Training in the South African Labour Market

This study is an investigation into the training by the unemployed and employed in the South African labour market prior to the implementation of the National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) in 2001. The study uses the Mesebetsi Labour Force Survey 1999-2000 to conduct the investigation. This investigation was prompted by the pervasive nature of unemployment in the labour market. This research will set the benchmark for future research that aims to establish the impact of the NSDS on the labour market through the use of household surveys. However, the fact that recent household datasets do not contain as rich information on training will complicate analysis that aims to compare findings and such a task may require a second round of the Mesebetsi Survey. The findings of this research make very clear the areas where the NSDS can make a significant impact in terms of redressing the impact of past iniquitous policies. Further research is thus called for in order to determine what the impact of the NSDS has been on the labour market and to make adjustments to the strategy accordingly