The post-1994 labour market environment in South Africa is marked by a sharp rise in the use of temporary employment services (TES). The TES sector has grown rapidly and is now a key feature of the South African economy and its labour market, yet surprisingly little academic research has been undertaken on the sector. We attempt to go some way towards closing the gap, by focusing this report on trying to understand the nature of employment changes and their impact, in the ‘labour broker’ sector.

Understanding educational transitions is vital to address basic skills shortages and improve the life chances of all South African learners. In order to examine the varied educational pathways and transitions taken by youth, the first wave of the South African Youth Panel Study (SAYPS) was administered in 2011. SAYPS, a longitudinal, panel study, followed Grade 9 learners who participated in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), over the next four consecutive years.

What knowledge and skill does a 21st century artisan need? LMIP researchers considered this question in relation to four interlocking contexts: sector and company futures, workplace culture futures, work futures for artisans/technicians, and artisanal qualification futures. In-depth case studies were conducted across four industry sectors. Here, we focus on the analysis of artisanal qualification futures only.

In South Africa’s highly unequal education and training system, pockets of excellence exist where resources, networks and skills are concentrated. The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) represents a successful attempt at linking these pockets of excellence at the national level, and to global knowledge flows.

A unique feature of the approach to developing the skills planning mechanism adopted in the Labour Market Intelligence Partnership (LMIP) is the emphasis on the close working relations between the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and the HSRC-led research consortium, based on consultation and engagement. Interactions and engagements were facilitated through structures (such as a project steering committee and technical theme committees) and mechanisms (such as theme-level business plans) that aimed to establish an active and productive research-policy nexus to support evidence use in policy formulation.

To plan for artisanal skills in the future, it is critical to understand three contextual factors: first, historical patterns of artisanal skills supply and demand; second, changes to the nature of work and occupations; and third, the relation between knowledge bases and preparation for work. This note reports key trends in relation to the third contextual factor.

Mechatronics is an emerging field of practice, which in addition to being a professional qualification, has recently been recognised as an artisanal trade. This opens up opportunities for participation in a multi-disciplinary field at the vocational level, which in turn, tests the traditional boundaries between occupational groups. Findings from a recently completed empirical case study provide data and information on occupational boundaries in a specific field (mechatronics) and sector (automotive).

Understanding educational transitions is vital to addressing basic skills shortages and improving the life chances of all South African learners. In order to examine the varied pathways and transitions taken by South African youth, the first wave of the South African Youth Panel Study (SAYPS) was administered in 2011. SAYPS, a longitudinal, panel study, followed Grade 9 learners who participated in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) over four consecutive years, to explore the educational transitions of young people.

Research on institutional responsiveness and student employability in the vocational education and training curriculum has now been completed. Seven case studies were conducted across different types of PSET institutions, in the agribusiness (sugar and forestry) and automotive production and maintenance sectors. The research investigated five broad drivers that shape the kinds of curriculum responses that can enable or hinder employability.

A central challenge for the implementation of a skills planning mechanism lies within the capabilities of key actors at different levels of the system. Firms and skills planners need to have an enhanced understanding of the capabilities of PSET organisations, to inform and influence their core education and training activities. And in turn, universities, TVET colleges, and other public and private providers need an enhanced understanding of how they can respond to the changing technological capabilities and skills needs of firms, in relation particularly to professional, occupational and skills-oriented programmes, and to their role in producing the ‘right’ graduates for the workplace and the national economy.

The subject of scarce skills is hotly discussed in the policy arena and the media. A scarce skill is simply defined as a situation in which the demand for a specific occupation outstrips the supply of this occupation at a specified price (or wage). A scarce skills list is important to inform how lists for visas are constructed and the priorities for post-school education and training programmes. The LMIP has completed a study, Powell M, Paterson A and Reddy V (2014). Approaches and methods of understanding what occupations are in high demand and recommendations for moving forward in South Africa. The report attempts to unpack the complexities surrounding the methods and approaches that can be used to identify occupations in high demand, and develops a set of recommendations for moving forward.