1. Skills for inclusive economic growth
Peliwe Lolwana
Education Policy Unit
University of Witwatersrand
SOUTH AFRICA
16th March 2010

2. Presentation outline Pre-employment The employment continuum
Constraints
Inclusive skills development

3. 1. South Africa 2010 47 million > 30% unemployed
6.8 million – yrs
2,8m NEET
Less than Grade 10 = 1,009,259
Grade 10 but < Grade 12 = 990, 794
Grade 12 = 696,992)
47,2% women
36% men
44% African & 41% Coloured

4. 2. Employment continuum Production for consumption
Infrastructure development
Services, including care jobs
Informal sector
Player in global production
Civil service

5. 3. Constraints
Obsessions with policies & frameworks: e.g. NQFs, Learnerships, Quality assurance, etc. – less investments in training infrastructure
Over-regulated training environment – takes too long for approval of training
Education & training far apart from Labour market and economic policy development, e.g. World cup preparation, Energy crisis
Concentration of geographical activities in major urban areas

6. Constraints … continued
Nationalised economic policy drivers – small room for local players
Infrastructure jobs driven through contract and tender work – workers vulnerable in the long run
Vulnerability of workers in global economies, e.g. Auto industry
Lack of information about careers and jobs
Lack of access of craft routes to professions

7. Inclusive skills Increase levels of general education
Different strategies for:
pre-employment training;
on-job training &
continued education &training
Greater interaction between education and training and the Labour Market
Progression pathways (not NQFs)
Improved policies on migrant workers for low &high skilled jobs
Stimulation of job creation & even distribution of access to both training and jobs