 or less a month whereas just

more than 25% earned more than R10 000 a month.

6.1.2 Economic Benefit of Skills Training to Beneficiaries

The survey showed that skills training tended to be offered to two categories of people: young

unemployed individuals or older employed individuals with some work experience. These shorter

skills training courses appear to be not very effective in creating stable longer-term employment

for the unemployed youth. However, they are effective in upskilling experienced employees,

facilitating their upward career trajectory and enhancing their income potential. Some concluding

statements are made below, and, in support of them, key statistics are provided.

The net impact of the skills training on employment was a 3% increase. This impact appeared to

be most significant in the case of the women: most of them (90%) were unemployed at the start

of their training, and they reported a 22% rise in employment. Unemployed men did not derive

the same benefit from the training. Women seemed to have found contract positions rather than

permanent positions. As skills training courses tend to be of short duration (from a few days to a

74

few weeks) they may not impart enough skills to make beneficiaries (who do not have any

experience or have not undergone any other form of training) attractive to employers. Eight out

of 10 employers indicated that skills training would help a new applicant in the application

process, but that half the time only specific types of skills training would be an advantage.

A review of the results by subsector indicated that employment had increased in all the

subsectors with the exception of the Maritime and Taxi subsectors. The Taxi subsector offered

professional driving or advanced driving courses to a large percentage of youths who had no job

experience. Although this assisted some of the youths in obtaining their driver’s licences, and

although a driver’s licence is important to some jobs, if these youths did not own cars their

obtaining driver’s licences might not have had a major impact on creating employment

opportunities.

The beneficiaries’ comments indicated that although skills training did not always result in formal

stable employment, the new skills that the beneficiaries had acquired enabled many of them to

occasionally find contract work or piece jobs. This comment applied particularly to skills training

relating to cars, spray painting and welding.

The economic benefits appear to have been more profound in the case of those already

employed. A small subsample of beneficiaries were prepared to divulge the salaries they had

earned before and after training, and this information indicated an above-inflation increase in

income over a period of two to three years. Of the employers, 82% confirmed that skills-trained

employees had an advantage over untrained employees. Moreover, 78% of the employers

confirmed that employees with a few years’ experience and skills training could expect to earn

more than similarly experienced employees without skills training. In fact, 28% of employers

would pay employees with skills training a lot more than they would employees without skills

training. The impact of skills training on employees without experience might not be so large, yet

they would still benefit from skills training.

Indications are that experienced employees are more likely to get a promotion. This was

confirmed by 94% of the employers; however, 44% added the provision that it depended on the

type of skills training. A three-hour refresher training course would, understandably, not have the

same impact as a welding skills training course. Of the employed beneficiaries, 25% confirmed

that skills training had been helpful in getting a promotion whereas 59% felt it was only a matter

of time until they could build up more work experience and get a promotion.

6.1.3 Non-economic Benefits of the Skills Training

Skills training brought other non-economic benefits for the majority of the beneficiaries. Both the

quantitative and qualitative data obtained from beneficiaries’ comments confirmed that two of the

most profound benefits of the training were beneficiaries’ increased self-confidence and

improved motivation. Consequently they adopted a positive outlook on searching for work, and

they believed in their ability to study further.

The training is perhaps not geared specifically towards developing teamwork or inspiring

creativity, but many beneficiaries still reported such benefits. These skills are also necessary for

the workforce of the future to possess.

6.1.4 Meeting the Needs of Employers in the Transport Sector

As an organisation, TETA is seen as a significant force in the transport sector, one that seeks to

help and protect the sector. Yet it is not always perceived to be an efficient organisation—it is

sometimes seen to be slow to respond to communication and manage the application process.

Although only 19% of the respondents strongly agreed that the process of applying for funding

75

was efficient and only 9% disagreed that it was efficient, indications are that there is room for

improvement.

Employers from all transport subsectors confirmed that a skills gap existed in their respective

subsectors and that training was very important in filling this gap. Overall, TETA therefore plays

an important role in the transport sector.

The most popular form of TETA-funded training that transport sector employers offered was

learnerships (43%), followed by skills training (28%). It was found that those who had not used

any TETA-funded training over the past few years were often unaware of how to apply for funding

or found the process to be too slow. Only 13% of the employers indicated that they did not make

use of training as they could not find training courses to meet their needs. Of the employers, 60%

regarded the range of skills training courses to be wide enough whereas 26% adopted a neutral

position.

Skills training is used in all subsectors but seems to be especially important to the Maritime

subsector. Overall, 76% of the employers expressed the view that skills training was of great

value to the sector whereas 19% said it was of some value. It appears that employers in the Rail

and Aerospace subsectors attach less value to the TETA skills training than do other subsectors.

Employers consider skills trained employees to the right skills for the job (74%). Employers also

reported observing an improvement in the soft skills of trained employees.

6.2 Recommendations

The recommendations are divided into three categories; those relating to the needs of

employers, those relating to improving the impact of skills training on beneficiaries, and those

resulting from the research process.

6.2.1 Considering Additional Skills Programmes

When considering the need for skills programmes for the employed, it should be kept in mind

that employers seem to require more training opportunities for their employees in basic computer

skills, soft skills such as communication and customer care, and sales skills. Because the training

is often provided to experienced staff, another consideration could be to offer more advanced

management and leadership training, which could assist those ready for supervisory and

management positions in making the leap.

Currently, the Aerospace subsector does not derive as much value from the TETA-funded

training as other subsectors do; therefore consideration could be given to offering training in

bespoke skills for this sector. It is suggested that in-depth discussions be held with Aerospace

employers to determine how they can be supported.

6.2.2 Creating Awareness among New Employers of TETA-Funded Training and

Processes

One of the main reasons why employers do not provide training is their lack of awareness of the

way TETA operates. Even though this problem is not limited to new employers, all new employers

should be made aware of TETA-funded training and processes by communicating with them and

distributing a tailored marketing document. It should be fairly easy to identify new employers in

the sector based on their payment of levies.

6.2.3 Awarding Certificates

It is important for the unemployed to derive some economic benefit from the skills programmes.

Young people who have little or no job experience can only benefit from their training if they can

76

show proof of such training and indicate their qualifications on their CVs. Considering that 65%

of the unemployed skills training beneficiaries still had no proof of completing training it is not

surprising that the employment figure is so low. TETA has a responsibility to ensure that trained

beneficiaries receive their certificates within a reasonable amount of time and that the process

of issuing certificates be expedited. The certification of short skills programmes refers more to a

layman's interpretation of the word ‘certification’ – as a proof of successful completion of training.

For example, without any acknowledgement of training completed, how would a seaman show

his qualifications to be allowed on a ship?

6.2.4 Reviewing Training Providers and Processes of Validating Training

While not widespread, a number of beneficiaries mentioned during the telephonic survey that

there were irregularities with the training and payment processes. Sometimes training providers

seem to round up people at random to receive training. If these people have no desire to be

economically active, the training providers entice them to join a programme by mentioning the

payment of a stipend. At other times, people are promised one type of training course, only to

receive another. One beneficiary commented that a training programme was never presented,

and a few beneficiaries whose names and IDs had been recorded in a register could not recall

ever having done any training. Consideration could be given to linking the payment of training

providers not to the submission of learning agreements but to the issuing of certificates.

6.2.5 Offering either Follow-up Training or a Bundle of Training Options to Unemployed

Beneficiaries

In the Maritime subsector it is common to offer a range of training courses to a beneficiary so

that an individual can acquire the many skills that are needed to work effectively at sea. This

could serve as a model to be employed in other subsectors as one beneficiary who completed a

number of training courses might have a better chance of securing employment than a larger

number of unemployed beneficiaries might have who completed only one course. A component

could be added to all training courses on how to turn what you have learned into a job or a small

business. Sometimes it is only a lack of understanding how to use skills to create self-

employment or where to apply new skills that might hold the unemployed back.

6.2.6 Improving Beneficiary Database and TETA Reporting

TETA annual reports indicated that around 7 000 beneficiaries had received skills training over

the period in question. However, both the Excel databases and printed copies of learning

agreements indicated a number closer to 1 600. The original study sample of 1 000 was planned

based on the assumption that 7 000 individuals would make up the population and this explains

the inconsistency in the attainment of the sample size relative to the amount of surveys quoted

in the inception report. For the sake of consistency it is also essential that subsectors use

templates for capturing data and that they record the contact details of beneficiaries.

6.2.7 Doing more Regular Follow-Ups with Beneficiaries

Should beneficiaries’ contact details be captured, a relatively cost-efficient system could be put

in place to pulse beneficiaries and use SMS surveys at regular intervals to obtain key information

during a training process. For example, such surveys could establish whether training did indeed

take place, whether certificates had been issued, and, therefore, whether a training provider

could be paid. The improved impact that the training could have would justify the cost of putting

in place a regular monitoring system. Although TETA and other SETAs are relatively good at

conducting evaluations, it is recommended that the monitoring part of Monitoring & Evaluation

should be improved and brought to the same level.

77

APPENDICES

Appendix A: References

Aropet, R. 2017. “Southern African Solutions to Public Transport Challenges.” Paper

presented at the 36th Southern African Transport Conference, CSIR Convention

Centre, Pretoria, July 10–13, 2017.

Deloitte. 2018. Preparing Tomorrow’s Workforce for the Fourth Industrial Revolution for

Business: A Framework for Action.

https://doi.org/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u45187.

Du Preez, J. 2019. “The 4th Industrial Revolution in Africa: The Next Great Frontier.” Accessed

February 12, 2020. https://www.inonafrica.com/2019/06/24/the-4th-industrial-

revolution-in-africa-the-next-great-frontier/.

Gray, A. 2016. “The 10 skills you need to thrive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.” World

Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/the-10-skills-you-need-

to-thrive-in-the-fourth-industrial-revolution/.

iDashboards. 2018. “The Nine Pillars of Industry 4.0.” Accessed February 15, 2020.

https://www.idashboards.com/blog/2019/07/31/the-pillars-of-industry-4-0/.

International Association of Public Transport (UITP). 2017. Digitalisation in Public Transport.

https://doi.org/10.1163/1570-6664_iyb_sim_org_39218.

Jennings, G. 2015. “Public Transport Interventions and Transport Justice in South Africa: A

Literature and Policy Review.” Paper presented at the 34th Annual Southern African

Transport Conference – “Working Together to Deliver – Sakha Sonke,” CSIR

Convention Centre, Pretoria, July 6–9, 2015.

Johnson, J. H. 1988. “Automotive Emissions.” In Air Pollution, the Automobile, and Public

Health, edited by A. Y. Watson, R. R. Bates, and D. Kennedy. Washington, DC:

National Academies Press. Accessed February 18, 2020.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK218144/.

Mahnken, D. 2019. “5 Logistics Trends: Here Is What You Should Pay Attention to in 2019

and the Following Years.” Accessed February 18, 2018.

https://www.saloodo.com/blog/5-logistics-trends-here-is-what-you-should-pay-

attention-to-in-2019-and-the-following-years/.

Osmundsen, K., J. Iden, and B. Bygstad. 2018. “Digital Transformation: Drivers, Success

Factors, and Implications.” Paper presented at the 12th Mediterranean Conference on

Information Systems (MCIS), Korfu, Greece, September 2018. Accessed February 20,

2020.

https://www.inonafrica.com/2019/06/24/the-4th-industrial-revolution-in-africa-the-next-great-frontier/

https://www.inonafrica.com/2019/06/24/the-4th-industrial-revolution-in-africa-the-next-great-frontier/

https://www.idashboards.com/blog/2019/07/31/the-pillars-of-industry-4-0/

https://doi.org/10.1163/1570-6664_iyb_sim_org_39218

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK218144/

https://www.saloodo.com/blog/5-logistics-trends-here-is-what-you-should-pay-attention-to-in-2019-and-the-following-years/

https://www.saloodo.com/blog/5-logistics-trends-here-is-what-you-should-pay-attention-to-in-2019-and-the-following-years/

78

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330397210_DIGITAL_TRANSFORMATION

_DRIVERS_SUCCESS_FACTORS_AND_IMPLICATIONS.

Porr, C. Mayan, M. Graffigna, G. Wall, S. and Vieira, E.R. (2011) “The Evocative Power of

Projective Techniques for the Elicitation of Meaning”, International Journal of

Qualitative Methods, vol.10, no.1, pp.30.

Sączek, T., D. Antonik, A. Babicz, R. Malkiewicz, and M. Matuszko. 2019. Report: Transport

and Logistics Trends 2019 – Five Forces Transforming Transport and Logistics.

Accessed February 20, 2020. https://www.pwc.pl/pl/pdf/publikacje/2018/transport-

logistics-trendbook-2019-en.pdf.

Schröder-Hinrichs, J., D. Song, T. Fonseca, K. Lagdami, X. Shi, and K. Loer. 2019. Transport

2040: Automation, Technology, Employment – The Future of Work.

https://doi.org/10.21677/itf.20190104.

Schwab, K. 2019. The Global Competitiveness Report. Accessed February 17, 2019.

http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_TheGlobalCompetitivenessReport2019.pdf.

South African Government. 2019. “President Cyril Ramaphosa Signs 2019 Carbon Tax Act

into Law.” Accessed February 19, 2020. https://www.gov.za/speeches/publication-

2019-carbon-tax-act-26-may-2019-0000.

TETA (Transport Education Training Authority). 2018. Strategic Plan. Accessed February 15,

2020.

https://www.teta.org.za/Documents/TETA%20Strategic%20Plan%202018_19.pdf.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330397210_DIGITAL_TRANSFORMATION_DRIVERS_SUCCESS_FACTORS_AND_IMPLICATIONS

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330397210_DIGITAL_TRANSFORMATION_DRIVERS_SUCCESS_FACTORS_AND_IMPLICATIONS

https://www.pwc.pl/pl/pdf/publikacje/2018/transport-logistics-trendbook-2019-en.pdf

https://www.pwc.pl/pl/pdf/publikacje/2018/transport-logistics-trendbook-2019-en.pdf

http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_TheGlobalCompetitivenessReport2019.pdf

https://www.gov.za/speeches/publication-2019-carbon-tax-act-26-may-2019-0000

https://www.gov.za/speeches/publication-2019-carbon-tax-act-26-may-2019-0000

https://www.teta.org.za/Documents/TETA%20Strategic%20Plan%202018_19.pdf

79

Appendix B: Online Survey

84

Appendix C: Beneficiary Questionnaire

TETA SKILLS PROGRAMME TRACKING AND TRACING SURVEY - 2020 Rail Taxi FH RP RF FC Air Sea

First name Cell number

Middle name Appointment time and date

Surname

ID Number 1 Male 2 Female

1 Yes - Continue

2 No - Close

1 Yes

2 No

Did you ever apply for one, but never started? 1 Yes 2 No

Q1 In which year did you enrol for this training?

Q2 How long is this type of training? Is it weeks, or months?

Q3a Have you completed this skills training?

1 Complete 2 Terminated 3 Still studying (CLOSE IF STILL STUDYING)

q3b How many differnet skills training courses have you compelted over the past 4 years? [ ONLY COMPLETED, NOT ENROLLED]

1 Only this one 2 2 - 3 different ones 3 More than 3

IF STILL STUDYING OR TERMINATED THIS SKILLS COURSE BUT HAVE DONE OTHERS ASK:

Q3c Which other training have you completed?

RECORD NAME OF TRAINING: ________________________________________

If terminated ask Q3a and no other training complete, ask Q4 and close

Q4

ALL Most (single mention) All Most (Single mention)

1 1 Theory/ Classroom training poor 7 7 Started another learnership - for a better stipend

2 2 Workplace based training poor 8 8 Pregnancy

3 3 Resistance from your employer 9 9 Family problems

4 4 You found other employment 10 10 Transport problems

5 5 Qualification had no value 11 11 Accommodation problems

6 6 Not interested in the subject matter 12 12 Other (write in)

CONTINUE ONLY WITH THOSE WHO HAVE COMPLETED THE SKILS TRAINING IN Q3a or Q3b

Please think now specifically about the _______________[INSERT NAME OF TRAINING].

Q5 In which province did do you live now? GP NC WC EC KZN FS NW MP LP

Q6 Can I just confirm into which age group you fall? 1 18-25 2 26-35 3 36-50 4 50+

Q7 And your race group would be …? 1 Black 2 Coloured 3 Indian 4 White

Q8 Before you started this skills training, were you…? [READ OUT] 1 Employed ASK Q10 - Q13

2 Working for yourself ASK Q16 - Q17

3 Unemployed ASK Q14 - Q15

Q9 How many years of work experience did you have when you started the skills training? [READ OUT]

1 None 2 Less than a year 3 4 4 More than 5 years

Q10 Please tell us more about your employment BEFORE YOU STARTED the skills training?

Did you work …? [READ OUT]

1 full time, that is 40 hours or more per week 2 or part time, less than 40 hours per week

Q11 Was this…? [READ OUT]

1 Contract work 2 Permanent work 3 Casual (day labour)

Q12 In which sector did you work? What did the company do that you worked for? [READ OUT]

1 Air 2 3 4 Taxi 5 Rail 6 7 8

Other (Write in) _____________________________

Q13 If you don’t mind tell me, how much did you earn when you were employed before you conducted the skills training?

Day rate OR Monthly

Refused

Road

passenger Road Freight

Freight

handling

Forwarding and

clearing

Sea

/maritime

1 to 3 years 3 - 5 years

EMPLOYMENT AT TIME OF START - CODE 1 IN Q8

Good day, my name is…and I was given your number by the TETA as someone who has to do one or more skills programme in the last few years.

Please may I have a few moments of your time to ask you about your experience?

Your participation is voluntary and all the answers are confidential. It will take about 10 minutes of your time.

Our record show that you have done skills training called …. [insert name of training from list]. Is this correct?

Before I ask you more about your experience with this skills training, please just confirm in which year you enrolled for skills training.

[Instruction: if not the right person, ask if they have a number for the person you are looking for]

Record skills training name from list:

If no, confirm ID number that is on the phoning sheet and check application - then close

When speaking to the right person say: I work for a company called IQ Business and we have been asked by the TETA to study learnerships and

what they mean to people. Would you be prepared to answer some questions about the learnership that you did, or are still doing?

I am going to read out a list of reasons and please tell me which were the reasons that you terminated the skills training? Of all the reasons

you listed, which ONE is the biggest reason

85

TETA SKILLS PROGRAMME TRACKING AND TRACING SURVEY - 2020 Rail Taxi FH RP RF FC Air Sea

First name Cell number

Middle name Appointment time and date

Surname

ID Number 1 Male 2 Female

1 Yes - Continue

2 No - Close

1 Yes

2 No

Did you ever apply for one, but never started? 1 Yes 2 No

Q1 In which year did you enrol for this training?

Q2 How long is this type of training? Is it weeks, or months?

Q3a Have you completed this skills training?

1 Complete 2 Terminated 3 Still studying (CLOSE IF STILL STUDYING)

q3b How many differnet skills training courses have you compelted over the past 4 years? [ ONLY COMPLETED, NOT ENROLLED]

1 Only this one 2 2 - 3 different ones 3 More than 3

IF STILL STUDYING OR TERMINATED THIS SKILLS COURSE BUT HAVE DONE OTHERS ASK:

Q3c Which other training have you completed?

RECORD NAME OF TRAINING: ________________________________________

If terminated ask Q3a and no other training complete, ask Q4 and close

Q4

ALL Most (single mention) All Most (Single mention)

1 1 Theory/ Classroom training poor 7 7 Started another learnership - for a better stipend

2 2 Workplace based training poor 8 8 Pregnancy

3 3 Resistance from your employer 9 9 Family problems

4 4 You found other employment 10 10 Transport problems

5 5 Qualification had no value 11 11 Accommodation problems

6 6 Not interested in the subject matter 12 12 Other (write in)

CONTINUE ONLY WITH THOSE WHO HAVE COMPLETED THE SKILS TRAINING IN Q3a or Q3b

Please think now specifically about the _______________[INSERT NAME OF TRAINING].

Q5 In which province did do you live now? GP NC WC EC KZN FS NW MP LP

Q6 Can I just confirm into which age group you fall? 1 18-25 2 26-35 3 36-50 4 50+

Q7 And your race group would be …? 1 Black 2 Coloured 3 Indian 4 White

Q8 Before you started this skills training, were you…? [READ OUT] 1 Employed ASK Q10 - Q13

2 Working for yourself ASK Q16 - Q17

3 Unemployed ASK Q14 - Q15

Q9 How many years of work experience did you have when you started the skills training? [READ OUT]

1 None 2 Less than a year 3 4 4 More than 5 years

Q10 Please tell us more about your employment BEFORE YOU STARTED the skills training?

Did you work …? [READ OUT]

1 full time, that is 40 hours or more per week 2 or part time, less than 40 hours per week

Q11 Was this…? [READ OUT]

1 Contract work 2 Permanent work 3 Casual (day labour)

Q12 In which sector did you work? What did the company do that you worked for? [READ OUT]

1 Air 2 3 4 Taxi 5 Rail 6 7 8

Other (Write in) _____________________________

Q13 If you don’t mind tell me, how much did you earn when you were employed before you conducted the skills training?

Day rate OR Monthly

Refused

Q14

1 Looked for work

2 Studied

3 Looked after family

4 Just finished school

5 Piece work from time to time

6 Other (record) ________________

Q15 What were your sources of support or sources of income for survival? [DO NOT READ OUT] Multi-mention

1 Child support grant 5 Disability grant

2 Foster care grant 6 Occasional entrepreneurial activity (like what?) ___________

3 Pension in the family 7 Piece jobs

4 Cash/food/ clothing from family or friends 8 Other

Q16 You say that you were self employed before you did the skills training.

1 Only income for self

2 1 - 5 employees

3 More than 5 employees

Q17 If you don’t mind tell us how much you earned working for yourself?

RECORD DAY RATE OR MONTHLY

Day rate OR Monthly

Refused

Q18

1 Employed

2 Self employed

3 Unemployed

4 Studying full-time

Please tell us more about your current position.

Q19 Is this …? [READ OUT] Q19b Is this a private or public company?

1 Contract work 1 Private

2 Permanent work 2 Public (Government)

3 Casual (day labour?)

Q20 What is the size of the company [READ OUT]

1 A micro company - 1-10 employees

2 A small company, 11-49 employees

3 Medium sized company, 50 - 150 employees

4 Larger company with more than 150 employees

5 Don’t know [DO NOT READ OUT]

Q21 Is the skills training you have completed relevant to the job you are currently doing, or to your current position?

1 Yes 2 Somewhat 2 Not really

Q22

1 Air 2 3 4 Taxi 5 Rail 6 7 8

Other (write in) ______________________________________

Q23 If you don’t mind tell us how much you currently earn? IF REFUSE: Would you mind answering if I give you income bands?

RECORD DAY RATE OR MONTHLY 1 Less than R3000 a month

Day rate OR Monthly 2 Between R3000 - R75000

Refused 3 Between R7500 and R10 000

4 More than R10 000 a month

Q24 Do you make use of the skills learned during this skills training in your current job?

No

a 3 The skills training has helped me to be more productive at work

b 3 The skills training has helped me produce higher quality work

Q25 Do you feel that your chances of getting a job, with the skills training completed, is better than before?

1 Yes 2 No

Q26 What are you going to do in the next few months? [READ OUT] Multi-mention possible

1 Keep looking for a job

2 Give up looking for a job

3 Consider self-employment/own business

4 Enrol for further education or training

You indicated that you are self-employed or earn money from having your own business

Q27 Please tell us more about what you do?

Q28 Do you employ any other people/create other job opportunities? 1 Yes 2 No

Q29 Has the skills training helped you in any way to make your own business more successful or has it not really played a role?

Can you give me examples?

1 Yes it has helped - ASK HOW?

2 No not really

Q30 How has doing the skills training impacted your life?

What would you say is the single biggest change to your life as a result of doing this skills training?

Q31

1 Yes 2 No – I already employed when doing the skills training 3 No – It has not been helpful 4 Not sure

If Yes to Q31

Q32

Q33 Has this skills training ever helped you get a promotion? [READ OUT]

1 Yes 2 Not yet, but it might help when I have more experience 3 No, it will never help in me getting me a promotion

Q34 Has it helped you earn more? [READ OUT]

1 Yes 2 Not yet, but when I have more work experience it will help 3 No, it does not help employees earn more

Q35


Your self-esteem has improved

It has helped you work in teams or improved teamwork


You feel motivated or enabled to further my studies, or do other training courses

It has helped you stimulate your creativity

Q36 Is this training relevant to your current job or the work that you see yourself doing? [READ OUT]

1 Yes, very relevant 2 Somewhat / a little relevant 3 Not really relevant

Q37 After completing this skills training, have you done any other training?

1 Yes 2 No

If yes in Q37 ask Q38

Q38 Please tell me what further training you have done

1 More skills training

2 Other (please record) ____________________________________

Q39 Has doing this skills training had any impact on others in your family or community?

For example, has it inspired another family members or community members to also do further training?

PROMPT: ANY OTHER WAYS? DO YOU HAVE ANY EXAMPLES

SAY: Thank you for your time so far, we will just conclude by asking you about your experience of the training itself

Q40 Did you receive some sort of certificate or formal acknowledgement to show that you have completing the training?

1 Yes 2 No

Q41 Why did you decide to do skills training? [DO NOT READ OUT BUT CODE FROM VERBATIM. Multi-mention ]

1 Improve chances of getting employed 6 Improve skills 11 Could not afford other training

2 Improve career prospects/ Promotion 7 Gain work experience 12 OTHER

3 To gain a formal qualification 8 Needed a series of qualifications

4 Mobility (move to a different location) 9 Identified a scares skill

5 Needed a challenge 10 Earn stipend/ allowance

Q42 Did you experience any challenges while completing this training?

Q43

1 Definitely would recommend

2 Maybe would recommend

3 Would not recommend

Q44 Lastly, do you have any suggestions for how this training could be improved?

Road


Freight

handling

Forwarding and

clearing

IMPACT - ASK ALL

Was this self employment delivering an income for you only, or did you also have employees? (If employees, ask how many). Single mention

What did you do just before you started the skills training? Multi-mention

Sea

/maritime

I am going to read out a few areas where skills training might assist learners. For each, tell me if you feel that you have experienced

improvement in any of these areas. [READ OUT STATEMENTS. IS THAT, A LITTLE, A LOT , NOT REALLY, OR DEFINITELY NOT]

Think about your situation at work now. Do you feel that your employer values the new skills you obtained through the skills training?

Please tell us more about how the skills training has helped you get a job. What job did you apply for and how did it help you?

1 2 3 4

2

3

43

Sea

/maritime

UNEMPLOYMENT BEFORE STARTING THE SKILLS TRAINING - CODE 3 IN Q8

1

1

2

2

Forwarding and

clearing

1

1

Definitely

In which sector do you work? READ OUT][

ASK ALL

Has this skills training ever helped you get a job when you were unemployed? [READ OUT]

1 to 3 years 3 - 5 years

EMPLOYMENT AT TIME OF START - CODE 1 IN Q8

Road


Freight

handling

Good day, my name is…and I was given your number by the TETA as someone who has to do one or more skills programme in the last few years.

Please may I have a few moments of your time to ask you about your experience?

Your participation is voluntary and all the answers are confidential. It will take about 10 minutes of your time.

Our record show that you have done skills training called …. [insert name of training from list]. Is this correct?

Before I ask you more about your experience with this skills training, please just confirm in which year you enrolled for skills training.

[Instruction: if not the right person, ask if they have a number for the person you are looking for]

Record skills training name from list:

If no, confirm ID number that is on the phoning sheet and check application - then close

When speaking to the right person say: I work for a company called IQ Business and we have been asked by the TETA to study learnerships and

what they mean to people. Would you be prepared to answer some questions about the learnership that you did, or are still doing?

3 4

1 2 3 4

3 41

Lets chat about your current situation. Are you currently …

CURRENTLY EMPLOYED - CODE 1 IN Q18

SELF EMPLOYED AT START - CODE 2 IN Q12

THANK AND CLOSE

I am going to read out a list of reasons and please tell me which were the reasons that you terminated the skills training? Of all the reasons

you listed, which ONE is the biggest reason

CURRENT UNEMPLOYMENT - CODE 3 in Q18

CURRENTLY SELF-EMPLOYED - CODE 2 in Q18

Maybe

2

2

4

Would you recommend this skills training to another learner who does not have access to funds to improve their skills?

A lot A little Not really

Definitely

not

1 2

86

Q30 How has doing the skills training impacted your life?

What would you say is the single biggest change to your life as a result of doing this skills training?

Q31

1 Yes 2 No – I already employed when doing the skills training 3 No – It has not been helpful 4 Not sure

If Yes to Q31

Q32

Q33 Has this skills training ever helped you get a promotion? [READ OUT]

1 Yes 2 Not yet, but it might help when I have more experience 3 No, it will never help in me getting me a promotion

Q34 Has it helped you earn more? [READ OUT]

1 Yes 2 Not yet, but when I have more work experience it will help 3 No, it does not help employees earn more

Q35


Your self-esteem has improved

It has helped you work in teams or improved teamwork


You feel motivated or enabled to further my studies, or do other training courses

It has helped you stimulate your creativity

Q36 Is this training relevant to your current job or the work that you see yourself doing? [READ OUT]

1 Yes, very relevant 2 Somewhat / a little relevant 3 Not really relevant

Q37 After completing this skills training, have you done any other training?

1 Yes 2 No

If yes in Q37 ask Q38

Q38 Please tell me what further training you have done

1 More skills training

2 Other (please record) ____________________________________

Q39 Has doing this skills training had any impact on others in your family or community?

For example, has it inspired another family members or community members to also do further training?

PROMPT: ANY OTHER WAYS? DO YOU HAVE ANY EXAMPLES

SAY: Thank you for your time so far, we will just conclude by asking you about your experience of the training itself

Q40 Did you receive some sort of certificate or formal acknowledgement to show that you have completing the training?

1 Yes 2 No

Q41 Why did you decide to do skills training? [DO NOT READ OUT BUT CODE FROM VERBATIM. Multi-mention ]

1 Improve chances of getting employed 6 Improve skills 11 Could not afford other training

2 Improve career prospects/ Promotion 7 Gain work experience 12 OTHER

3 To gain a formal qualification 8 Needed a series of qualifications

4 Mobility (move to a different location) 9 Identified a scares skill

5 Needed a challenge 10 Earn stipend/ allowance

Q42 Did you experience any challenges while completing this training?

Q43

1 Definitely would recommend

2 Maybe would recommend

3 Would not recommend

Q44 Lastly, do you have any suggestions for how this training could be improved?

IMPACT - ASK ALL

I am going to read out a few areas where skills training might assist learners. For each, tell me if you feel that you have experienced

improvement in any of these areas. [READ OUT STATEMENTS. IS THAT, A LITTLE, A LOT , NOT REALLY, OR DEFINITELY NOT]

Please tell us more about how the skills training has helped you get a job. What job did you apply for and how did it help you?

1 2 3 4

2

3

43

1

1

2

2

Has this skills training ever helped you get a job when you were unemployed? [READ OUT]

3 4

1 2 3 4

3 41

THANK AND CLOSE

4

Would you recommend this skills training to another learner who does not have access to funds to improve their skills?

A lot A little Not really

Definitely

not

1 2

Tracer Study on Skills Programmes For The Past Three ...

Documents

Transcript of Tracer Study on Skills Programmes For The Past Three ...