Case Study on Best Practice Implementing Learnerships in the Eastern Cape Government

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Case Study on Best PracticeImplementing
Learnerships in the Eastern Cape Government
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A Balancing Act

• Nightmare?
• Learners unpaid
• Poor quality training
• High dropouts
• Conflict and confusion
• Angry mentors
• Low pass rates
• Slow certification

• Transformational?
• Exposure and skills for individuals
• Smooth implementation
• Good pass rates
• High absorption rates
• Ongoing relationships with employers

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Challenges to overcome

• Learners joining programme purely for the
  stipend.
• Many role-players can lead to confusion
• Workplaces not clear about learnerships and their
  role
• Many administrative requirements
• Establishing payment systems for learner stipends
• Poor quality of training
• Delays in loading learners onto National Learner
  Record Data Base

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Challenges Within Government

• Identification of appropriate learnerships where
  learners can practice the relevant skills in the
  workplace.
• Explaining requirements of a learnership to line
  managers and programme managers who are expected
  to be mentors and supervisors.
• Accessing budget learnerships are expensive
• Slow procurement processes
• Negotiations with SETAs to access additional
  funding

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Best Practice Example

• Partnership with OTP and East London Industrial
  Development Zone (ELIDZ)
• 100 pass rate for learners doing Automotive
  Components Manufacturing.
• More than 50 of learners offered full time
  employment remainder will continue with
  learnership at the next level.

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Key Success Factors

• Learnership identified by host employers as a
  scarce and critical skill.
• Careful selection of learners through SPEEX
  assessment and interviews
• Proper induction and orientation
• OTP paid learner stipends through Persal system
  so regular payments to learners

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Key Success Factors (cont)

• Implementation Committee established with all
  role-players OTP, Management Agency (ELIDZ),
  Training Provider, Department of Labour, SETA,
  Workplaces.
• Clear roles and responsibilities
• Implementation Committee met monthly.
• Quarterly meetings with employers
• Close monitoring

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If it worksa learners perspective

• The learnership has had a very positive impact
  in my life. It has given me an opportunity to
  further my education and equip myself with skills
  that are rare and will allow me to gain
  meaningful employment and make an honest living.
• The programme has been designed to allow the
  youth who might not have had the opportunity to
  further their education to at least have a chance
  in the future .
• Since Ive been at the workplace, I have a
  bigger picture of what the employer expects from
  you as an employee. I know what you must do and
  what must act like at work.
• I certainly hope there will be more projects
  like this one, for people like me that want
  success in life and someone to believe in them

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Thank you