Dissertations / Theses: 'Skill shortages'

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Winstanley, D. "Skill shortages and the changing structure of labour markets in high technology industry : Case studies in technological staff recruitment in Hampshire." Thesis, University of Southampton, 1989. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.233006.

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Lubbe, Thomas Arnoldus. "The impact of skills shortage in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning industry in the Western Cape." Thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/3102.

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Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2020
This thesis examined the impact skills shortage among artisans in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) field have on the industry. The rationale for this investigation is based on the view of engineers and company owners in the HVAC industry that there is a dire need to train more artisans and to improving the skills of already qualified artisans. The thesis employed a mixed method research approach and reviewed relevant literature. Empirical data was obtained from HVAC contracting companies being members of the South African Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association (SARACCA) in the Western Cape. The study demonstrates that there is a shortage of skilled and qualified artisans in the HVAC industry. Although there are individuals within the HVAC industry who are passionate about training, their efforts cannot supply the whole industry with knowledgeable qualified artisans. More emphasis should be placed on basic education, the level of artisan training, continuous training of qualified artisans and the retention of skilled artisans. Based on the findings, the study concluded that skilled artisans and poor quality workmanship is being experienced on a continuous basis. The lack of skilled artisans and the cost implication to obtain skilled artisans force companies to employ unskilled labour. It is recommended that the industry should work closer with government agencies to ensure that training being offered by private training institutions and colleges is aligned with the industry requirements. This together with an improved education system will secure skilled artisans.

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Kelleher, Michael. "Skills shortages and work reorganisation in British manufacturing." Thesis, University of Bath, 1993. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.334371.

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Xingwana, Lumkwana. "Management perceptions regarding skills shortages in gold mines." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1007959.

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The skills shortages in mining and mineral sector had existed for a decade and had a widespread effect on South Africa economy. It affects the level of economic productivity and reduces the country’s capacity to develop a knowledge society. This, in turn, affects the country’s functioning in the global economy. Despite the sector’s best efforts, the shortages continue to grow and threaten the delivery of projects and growth plans. Some researchers contend with the view that the persistence of skills shortages in mining and mineral sector is largely due to entrenched attitudes among both the industry and the community. They claim that employers have the means to change the educational profile of the subsectors by appointing recruits with higher levels of schooling. However, owing to the limited number of higher educated people living in the communities surrounding the mining operations and lack of interest in mining of people with higher levels of education, to name but few, employers are perceived to have a habit of employing people with little skills. The current study was aimed at investigating the impact of skills shortage on organisational performance, propensity to leave, competitive advantage and sustainability, from the management perceptive. The main objective of this study was to incorporate and embed previous research findings and theories into a comprehensive hypothetical model. A hypothetical model showed various factors that may influence skills shortage. Four independent variables (working environment, employment conditions, resources and education and training) were identified as variables that may influence skills shortage; and mediating variable (skills shortage) was also identified as a variable that have potential to affect dependent variables (organisational performance, propensity to leave, competitive advantage and sustainability) of gold mining sector. Furthermore, eight hypotheses were developed to test the relationship between independent, mediating and dependent variables. All these variables were clearly defined and operationalized with various items obtained from measuring instruments used in other similar studies. A purposive sample of 343 respondents was drawn from the population. A seven-point Likert scale and structured questionnaire were administered in person to the respondents and of which 300 were usable and subjected further to several statistical analyses. The validity and reliability of the measuring instrument was evaluated using significant effect p< = 0.001 and Pearson’s correlation test (α = 0.05). Data gathered were fed to and analysed by STATISTICA (version 10) and factor analysis and regression analyses were the statistical procedures used to test the significance of the relationships between the various independent and dependent variables. Consequently, working environment, resources and education and training were three independent variables that were identified as having ability to predict propensity to leave, competitive advantage and sustainability. An attempt was made to establish whether various demographic variables have an influence on mediating and dependent variables through the introduction of gender and position in the organisation while conducting an Analysis of Variance and Multiple linear regressions, but they obtained negative values. The conclusion is that demographic variables do not have over mediating and depended variables. The findings of this study states that with conducive working environment, availability of resources, the high levels of education and training, the country could produce skills that would reduce propensity to leave, drive competitive advantage and sustainability, innovation and entrepreneurship, create competitive advantages and boost employment sustainability.

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Rasool, Fathima. "The role of skills immigration in addressing skills shortages in South Africa / by Fathima Rasool." Thesis, North-West University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/4618.

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South Africa is in the throes of a skills crisis. This situation is seriously hampering the country's economic progress and global participation. This study focuses on the analysis of skills migration in South Africa, and specifically aims to provide a conceptual framework for better cognition of the skills situation in South Africa. The study is presented in a series of four articles with a final chapter that incorporates these articles in a cognitive unit and, therefore, provide a cognitive map to better understand skills migration in South Africa. Article one of the study provides an in–depth discussion on the serious shortage of skilled workers and its impact on the progress of the country. This crisis is largely due to the failure of the national education and training system to supply the economy with much needed skills required to support economic growth and job creation. The findings of this study indicated that there are various factors that are contributing to the skills shortages in the country. Some of the factors include: poor education standards, emigration, crime and HIV. It must be noted that these factors cannot be addressed overnight. Hence, this study emphasised the role that skilled foreign workers can play in alleviating the skills shortages in the country. The contribution of foreign workers could be viewed as a short to medium solution to the skills crisis. Finally, this study has confirmed the findings of similar studies undertaken by the Centre for Development and Enterprise that opening the doors to high–skilled immigration can only serve as a means of supplementing the skills pool and hence contributing to the economic growth of the country. In relation to the above, that is, a means to address the skills shortages, article two supported the view that a more expansive and robust policy approach to skills immigration can be part of the larger solution of addressing the skills shortages of the country. This would allow for economic progress and make South Africa globally competitive. Hence, the primary purpose of this article was to determine the effectiveness of South Africa's immigration policy to support skills immigration. Attempts to recruit foreign skills to work in South African firms is proving to be a challenge as there are a number of issues in South Africa's immigration policy that makes it restrictive for organisations when recruiting skilled foreign workers. The following are some of the consequences of this restrictive policy: due to major infrastructural growth and development during the 2010 period, there is tremendous strain on the construction industry as a result of shortage of engineers, quantity surveyors, technicians and architects. Problems in retaining skilled mining staff combined with insufficient new graduates and an aging workforce is affecting the South African industry. A dearth of engineering skills at Eskom has also contributed to the power crisis. Thus it could be concluded that South Africa's skills immigration policy is problematic and not helpful in addressing the skills shortages of the country. In addition and in relation to factors that are contributing to skills shortages in the country, article three of the study focused specifically on factors that either push or pull people into a country. Push factors are generally regarded as negative factors as they push people out of the country. These factors include affirmative action, which contributes to emigration of skilled individuals, crime, HIV, economic instability, poor health care and dissatisfaction with the political situation of the country. Pull or positive factors on the other hand draw skilled South Africans to a country. These factors include: attractive salary packages, early retirement within the education sector, an opportunity to gain international work experience, an improved lifestyle and variety of career choices. Certain immigrants are pulled to South Africa as they see it as offering them economic opportunities that are not available in their home country. However, these immigrants range largely from unskilled to a limited number of highly skilled workers. This is inadequate to address the skill shortages. Hence, this situation also points towards recruitment of skilled foreign workers as a short to medium term solution. The final article of the study confirms that skills shortage is a global phenomenon. As a result there is fierce competition amongst countries to attract skilled labour so as to alleviate these shortages and improve their competitive footing in the global economy. One major way that these countries strive to achieve their goal, is through promoting targeted skills immigration programmes to attract skilled workers. In order to alleviate these skills shortages and be part of the global economy, South Africa has to take lessons from these countries. Therefore, the main purpose of this article in the study was to indicate the advantages of having a competitive skills immigration policy. It also highlighted practices that make certain countries skills immigration programmes successful. In doing so, these suitable practices could be offered to policy makers so that they can make informed decisions on improving the skills immigration policy of the country. Finally, there is a general consensus that South Africa's policy on skills immigration is in need of radical review due to the fact that it is highly restrictive, bureaucratic, user–unfriendly and costly to administer. Moreover, it serves as an impediment for business and industry to recruit skilled foreign labour into the country as a result of excessive, and often, unnecessary regulations and procedures. As a consequence, South Africa tends to attract a higher proportion of unskilled and semi–skilled foreign workers when, in actual fact, it should be attracting highly skilled immigrants.
Thesis (Ph.D. (Business Administration))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

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Murray, Nicole Anne. "Who gets their hands 'dirty' in the knowledge society? Training for the skilled trades in New Zealand." Lincoln University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/1714.

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The vision of New Zealand as a 'knowledge society' is a mantra that has opened the twenty-first century. Underpinning any 'knowledge society', however; are people who turn resources into concrete products and who build, maintain and service the technological and social infrastructure essential to society. This thesis examines the skilled trades and, in particular, how people are trained for those trades. Industry training is a crucial component of the wealth-generating capabilities of New Zealand. It is also an essential part of the way that many young people make the transition from school to work and from adolescence to adulthood. The means of training tradespeople has moved over the years from the rigid and prescriptive apprenticeship system, to the more voluntaristic, industry-led 'industry training' strategy, introduced following the Industry Training Act 1992. Regardless of the system used to organise training, however, there have been long-standing problems in New Zealand with achieving the optimum number of skilled workers, possessing the correct 'mix' of skills required. In this research, based upon semi-structured interviews with industry training stakeholders four industry case studies, policy content analysis and an in-depth examination of the Modem Apprenticeships scheme, I ask three key questions. First, what are the things that, as a country, we could or should reasonably expect a 'good' industry training system to contribute to? These may be things like: an adequate supply of appropriately skilled workers, the ability to upskill or reskill these workers as needed, clear transition routes for young people, lifelong learning opportunities, equity goals and foundation skills. Second, I ask how the current system performs against these criteria. The short answer is that the performance is 'patchy'. There are dire skill shortages in many areas. While opportunities for workplace upskilling, reskilling or 'lifelong learning' are available, I argue that they are not yet cemented into a 'training culture'. Workplace-based learning is an important transition route for a small percentage of our young people but the favoured route is some form of tertiary education, which may be an expensive and not necessarily relevant option. Third, I ask why the performance of New Zealand's industry training system is often less than desirable. My argument is that the problems and solutions thereof, of skill formation in New Zealand have been understood largely in terms of the supply-side. That is, we have either critiqued, or looked to reform, whatever system has been in place to train skilled workers. The inadequacy of this approach is evident from weaknesses in the ability of either the prescriptive apprenticeship system or the voluntaristic industry training strategy to deliver an appropriately skilled workforce. Thus, I also examine the demand side of skill formation: the wider influences that impact on employers' training decisions. Training decisions made by individual employers, the aggregation of which represent the level and quality of training for New Zealand as a whole, are influenced by a plethora of factors. At the micro level of the employer or firm, I explore barriers to training and some of the constraints to the demand for skills. I then examine broader influences, such as the changing shape of the workforce, labour market regulation and wider economic factors, all of which impact on training levels.

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Ntolwana, Olwethu A. "ICT skills shortages in under-developed areas of South Africa: a case of the Eastern Cape." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/4476.

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Masters of Commerce
Information and Communication Technology is a mixed set of technological tools and resources used to create and manage information. It involves technologies such as radio, television, video, DVD, telephone (both fixed line and mobile phones), satellite systems, computer (network hardware and software) as well as the tools and services associated with these technologies. ICT is increasingly seen as a major enabler of efficiencies and a catalyst for innovations. With adequate skills to effectively use ICT, it can also prove to be a foundation upon which sustainable socio-economic developments can be built. The problem in South Africa, however, is that of a severe shortage of technical skills in the ICT sector. The paradox is that despite the efforts at national, provincial and organisational levels to redress the shortage of skills, the problem persists. The aim of this study thus, was to understand the magnitude of skills shortages in under-developed areas of the Eastern Cape, so as to inform corrective measures. The Actor Network Theory (ANT) was used mainly as an analytical framework to analyse the problem of e-Skills shortages in South Africa. ANT helped in framing the context of the problem. It offered useful lenses of viewing the e-Skills development phenomenon as a network of stakeholders (actors), subjects (actants), processes and a determinant of information flows within the e-Skills development network. The study was mostly descriptive (and partly explanatory), seeking to clarify the status quo, the causes, and ultimately, to explore appropriate solutions. The interpretive approach was followed to conduct qualitative research. In this instance, a purposive sampling method was used to draw participants mainly from un/employed grade 12 (grade 12) graduates of 26 participants, consisting of 18 to 35 years of age. Participants were also drawn from high-level management in the training and development organisations and local employers of ICT graduates of Centane and Butterworth villages in the Eastern Cape. Content analysis technique was used to analyse and interpret data. Findings do reflect a severe lack of basic ICT skills, with causal factors varying from a lack of awareness about ICT careers, to a lack of access to ICT tools, with the majority of the affected grade 12 graduates neither being employed nor doing any tertiary studies. It is therefore recommended for the government to revisit the e-Skills policy and its implementation structures in rural areas. The Department of Education (DoE) in the Eastern Cape should also create educational networks that will provide remote schools with low cost, but high performance Internet access. A re-look into the general quality of education in rural areas is also urgent.

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Vanqa, Inga Bongo. "The effects of the labour skills shortage in the construction industry." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021125.

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Purpose of this treatise: The aim of this research is to determine, if the skilled labour shortage has had any impact on how construction projects are executed. If there is an impact the study aims to determine the nature and extent of the problem. Design/methodology/approach: A review of related literature was conducted, mainly to ensure that existing research is not replicated, in order to generate new ideas. The quantitative research approach was applied for this research. The questionnaire was designed so that scores can be easily summed in order to obtain an overall measure of the attitudes and opinions of the respondents. Findings: The results revealed that the skilled labour shortage has a negative effect on how construction projects are executed. The results further revealed that the biggest concern amongst employers and management of construction companies was the negative impact the shortage of skilled labour has on the levels of workmanship. Research limitations: The sample (construction companies) is mostly situated in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Practical implications: The research is of importance to managers and supervisors of construction companies of all sizes. The findings of this study will assist in ensuring that projects are efficiently managed irrespective of the current skills crisis in the construction industry.

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Teka, Babalwa. "The credit risk management skills shortage in Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1019893.

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Tito Mboweni (2011) said one of South Africa’s biggest tests is the overwhelming the skills shortage. He was echoing the views of Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande who himself said “South Africa could not afford to have an economy "constrained by a severe lack of skills". There are numerous initiatives that having been undertaken by government in an attempt to solve the skills shortage problem. However, these initiatives are not aimed at the tertiary education system. The tertiary education system is the focus of this study as the author investigates how the NMMU Business School can play a significant role in addressing the skills shortage in the credit risk management sector. Following a literature review, surveys were completed by the NMMU Business School MBA students (ninety of them completed it) and personal interviews were conducted with three Provincial HR managers from South Africa’s “four big banks” in Nelson Mandela Bay (Nedbank, Standard Bank and ABSA). The study found that the skills shortage is indeed a problem. The study found that reasons including the legacy left by apartheid and students pursuing the wrong degrees were highlighted as some of the reason for this skills shortage. An opportunity for the NMMU Business School was identified to support the banking industry in addressing credit risk management skills shortage. The benefits include financial reward and more importantly an opportunity to differentiate the Business School and the courses offered at the school from the rest. Some of the recommendations included sourcing of the best practices from institutions like the Millpark Business School on effective partnering with the banking industry as well as a proactive approach to be adopted by the banking industry in terms of lobbying support from other potential role players for example but not limited to, student bodies, BankSeta and the smaller banks in the industry.

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Roberts, Elizabeth W. "Development of a Nurse Residency Program in Perinatal Nursing." ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/7730.

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Staffing turnover created a challenge for the women’s services department of a hospital in the southern United States, potentially compromising care for women and infants during childbirth. The gap in practice was the lack of a structured nurse orientation/residency program for nurses new to perinatal nursing, which requires specific competencies not learned at the prelicensure level of education. The guiding practice-focused question was whether a multidisciplinary team could develop a formal evidence-based perinatal nurse residency program that would meet the needs of on-boarding and support for the new nursing hires at this facility. A team of experienced nurses, which included two nurses from labor and delivery, high risk antepartum, mother baby, and assistant nurse manager developed a comprehensive program, which included defined competencies, didactic materials, detailed simulations, and evaluation tools. A multidisciplinary team of six nurses, and the assistant nurse manager achieved consensus on the quality and comprehensive nature of the program plan using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation Instrument II assessment tool. The implications of this project to bring about positive social change include the potential for improved nursing care for patients during childbirth as a result of increased nurse knowledge and mentoring support. Improved retention might also contribute to stable teamwork and peer support. This project has the potential to improve both physical and psychological outcomes for women and infants in the perinatal period.

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Swart, Johannes Hendrik. "Potential emigration of engineers within a large mining organisation : an explanatory study / Johannes Hendrik Swart." Thesis, North-West University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/5104.

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South Africans leaving their country of birth is not a new phenomenon. South Africa currently has a large shortage of engineers and the fact that engineers are seeking better opportunities abroad is worsening the skills shortage in South Africa. Engineers form a vital part of any manufacturing, design, supply or production entity and leave a large setback if a skilled, experienced engineer decides to emigrate. Official statistics from self-declared emigrants showed that 601 engineers out of the total 16,165 self-declared emigrants left the country in 2003. This figure can be double the given number of 601 if the multiplication factor of 2.0 is taken into consideration for people that do not complete the emigration forms at the airports. The focus of this study was to investigate the emigration potential of the skilled engineer along with the factors that might lead to emigration, and were classified into three distinctive groups, namely, economic, political and social. These aspects are generally referred to as "push" factors that drive people out of the country such as racism, crime and violence; as well as "pull" factors that attract people such as better work opportunities, better salaries and better education. An electronic survey questionnaire was used to determine the emigration potential of the engineers within a large mining organisation. The respondents had to indicate their emigration potential as well as the major factors that would contribute to them leaving South Africa. The overall measured potential for emigration within the specific mining organisation was significantly low. Only twenty percent of respondents agreed that they are planning to emigrate within the next five years and only two percent within the next year. Forty-six percent of respondents agreed that they would rather like to work in another country for only a few years than to emigrate permanently. Various reasons could have lead to the contradicting low measured emigration potential within this specific organisation. Literature has proven that there is a significant relationship between intention to emigrate and organisational commitment. Results also showed that emigration potential tend to increase the better the engineer is qualified; with the emigration potential amongst electrical and mechanical engineers higher than all other disciplines. Crime and violence were the number one factor impacting the respondent in terms of potential emigration.
Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

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Van, Rooyen Lariska. "Managing artisan retention / Lariska van Rooyen." Thesis, North-West University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/4789.

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The retention of artisans is becoming an increasingly important challenge faced by many organisations. The decision to intensify artisan retention strategies arises from the fact that there is currently a shortage of artisans in the country. This situation is aggravated by the fact that many of our country's current supply of artisans are being lured away to Canada and Australia by the highly competitive packages offered them. For effective retention of their artisans, organisations must be aware of the factors that artisans perceive as being important in the decision to remain with an organisation. The main research objective was, therefore, to establish the factors that are important for artisan retention. It was also decided to measure the level of intention to leave among a sample of artisans, as there were no results available from previous research. The research was explorative in nature and a mixed-methods design was used to achieve the objectives. The participants were selected by means of a judgement sample to consist only of participants who hold a formal qualification as an artisan, as prescribed by Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) standards. Employees were requested to take part voluntarily in the research and a total population of 14 employees responded (N = 14). A semi-structured interview was used as means of collecting the qualitative data, while the quantitative data were collected by means of questionnaires. The results indicated that remuneration had the highest rank of all the factors for the retention of artisans, closely followed by development opportunity in second place. Other factors that were also perceived as important for artisan retention by the participants included equality (ranked third), recognition (ranked fourth), management and the working environment (ranked fifth), working relationships (ranked sixth), while change management, job security, belongingness, the merit system, job satisfaction and employee wellness were all ranked jointly in seventh place. With regard to Turnover Intention, the results indicated a mean score of 2,38 out of 5,00; it can thus be concluded that the sample reported an average level of turnover intention. The spread of the scores was quite large, indicating that some artisans had a strong intention to continue working at the organisation, while others were likely to consider other offers. By way of conclusion, recommendations were made both for the organisation and for future research.
Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010.

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Mateus, Antonio Domingos. "Perceptions of the socio economic impact of skills shortage on the community of Khayelitsha, Western Cape." Thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/1732.

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Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Magister of Technologiae: Human Resource Management In the Faculty of Business At the Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2012
This research focused on investigating perceptions of the socio economic impact of skills shortage on the community of Khayelitsha, Western Cape. The objectives of this study were to critically investigate the causes of skills shortage in the community of Khayelitsha; to assess the perceived social impacts that it has on the community; and to critically investigate whether skills shortage is one of the causes of unemployment. The research also went as far as examining measures, which were taken by government and other stakeholders to address skills shortage. Chapter One of the study provides information related to a background of the research under study. Chapter Two briefly considers skills shortage, globally, prior to looking thoroughly at the causes for skills shortage in Khayelitsha. It further presents evidence of skills shortage in South Africa by considering different sectors. Furthermore, the research details the social and the economic impact of skills shortage, the state of poverty and inequality, as well as the state of unemployment. Chapter Two also details the role of government and other stakeholders to address skill shortage. Chapter Three introduces the research design and methodologies that were used, while Chapter Four presents an analysis and assessment of data that was collected. Chapter Five concludes the research by making recommendations. Two types of methodologies were employed by the researcher, namely qualitative and quantitative research methodology. The researcher employed two types of data analysis, namely content analysis and descriptive statistics. These techniques were helpful for the study because they explored perceptions and evidence of skills shortage in South Africa and Khayelitsha, in particular. The study further explores the impact of skills shortage on the economic development of the country, unemployment poverty and the society at large. Finally, the research shows that respondents perceive that skills shortage does indeed have a negative impact on South Africa by being one of the causes of unemployment and poverty, and hence economic growth. While socially, respondents believe that skills shortage is the main driver of issues such as crime, violence, teenage pregnancy, prostitution, HIV/AIDS poverty and other social issues, which are prevalent nationwide.

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Wolmarans, Petrus Stefanus. "Makers of Mamelodi." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/60221.

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South Africa currently faces challenges such as high levels of unemployment, inequality and poverty. The skills deficiency in South Africa is one of the biggest obstacles to finding employment and poverty reduction. According to McGrath (2012), the TVET sector needs to be strengthened in order to provide access to high quality technical vocational education for all. This dissertation investigates the potential of a TVET college as a catalytic public building to uplift its community through both secular and educational functions. Humans are makers, everything around us are either made by humans or nature. By possessing the necessary skills to shape things, we also have the skill to shape our futures. This project investigation will specifically look at skills as intangible heritage and how collaboration can empower communities in shaping their own futures in a resilient manner.
Suid-Afrika ervaar huidiglik uitdagings soos ho? vlakke van werkloosheid, ongelykheid en armoede. Die vaardighede tekort in Suid-Afrika is een van die grootste struikelblokke om werk te kry asook om armoede te bestry. Volgens McGrath (2012), moet die TVET sektor versterk word om toegang te voorsien tot ho? gehalte tegniese beroepsonderwys vir almal. Die verhandeling ondersoek die potensiaal van 'n TVET kollege, as 'n katalitiese openbare gebou, om sy gemeenskap op te hef deur beide sekul?re en opvoedkundige funksies. Mense is makers, alles rondom ons is of deur die mens of die natuur gemaak. Deur die nodige vaardighede te h? om te kan maak, het ons ook die vaardigheid om ons toekoms te vorm. Hierdie projek-ondersoek sal spesifiek kyk na vaardighede as ontasbare erfenis en hoe samewerking gemeenskappe kan bemagtig in die vorming van hul eie toekoms in 'n veerkragtige manier.
Mini Dissertation (MArch (Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2017.
Architecture
MArch (Prof)
Unrestricted

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Moodley, Thigenthren. "Exploring what companies are doing to manage the shortage of technical skills in the South African manufacturing sector of fast moving consumer goods." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/96215.

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Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.
The government of South Africa aspires to achieve a six percent economic growth per annum. The scarcity of qualified and experienced people that are crucial in contributing to economic growth and creating job opportunities, poses a problem for the country. The current demand for skills that are out of reach for many workers and the prevailing unemployment that is caused by the mismatch between what an organisation seeks and what a potential candidate can provide, have been highlighted as a critical cause for the scarcity of skills. The aim of this research assignment was to examine the current crisis of the skills shortage in the South African economy, with the focus on the manufacturing sector within the FMCG industry. Semi-structured and open-ended interviews with human resource, training and development, as well as technical managers in manufacturing organisations in Cape Town, South Africa were conducted. Data was obtained from a sample of six managers. According to all respondents interviewed, it takes approximately two to six months to replace an employee who has the appropriate technical skills. All the respondents are concerned with the situation of the technical skills shortage in the country. Consequently, these respondents’ companies engage in a talent war in order to recruit the best talent. It is therefore obvious that the market dynamics of supply and demand are out of equilibrium with regard to technically skilled employees in the manufacturing segment of the South African FMCG industry. The interviews that were conducted identified some companies that train new employees in technical skills. However, the majority of the companies are not doing much to improve the situation. In addition, the companies in this sector also compete with the other industries in the South African and the global economy regarding technical skills.

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Wilson, Timothy N. "Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology: Student Demographics and Completion Rates." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2017. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3189.

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The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine relationships between gender and race, disability status, single parent status, and economically disadvantaged status of students enrolled in Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology advanced manufacturing skills programs. Furthermore, this study determined if there were significant relationships between race and disability status, single parent status, and economically disadvantaged status of students enrolled in Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology advanced manufacturing skills programs. Finally, differences in completion rates between female and male students as well as differences in completion rates between white and nonwhite students enrolled in Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology advanced manufacturing skills programs. Archival data from Fall 2014 were collected from the Office of Research and Assessment at the Tennessee Board of Regents for each student at the point of enrollment. Chi-square tests of independence were used to determine if significant relationships existed between demographic variables and completion rates. Significant relationships were found between gender and race where there more white females and males than nonwhite females and males. Significant relationships between gender and disability status were discovered where there were more students of both genders who were not disabled than were disabled. Significant relationships between race and single parent status were found in that more nonwhite students were single parents than white students. Significant relationships between race and economically disadvantaged status indicated more nonwhite students were economically disadvantaged than white students. Significant differences between gender and program completion rate were realized in that more males completed their programs of study than females. Finally, significant differences were discovered between race and program completion rate revealing more white students completed their programs of study than nonwhite students. However, there were no significant differences found between race and disability, between gender and economically disadvantaged status, and gender and single parent status.

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Kervall, Alexander, Sofie Mikkelsen, and Sanna Rosén. "Employer branding till undsättning : En fallstudie om ett apoteksföretags arbete med employer branding." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för organisation och entreprenörskap (OE), 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-52780.

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Syfte: Syftet med studien är att ge en förståelse för hur employer branding kan användas för att göra en organisations arbetsgivarvarumärke mer attraktivt, då organisationen är präglad av arbetskraftsbrist samtidigt som ett krav på specifik kompetens finns. Metod: En fallstudie med en abduktiv ansats som behandlar employer branding utifrån ett apoteksföretag. Datainsamlingen har gjorts genom kvalitativa intervjuer och från fallföretagets forum på sociala medier. Slutsats: Studiens resultat har visat hur en organisation kan arbeta med employer branding för att stärka sitt arbetsgivarvarumärke. Två av de mest fundamentala målsättningarna med employer branding är att kunna behålla och attrahera personal. För att kunna uppnå dessa målsättningar har flertalet aspekter valts ut och analyserats för att kunna identifiera hur en organisation kan vara framgångsrik i sitt employer branding-arbete. Studien har visat att ett framgångsrikt employer branding-arbete kräver en process där varje aspekt fungerar i symbios, men att förändringar på arbetsmarknaden ibland kan vara överväldigande och underminera företagens möjligheter med employer branding.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to bring understanding into how employer branding can be used in order to make an employer brand more attractive, while the organization is characterized by labour-shortage and at the same time demand specialized skills. Method: The study is based on a case study with an abductive reasoning and addresses employer branding from a pharmaceutical company’s perspective. The data has been collected through qualitative interviews and from the pharmaceutical company’s social media forums. Conclusion: The results of the study have shown how an organization can work with employer branding in order to strengthen its employer brand. Two of the most fundamental objectives of employer branding is to be able to retain and attract personnel. In order to achieve these objectives, numerous aspects have been selected and analyzed to identify how an organization can be successful in its work with employer branding. The study has shown that a successful work with employer branding demands a process where every aspect functions in symbiosis. However, changes in the labour-market can sometimes be overwhelming and therefore underminine the companies employer branding abilities.

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Tipples, Rosemary V. "Half a World Away: Contemporary Migration from the European Union to Canterbury, New Zealand." Thesis, University of Canterbury. National Centre for Research on Europe, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/905.

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As a traditional country of immigration, New Zealand has often looked outside of its borders for its population composition and as a result 19 percent of New Zealand's current population were born overseas. In recent times, immigration has been used by successive governments as a means of countering severe skills shortages and off-setting a declining birth rate. While attention in the media, public and to some extent in academic circles has been largely focused on the increasing volume of immigrants to New Zealand from Asian countries, migration from Europe has often been overlooked and yet it remains an important component of the New Zealand's migration flows. This thesis explores this stream of migration - from the member states of the European Union to New Zealand - by examining the specific case study of contemporary European Union migration to the Canterbury region, incorporating migrants who live, work and study in Canterbury. The thesis used surveys and in-depth interviews in addition to secondary data to investigate the composition of the European Union migrant population in Canterbury, as well as exploring the motivations and experiences of these migrants. Conceptualising the motivations of contemporary migrants from the EU to New Zealand is difficult, due to a multiplicity of theories and frameworks surrounding the topic of migration. As such, this thesis suggests a three level framework drawn from in order to better understand the motivations of target population. Although the experiences of the surveyed migrants were largely positive, some difficulties were noted, particularly while seeking work and building friendships with New Zealanders. Finally, this thesis proposes a number of recommendations at a policy and academic level which may assist in furthering understandings of the important but often ignored group of European Union migrants in New Zealand.

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Selvanathan, Tharshanan. "The appliance of the concept of sustainability in human resource management in the corporate sector in Germany." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/663910.

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Decline of resources, increasing expectation of stakeholders and radical transparency imposed by new technologies urges multinational enterprises to define sustainability as an important driver, which affects Strategic and Human Resource Management. An organization’s corporate social performance becomes increasingly important in attracting highly educated applicants with a high level of job choice, often a source of competitive advantage in the human resource area. This research investigates the usage of the concept of sustainability in Human Resource Man- agement in Germany. Hypotheses were derived, an empirical content analysis was executed and 8745 job advertisements analyzed on sustainable patterns. Annual reports and sustainability reports of organizations were evaluated on defining sustainability related targets in their compensation management. Personal interviews with Human Resource Managers of global market leaders were executed regarding the influence of sustainability in Human Resource Management. Although the Executives of companies state that sustainability plays a major role in Human Resource Management there is a gap in implementation. Sustainability concepts were found in less than one third of all job advertisements. A minority of the investigated companies formulates sustainability related targets in their compensation management. The interviews of the HR Managers confirm the high relevance of sustainability of Human Resource Management but points out the reason for the lack of implementation as a deficit of specified training and development. In order to attract highly qualified employees there is a need pointing out ecological, social and sustainable efforts by the company. By doing so the gap between Human Resource Management and Sustainability could be bridged and the term of Sustainable Human Resource Management practically applied.
La disminución de los recursos, una mayor expectación de las partes interesadas y una transparencia radical impuesta por las nuevas tecnologías instan a las empresas multinacionales a definir la sostenibilidad como un factor importante, el cual afecta la gestión estratégica y de los recursos humanos. El rendimiento socio- empresarial de una organización es cada vez más importante para atraer candidatos con una excelente formación y un alto nivel de elección de empleo, lo cual suele ser una ventaja competitiva en los recursos humanos. Este estudio investiga el uso del concepto de la sostenibilidad en la gestión de los recursos humanos en Alemania. Se han derivado un número de hipótesis, se ha realizado un análisis de contenido empírico y se han analizado 8 745 ofertas de empleo. Se han evaluado los informes anuales y de sostenibilidad para definir objetivos relacionados con la sostenibilidad en la gestión de la remuneración. Se han realizado entrevistas con gerentes de RR. HH. de empresas líder a nivel mundial sobre la influencia de la sostenibilidad en la gestión de recursos humanos. A pesar de que los ejecutivos de varias empresas indiquen que la sostenibilidad juega un papel fundamental en la gestión de RR. HH., existe una brecha en su implementación. Se han encontrado conceptos de sostenibilidad en menos de un tercio de todas las ofertas de empleo. Una minoría de las empresas investigadas plantean objetivos relacionados con la sostenibilidad en su gestión de remuneración. Las entrevistas con los gerentes de RR. HH. confirman la gran importancia de la sostenibilidad en la gestión de recursos humanos pero señala como culpable de la falta de implementación un déficit en la formación y el desarrollo. Para poder atraer empleados altamente cualificados las empresas deben resaltar sus iniciativas ecológicas, sociales y sostenibles. Al hacer esto la brecha entre la gestión de recursos humanos y la sostenibilidad podría desaparecer y así aplicarse el término Gestión de Recursos Humanos Sostenible.

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Visser, Anntha. "Investigating the relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic reward, job satisfaction, organisational commitment and turnover intention / Anntha Visser." Thesis, North-West University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/9243.

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Retention strategies in the nursing profession have been a significant subject among researchers for decades. The current shortages of these skilled professionals have reached an alarming extent globally, making it difficult for organisations to retain these workers, also in South Africa. It has become evident that nursing professionals from South Africa emigrate to other countries for more lucrative remuneration, sophisticated work resources and better career opportunities, impacting the South African economy and nursing workforce negatively. The general objective of the research was to determine whether a relationship exists between intrinsic and extrinsic rewards, job satisfaction, organisational commitment and turnover intention among a group of South African healthcare workers in the private healthcare sector. Specifically of interest was also to see if nurses’ turnover intention could be predicted by the other variables. A cross-sectional survey design was used. A convenience sample of 152 healthcare workers was obtained from three private hospitals in the Gauteng and North-West provinces. A measuring instrument for intrinsic and extrinsic rewards was adapted from a previous study, and applied with measures of job satisfaction, affective organisational commitment and turnover intention. Results indicated that the measure of rewards did not present with sufficient reliability, and it was subjected to factor analysis. This delivered two reliable factors, which were labelled Objective experience of rewards and Perceived lacking organisational support. Objective experience of rewards showed to be significantly related to job satisfaction and inversely to turnover intention, and Perceived lacking organisational support was significantly negatively related to job satisfaction and positively to turnover intention. It was also seen that both job satisfaction and objective experience of rewards showed predictive value in terms of nurses’ turnover intention. Conclusions and limitations regarding this study were made, and recommendations regarding the profession and future research are made.
Thesis (MCom (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

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Li, Yiqiong School of Organization &amp Management UNSW. "Employers' experiences of shortages of skilled process workers in Suzhou industrial park, China." 2007. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/40576.

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This thesis examines and explains multinational employers' experiences of localized shortages of skilled process workers in Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP), China. It explains three challenges facing SIP employers in accessing sufficient skilled process workers and their responses within HRM to such challenges. These three challenges are employers' experiences with vocational education and training (VET) deficiencies in students' skill development, employers' experiences of poaching of skilled process workers by other companies, and employers' experiences of provision of workplace training for skilled process workers in their own companies. In response to these challenges, SIP employers have adopted various HRM measures that include differing combination of recruitment and selection, employee retention, training and development, and employment relations management. These policies and practices represent the different ways that SIP employers have attempted to meet the challenges of localized skill shortages in the context of their own business strategies.

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"An economic analysis of the skills shortage problem in South Africa." Thesis, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3426.

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M.Comm.
South Africa has experienced a long period of high unemployment. While the economy has achieved relatively higher GDP growth rates in the recent past, unfortunately not as many jobs have been created. This is because of, amongst other constraints, the skills shortage experienced. This shortage of skills is not solely the result of the emigration of professionals since the inception of the new political dispensation in 1994. This paper investigated the economic sectors showing high growth, with a view of identifying the sectors that can be promoted for high investment and hence the creation of employment for the country’s labour force. The secondary and the tertiary sectors have been found to contributing more to the country’s GDP growth and could create more employment opportunities if promoted by more investment. However, the unemployment experienced is mainly structural in nature and the country should concentrate on human capital development and skills development to reduce it. The education of the labour force in South Africa has been found to be concentrated in the secondary level. This has raised questions as to the ability of the country’s education system to fulfil its role of empowering the labour force. More than ten years into democracy, blacks are the most disadvantaged population group regarding the levels of appropriate educational qualifications making them contribute the most to the unemployed labour force.

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"The impact of skills shortages on client satisfaction at Stewart Scott International in KwaZulu-Natal." Thesis, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/1426.

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A persistent theme over the past year in public discussion has been the state of skills in the South African economy and society (DoL, 2003:1). The DoL (2005:55) further states that the issue of "scarce skills" has become a key government priority. It is now generally accepted that skills shortages in key occupational areas are hindering future economic growth (DoL, 2005:55). Within the civil engineering industry in South Africa recent studies have found that there has been a slow decline in the number of civil engineering professionals since the seventies and early eighties; all sectors in the industry have reported staff shortages, particularly of experienced midcareer professionals; staff utilisation rates are over 90% on average and in excess of 100% in many firms and there is a critical shortage of experienced civil professionals responsible for production work (Lawless, 2005 and SAACE, 2005). Some of the reasons cited for the skills shortages and skills gaps include poor quality of both secondary and tertiary education, inadequate training provided by employers, the overall unattractiveness of civil engineering due to relatively lower salaries being paid as compared to other professions and working conditions and emigration (for various reasons). The primary aim of the study was to investigate the impact skills shortages have had on client satisfaction within Stewart Scott International (SSI), a multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy firm, in KwaZulu-Natal. Thereafter, from the findings of the research, identify specific areas of dissatisfaction ( from SSI's clients' perspective) and develop short to medium term strategies to better manage the situation, it being noted that addressing the root causes of skills shortages and skills gaps requires long term interventions. The research also sought to assess from SSI's clients' whether they believed any decline in their satisfaction levels was as a result of skills shortages in the industry. The data collection instrument used in the study was a structured questionnaire. Questionnaires were sent to clients with whom SSI had been doing business with for at least five years. The study found three areas of concern in SSI's quality of service (which clients' believed were as a result of skills shortages), viz SSI's approach to work, SSI's creativity in proposed solutions and SSI's approach in dealing with problems in relationships with clients. The findings of the research are similar to the findings of the NACI ( 2003) in SA and Mills and Treagust (2003) in Australia. The study further found empirical evidence to support the hypothesis that the levels of skills and levels of client satisfaction are related. The research found that: • There has been a decline in SSI's approach to work • There has been a decline in SSI's creativity in proposed solutions • There has been a decline in the manner and time frames SSI deals with problems in relationships The following are recommended: • More efficient use of resources (short-term) • Coaching and training initiatives be reviewed and formalised (short-term) • Develop a new skills management specification (medium-term) in
Thesis (M.B.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

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Ravu, Yagambram. "Management of skills shortages within Eskom : a case study of Medupi Power Station, Lephalale, South Africa." Thesis, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10321/1173.

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Submitted in fullfilment of part of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Technology: Management Sciences, Durban University of Technology, 2014.
The study explores issues around human resources and training within Eskom using the Medupi Power Station as a case study. This power station is currently being constructed in the Limpopo province approximately 350 kilometres north of Gauteng. The main aim of the study was to identify the skills shortages on the project and make recommendations on how to manage them in the long and short term. The research objectives included ascertaining the types of skills shortages being experienced and perceptions regarding the employment of expatriates and their contribution to knowledge transfer at Eskom. The mixed methods approach was utilised to conduct the research. The combination of quantitative and qualitative methods using questionnaires and interviews provided detailed and relevant data for addressing the research questions. A sample of 48 highly skilled employees who are currently working on the Medupi Project participated in the study. They included senior management, engineering and other technical staff and human resources personnel. The results revealed the nature of the skills shortages on the Project, namely supervisory, civil engineering and contracts management skills. The findings regarding the employment of expatriates reveal that they are employed on a contract basis and can terminate their contract on a short notice. This has an adverse effect on continuity on the Project. In addition, the local employees believed that the expatriates are chiefly motivated by the financial incentives and are not fully capable of transferring skills as they do not have power station experience. The study proposes a new knowledge transfer model for the Medupi Project. According to this model, the line management’s ability to provide an enabling work environment and support for on-the-job training influences knowledge transfer. Furthermore, employee motivation to acquire and utilise a newly learnt skill on the job, the setting of goals that are achievable given the multitude of constraints experienced on the Project, and senior management support are key determinants of line managements’ success in providing an enabling knowledge transfer environment.
D

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Binks, Faisal. "Retention strategy of paramedics in South Africa." Thesis, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/4445.

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The pre-hospital industry is faced with many challenges, one of which is the skills shortage of advanced life support paramedics in the country. The industry has naturally dictated competition both nationally and internationally for the recruitment of these advanced life support paramedics. Staff turnover has increased as a result of this issue which also has financial implications on the individual business of constant recruitment and turnover. The purpose of this study is to investigate problems that currently exist in the industry with regards to the advanced life support paramedic employment which will provide valuable information on retention strategies and reduce staff turnover.

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Dainty, A., C. Irena Grugulis, and D. Langford. "Understanding construction employment: the need for a fresh research agenda." 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10454/2250.

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Purpose - As a backdrop to the empirical contributions contained within this special issue, this guest editorial reviews the context of construction employment. It summarises the challenges inherent in construction work which have impeded the development of human resource management within the sector and discusses the mutually supporting contributions of the papers in furthering our understanding of how to improve the performance of the industry. Design/methodology/approach ¿ The operational context of the sector is reviewed briefly, before the efficacy of the industry¿s employment practices are examined through a review of the contributions contained within the special issue. Findings ¿ The papers reveal the interplay of structural and cultural factors which have led to the skills shortages currently impeding the industry¿s development. There is a need for the sector to modernise and formalise its working and employment practices if performance and productivity improvements are to be achieved. Originality/value of the paper ¿ By revealing the interconnected nature of the construction employment perspectives presented within this special issue, this paper presents a case for adopting a fresh transdisciplinary research agenda for addressing the industry's employment concerns.

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Moodley, Brendan. "Engineering skills shortage in Eskom : an analysis of the situation and an assessment of the impact of current and proposed interventions." Thesis, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/4245.

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South Africa currently finds itself in a constrained environment. In order to alleviate this constraint, Eskom, the dominant (and state-owned) electricity supplier in South Africa has embarked on an electricity capacity expansion programme. One of the constraints on the capacity expansion programme, as identified by Eskom, is the shortage of skills including that of engineering skills. Firstly, an understanding of the background to the shortage of engineering skills in South Africa and Eskom was gained through literature review. Thereafter, a list of contributors was identified in terms of the skills shortage in South Africa and Eskom. In addition to this local view of the engineering skills shortage issue, the author of this dissertation supplemented this with a review of international literature. The issue was then documented using systems thinking diagramming techniques which eventually culminated in the development of a draft systems dynamics model of the shortage of engineering skills in Eskom for the capacity expansion effort. Once the draft system dynamics model was developed, the author of this dissertation conducted one-on-one interviews with staff members who represented the stakeholders in the engineering skills shortage issue for Eskom's capacity expansion programme. This enabled the author of this dissertation to share his understanding of the problem with the interviewees and to gain an improved understanding of the issue by listening to the interviewees. Thereafter, this improved understanding was utilised to update the systems dynamics model. Finally, this updated model was utilised to perform an analysis to determine the leverage points to alleviate the engineering skills shortage problem in Eskom's capacity expansion programme. The literature survey suggested that mentorship, retention of current engineering skills and improving the image of engineering (in general) should be pursued to alleviate the shortage of engineering skills in the electricity industry. Furthermore, the use of interviews and systems dynamics modelling suggested that there needs to be a core focus on mentorship. In addition, effort should be allocated to attracting more of the under-represented groups into engineering i.e. women and black males. Furthermore, effort needs to be placed on specifying the capacity expansion resource requirements adequately i.e. plans in terms of numbers of people, qualifications and skill level are required. Finally, the interview process highlighted the view (not supported by systems dynamics modelling) that outsourcing of engineering work and importing of engineering skills should be pursued as a last resort. KEYWORDS Eskom, Engineering Skills Shortage, Capacity Expansion Programme.
Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2008.

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Selepe, Olpha Nkosingiphile. "Management of National Certificate Vocational curriculum in addressing skills shortage in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal." Diss., 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/23735.

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The aim of this study was to investigate how the National Certificate Vocational (NCV) curriculum is being managed at Majuba TVET College in ensuring that it impacts positively in addressing skills shortage in the Newcastle area. The following was the main question for the study: How is Majuba TVET College managing the National Certificate Vocational (NCV) curriculum in addressing skills shortage in the Newcastle area? A comprehensive literature review was conducted to provide strong arguments as presented by different authors who wrote on the topic after conducting research about Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges A qualitative method was chosen by the researcher to gather data on the management of the NCV curriculum in addressing skills shortage. The main aim was to discuss the methods the researcher used in the study to collect data meant to acquire the impact of the NCV curriculum management in addressing skills shortage. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews, non-participant observation and literature review. It was then put together and analysed according to themes aligned to the main study problem and the sub problems in order to realise the main aim of the study and the sub-aims. On the basis of the findings and the recommendations, the researcher proposed the importance of the college to review the NCV curriculum so that it is aligned with practical exposure enhanced by NCV students from the industry. In conclusion, the findings pointed out that NCV students’ practical exposure may have a big impact in addressing skills shortage and combating the high unemployment rate in the Newcastle area.
Educational Leadership and Management
M. Ed. (Education Management)

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Maboho, Phumudzo Benedictor. "A transformational approach to improve employment equity targets." Thesis, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10210/11274.

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M.Com. (Business Management)
Compliance with Employment Equity Act no 55 of 1998 is very important for organisations in South Africa. Recent reports attested that no significant change or progress achieved as far as Employment Equity (EE) is concerned. With no doubt South Africa faces shortage of skills and this may be a hindrance to EE Transformation. The Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) is not isolated from the skills shortage challenges, particularly because they seek specialised skills and competencies such as those of Chartered Accountants CA(SAs). The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), stated in their press release (Olivier, 2012) that this particular institution has 33 167 registered Chartered Accountants in South Africa. This means a small pool from which the Auditor-General of South Africa can draw its potential employees. The AGSA is not unique to the changes and legislative requirements faced by other organisations. As a result, these organisations are required to embark on a transformation journey to ensure Employment Equity achievement within their respective environments. Although reports have been showing some encouraging progress towards achieving the objectives of the Employment Equity Act, the journey is still long. This research attempted to establish the state of transformation and the challenges faced when implementing EE in AGSA. Based on these, the researcher proposed a change process to increase attainment of EE targets. For this study, the researcher focused particularly within areas where the AGSA struggles to attract suitably qualified employees. The researcher further assessed the employees’ perceptions related to EE how these perceptions are addressed. The researcher collected by means of self-administered questionnaires, interviews, as well as a case study. The sample included Corporate Executives, Business Executives, Senior Managers, Managers and Trainee Auditors. The collected data was analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Findings of the study revealed that different business units were implementing different strategies in an attempt to address their Employment Equity challenges. Some areas within the AGSA realised progress while others made only minimal progress. The research further revealed the need for an integrated approach towards achievement of the EE target. This may ensure a concerted effort and eradicate working in silos. A need for appropriate and formal EE structures was also established. Recommendations for an integrated approach as well as required structures for EE were discussed in the last chapter of this research.

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Coetzee, Minette. "Addressing the skills shortage of computer-aided design pattern-making in the KwaZulu-Natal clothing industry." Thesis, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10321/1329.

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Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Technology: Fashion at the Durban University of Technology, 2014.
Over the past 20 years, it has become necessary for South African clothing companies to raise their operational standards to keep up with international competitiveness. Consequently, it was necessary for companies to invest in technology to improve turnaround time, a case in point being computer-aided design (CAD) pattern-making technology. However, currently, a skills shortage exists in the area of trained CAD pattern-makers. Therefore, the intention of this study was to address the skills shortage of CAD pattern- makers in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) clothing industry. A concurrent-nested mixed-methods research method was carried out within a constructivist worldview. These methods were used to, firstly, establish what skills are necessary for CAD pattern-making, and, secondly, to identify the reasons for the skills shortage of CAD pattern-makers in the KZN clothing industry. Different role players from the clothing industry participated in the study. The participants indicated that CAD pattern-making requires a diverse set of skills, which they ranked in order of importance. These skills can now be used as a guide by lecturers, trainers and clothing companies to identify individuals with the required potential to be trained as CAD pattern-makers. The reasons identified by the industry participants for the skills shortage of CAD pattern-makers, needs to be addressed through education, training and remuneration. Since companies have purchased the necessary CAD software, without skilled pattern-makers, the system is underutilized, thereby affecting their profitability and costing the companies reduced profit margins.

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Stasch, Kevin. "The role of the psychological contract and its influence on engineers’ worker engagement." Diss., 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/24588.

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The study investigated the concept of the psychological contract and its influence on engineers’ worker engagement. The underlying rationale for this study was to address the shortage of engineers and specialised artisans (that is, the shortage of skilled people in two of the professions where such a shortage poses a threat to the economic growth of South Africa) by determining the worker engagement of engineers. The study also attempted to identify the true drivers of engagement for engineers which can then be used as a baseline for further development of business specific strategies. The sample was engineering personnel in the South African project engineering sector, and a combination of two existing questionnaires, the Psychological Contract Inventory (PCI) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), was used to gather the data. It was concluded that generally engineers are loyal to the task at hand and not necessarily to the organisation that employs them. They are engaged in their work, but also indicate that they constantly seek to improve their education and experience to make future employment at other companies probable. A somewhat contradictory finding is that they claim to be satisfied with the employment offered to them, as well as the benefits they receive. To ensure the retention of skilled employees, the study proposes that employers of engineers diversify from time to time, or introduce some variation. Even internal shuffling can be used to continually challenge the engineers. It is further recommended that companies should ensure that there are clear career paths for engineering employees, combining secure employment with stable and realistic benefits.
Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010.
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
unrestricted

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Davids, Bradley Wayne. "The promotion of skills retention – a case study of the city of Cape Town's skills development strategy." Thesis, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/3160.

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Magister Administrationis - MAdmin
The lack of skills and capacity has been cited as one of the key reasons for organisations failing to recruit staff, with 81% of companies in South Africa experiencing recruitment challenges. More specifically, the problem of low skills and capacity has had an impact on the ability of the state to meet its goals and objectives in a variety of public service areas. In fact, in 2006, a question time session in the National Assembly revealed the enormity of the problem. The President, while being questioned on the crisis arising from a lack of suitably qualified people in the Public Service, referred to a skills audit conducted in 2004. The audit, conducted across 284 municipalities, revealed the number one challenge in the context of service delivery as that of a lack of skills. In this context, the City of Cape Town has adopted an ambitious Human Resource Strategy. One of the Human Resource initiatives is the Skills Development Strategy .This broad strategy provides for the implementation of various interventions that facilitates the development, capacity and retention of local government officials in the City. This notwithstanding, it would seem that the City’s remedial action in terms of skills development and retention is not meeting the prescribed intentions of its HR strategy.The study was guided by the following assumptions:The skills development strategy of the City is aimed at appropriate training and development of local government officials that will facilitate career planning and retention of staff.The City’s broader HR strategies will create an enabling environment in achieving the strategic objectives of the various interventions aimed at skills development and retention.The skills development strategy will enhance employee motivation and loyalty towards the City and hence reduce employment turnover.Successful implementation of the City’s skills development strategy is dependent on effective and innovative human resources policies and interventions aimed at developing the talent pool of the City.The primary objective of the study was to critically examine the strategic aims of skills development strategy as adopted by the City of Cape Town in 2007.In this regard, secondary objectives include:critically examining the legislative and regulatory framework for skills training and development in South Africa, critically examining the policy and regulatory framework that informs the management and development of human resources in the City Of Cape Town,contextualising the need for more rigorous training and development interventions within the City of Cape Town,identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the various interventions put in place to facilitate the implementation of the skills development strategy of the City, and finally proposing recommendations to overcome the implementation challenges. The research relied on theoretical research methodology to collect data for the study. Primary and secondary sources of data were used. Secondary sources included books, journals, and government policies and documents. Primary sources included interviews and personal observations.

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Janse, van Rensburg Christine. "Organisational perspectives of learnerships within manufacturing, engineering and related services organisations in the Sedibeng municipal district area." Thesis, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10352/91.

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Thesis (M. Tech. (Human Resource Management, Dept. of Management Sciences))--Vaal University of Technology, 2009.
Key skills shortages, coupled with high levels of unemployment are well documented in South Africa. Learnerships, which are meant to reduce the skills shortage, are not addressing this problem as the SETAs have failed to communicate the benefits of learnerships aggressively to companies. Thus, the purpose of this research is to determine organizational perspectives of learnerships within the MERSETA organizations in the Sedibeng district municipal area. A literature study of learnerships and applicable legislation in South Africa was undertaken in order to contextualize the South African skills development initiative. The empirical portion of the study involved conducting a survey using a self-administered questionnaire designed to elicit perspectives of learnerships within small, medium and large organizations (n=150) that fall under the MERSETA and that are situated in the industrial areas of Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging and Meyerton, within the Sedibeng district municipal area. The data obtained indicate that although almost two-thirds of the researched organizations do currently implement learnerships, these organizations experienced several barriers and challenges when taking on learnerships. It was found that the MERSETA organizations within the study area also lack understanding and familiarity with the learnership system and their perceptions towards learnerships are for the most part, negative. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations, targeted at the National Skills Authority, the Department of Labour, the MERSETA and the SETAs, are made to assist organizations in various areas to overcome the identified barriers and challenges emanating from learnership implementation.
Central Research Committee (Vaal University of Technology)

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Mthembu, Philani. "Trade & migration: the impact of mode 4 of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) on developing countries in the midst of a skills shortage and brain drain." Thesis, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10539/7304.

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Abstract The reach of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has gone beyond its traditional spheres of trading in goods to influencing the mobility of skilled labour and thus having an impact on migration patterns. The growing influence of the WTO has led to the enforcement and implementation of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), which calls for the liberalisation of services, including the movement of ‘natural persons’ for the purposes of providing services in member states of the WTO under mode 4 of the Agreement. Globalisation, liberal market economies and the increased mobility of skilled labour have led to a merging of the trade and migration communities globally. With fears running high of a skilled exodus from developing countries to developed countries, known as a brain drain, questions arise as to who the brain drain benefits, what the purpose of mode 4 is, and whether developing countries can use mode 4 to solve their brain drain as its emphasis is on the movement of skilled labour on a temporary basis. The rapid changes globally have been fueled by a shift in major industrial economies from industrial economies to knowledge based economies; these rely heavily on highly skilled labour for economic growth and wealth creation, this process has also been aided by the growing capacity of developing countries to produce skilled labour. Using South Africa as an example, the following thesis will assess what impact mode 4 of the GATS will have on developing countries in the midst of a skills shortage and brain drain. It will provide a general understanding of what the GATS is, while also showing what effect the brain drain, immigration policy, neo-liberalism and globalisation will have on mode 4 negotiations within the WTO.

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Tshilongamulenzhe, Maelekanyo Christopher. "An integrated learning programme management and evaluation model for the South African skills development context." Thesis, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/21961.

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Separate bibliographical references are given at the end of Chapter 7
The general aim of this research was (1) to develop a holistic and integrated theoretical model for the effective management and evaluation of occupational learning programmes in the South African skills development context, and (2) to develop a valid and reliable measure comprising the elements and dimensions of the theoretical model. The research used a non-experimental cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected from a sample of 652 respondents comprising learning and development managers, learning and development assessors/facilitators/moderators, skills development officers/providers and apprentices/learners. The sample was drawn from organisations representing 5 Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) and the South African Board for People Practices (SABPP). A selfadministered questionnaire was developed for the purposes of this research and its psychometric properties were rigorously scrutinised in accordance with the existing scale development protocols and scientific conventions. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to establish the factorial structure of the new Learning Programme Management and Evaluation (LPME) scale. The factorial structure was confirmed using confirmatory factor analysis. Further statistical tests conducted include structural equation modelling, multi-group structural equivalence, Pearson product moment correlations, multiple regression analyses and tests for significant mean differences. The findings of this research confirmed an 11 dimensional structure LPME scale. The research confirmed the structural equivalence of the LMPE scale for males and females and type of learning programme. Age, education and occupation were found to be significant predictors of the LMPE sub-scales. This research contributed a valid and reliable LPME scale for the effective management and evaluation of occupational learning programmes in the South African skills development context. To this end, the research provides recommendations for practice and future studies.
Business Management
D. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

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Maharaj, Rasmika. "Strategy solutions for skills shortage circumventions through understanding of skilled migrant communities : a research study of the impact of South Africa's socio-economic concerns on the South African skilled migrant population of Auckland, New Zealand." Thesis, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/1221.

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If one considers the view's of the "pessimists" too long, it is not difficult to lapse into a spiral of depression with regard to the nature of South Africa and her economic future; suffice to say that this in fact could be the stimuli in itself to result in the so-called "brain drain" phenomenon. However, though opinions and views of even the experts may be rejected or accepted on que, the figures do speak for themselves. According to one such report, a staggering 1% of the total science and IT workforce left the country between 1994 and 2001, some 17 000 professionals! Research studies and government campaigns aimed at addressing the issue of skill shortages, continue to look for appropriate strategies to properly address and/or minimize the problem. In so doing, research studies and current literature have highlighted top destination countries for South African emigration, skilled migrant impact as measured in terms of industry and job classification as well as prevalent reasons for emigration. The essence of this study is to uncover the most prevalent socio-economic factor, as perceived by skilled migrants, and as a contributory factor to the brain drain crises. This study aims to evaluate, specifically, extent of safety and security concerns as most prevalent stimuli for emigration. In so doing, the study aims to present strategy solutions in alignment with findings to aid in present government initiatives to curbing the brain drain. Furthermore, it aims to provide a basis for further study to develop government strategies for skilled migrant prevention.
Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2007.

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Terblanche, Ester Aletta Jacomina. "Measuring the accessibility of accountancy programmes with special emphasis on chartered accountancy in South Africa." Diss., 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/18369.

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South Africa is experiencing a financial skills shortage with a severe shortage of accountants and chartered accountants in particular. The aim of this study was to measure accessibility of public higher education in South Africa, in general and specifically relating to accountancy programmes with special emphasis on chartered accountancy programmes in South Africa, by making use of selected accessibility indicators. Although some of these indicators have been used to measure accessibility of higher education in general both locally and internationally, they are not often used to measure accessibility of a programme for a particular profession such as accountancy or chartered accountancy. This study aimed to fill this gap by measuring the selected accessibility indicators and providing subsequent rankings of the four public universities selected for this study. The results can be used by institutions that offer accountancy and chartered accountancy programmes as well as the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants, as the profession’s Education and Training Quality Assurance body, to evaluate the accessibility of accountancy as well as chartered accountancy programmes.
Financial Accounting
M. Compt. (Applied Accountancy)

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Kaizemi, Sencia. "Challenges of recruitment and retention of skilled employees in a Namibian bank." Diss., 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/23153.

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The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the challenges that a Namibian bank faced in recruiting and retaining skilled employees. The study adopted a qualitative research approach and the data were collected through face-to-face interviews with 20 participants from the Namibian bank. The researcher used the Five-Phased Data Analysis Cycle as described by Yin (2011) to analyse the data. Ensuring trustworthiness, the researcher used Guba's Model of Trustworthiness as cited by Krefting (1990). The major findings of the study were the shortcomings in the Namibian bank remuneration structure, lack of training and no employee recognition. The recommendations of the study are that the Namibian bank needs to implement training and development for its employees, review its remuneration structure and demonstrate appreciation of staff by showing recognition, better salaries and incentives.
Business Management
M.Com. (Business Management)

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Skill shortages'

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