Review of the body of scholarship on the reasons for and means to achieve the goals of the Skills Development Act

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The skills revolution in SA since 1994

After the first democratic elections in South Africa in April 1994, it became a priority for the new government to transform and reform the education system of South Africa (Gibbon and Kabaki, 2006:125; Asmal, 2004:1; Govender, 2003:3; Coetzee, 2000:1). However, action aimed at the transformation of the education system had gained momentum since the 1970s (Department of Education and Department of Labour, 2002:5). One of the government’s visible steps to counter the socialeconomic deficit of South Africa is the implementation of the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) (African National Congress, 1994a). As such, Van Dyk et al. (2001:57-58), Genis (1997:2) and Cloete (2005:7) comment that the RDP serves as a blueprint for further growth and development policies in South Africa.

Skills Development Levies Act

The Skills Development Levies Act, No 9 of 1999 (SDLA) (Republic of South Africa, 1999) serves as the funding mechanism for the SDA (Botha, 2003a:3; National Skills Authority, 2003:3; Coetzee, 2000:10). In terms of the SDLA, employers are liable with effect from 1 April 2001 for the payment of a skills development levy equal to 1% of the remuneration paid or payable by an employer to its employees during any month. The implementation of the SDA and SDLA is regarded as a fundamental step in the development of the government’s overall human resources development strategy (Cloete, 2005:7; Van der Westhuizen, 2004:50; Van Dijk, 2003:2; Department of Labour, 2001a:4-9; Mercorio et al., 2000:12).

Scope of the investigation

This study spans the period 2004 – 2008 and focuses on the SDFs perceptions of the effects of the implementation of the SDA in their particular HEIs. The aim of this study, therefore, is to gain an understanding of the rationale for and the meaning of HEIs’ employee staff development practices. It also aims to understand the rationale for and the meaning of the implementation of the SDA. In this regard it is important to investigate the match and/or mismatch between staff development practices on the one hand and the implementation of the SDA on the other. The intention of the study is not to take into account the visible changes that have occurred in HEIs since the implementation of the Skills Development Act, nor to make suggestions concerning the way in which HEIs should align their skills development practices with the SDA. The purpose is rather to identify and critique the underlying social manifestations (historical, structural and economic) of the implementation of the SDA in HEIs.

Research design and methodology

I have adopted the approach of critical theory13 which posits that critique14 leads to understanding which, in itself, is emancipatory (Box, 2005:6; Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 2007:26-28; Lee, 2004:1; Morrow and Brown, 1994:7; Carr and Kemmis, 1986: 88; Habermas, 1984:1-17; Habermas, 1992:3-8). Critical theory furthermore suggests that in any society there will always be some form of dominance and repression (based on differences of interests). The reason for the dominance and repression can, however, only be understood when considering the particular context (Box, 2005:6). As a result, the propositional lens through which I seek to construct meaning is vested in my academic conviction that the SDA should not simply be accepted – out of hand – as an unproblematic, democratic and fair solution to South Africa’s skills development quest.

Anticipated research constraints

At the outset of this study, some of the anticipated research constraints should be noted and means of circumventing or reducing their impact suggested. My main concern relates to the spirit of this study: a critique16 of contesting ideologies could easily set the tone of the study as negative critique simply for the sake of critique, eventually defeating the intention of the study. Kincheloe and McLaren (2000:279) and Kincheloe and McLaren (2005:304) postulate that any critical interpretative study is political in nature because it implicates the participant in moral questions about desirable forms of social relations. This means that the design of the study will stir emotions and therefore, to minimise the possibility of an emotionally aggravating tone, confrontational views were avoided at the start of the study. Instead, I preferred to explain the process and intent of the discourse in the hope that a relationship of trust would help me gain an insider’s perspective of the working life of the participating SDFs.
The point here is that critique is based on collaborative relations with the research subjects (Guba and Lincoln, 2005:201). I believed that if I did not proceed in this manner, I would defeat the aim of the study. Moreover, the knowledge that could be gained could easily turn into an account of the conflicts emanating from the implementation of the SDA, instead of focusing on the historical and socioeconomic reasons for such conflicts. For this reason, I attempted to use a conversational style of interviewing, aimed at persuading the participants to produce a particular articulation of knowledge (Guba et al., 2005:201). My reason for following a conversational style is that, apart from circumventing an anticipated confrontational relationship, I am a critical and curious person who tries to understand rather than to be understood.

CONTENTS :

• CHAPTER 1: PREVIEW OF THE STUDY
  • 1.1 Introduction
  • 1.2 Problem statement
  • 1.3 Aims of the research
  • 1.4 Rationale for the study
  • 1.5 Contextualising the study
  • 1.5.1 The skills revolution in SA since
  • 1.5.2 Staff development in Higher Education Institutions
  • 1.6 Explanation of key terms
  • 1.6.1 Higher Education Institution
  • 1.6.2 Skills Development Act
  • 1.6.3 Skills Development Levies Act
  • 1.6.4 Staff development in HEIs
  • 1.6.5 Skills Development Facilitator
  • 1.7 Scope of the investigation
  • 1.8 Research design and methodology
  • 1.9 Anticipated research constraints
  • 1.10 Outline and organisation of the study
• CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF THE BODY OF SCHOLARSHIP
  • 2.1 Introduction
  • 2.2 Review of the body of scholarship on the reasons for and means to achieve the goals of the Skills Development Act
  • 2.2.1 Investment in education and training towards economic growth
  • 2.2.2 Pursuit of equality in education and training
  • 2.2.3 Provision of structures to pursue a return on investment in education and training, equality and quality
  • 2.2.4 Critical interpretative summary of the reasons for the Skills Development Act and its consequences for staff development in Higher Education Institutions
  • 2.3 Review of the body of scholarship on the underlying reasons for staff development in SA HEIs: more than meets the eye
  • 2.4 Human Capital Theory
  • 2.4.1 The development of Human Capital Theory
  • 2.5.1 A brief history of Social Capital Theory
  • 2.5.2 The value of Social Capital Theory
• CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
  • 3.1 Introduction
  • 3.2 Implication of Critical Theory for research: background to the research philosophy of this study
  • 3.2.3 Methodology of Critical Theory: background to the design of this study
  • 3.3 Research philosophy of this study
  • 3.4 Research programme
  • 3.4.1 Formal data collection strategies
  • 3.4.2 Participants
  • 3.4.3 Research sites
  • 3.4.4 Support systems
  • 3.4.5 Personal role in research process
  • 3.4.6 Instrumentation for data generation
  • 3.5 Data analysis
  • 3.5.1 Preparing the text for analysis
  • 3.5.2 Ensuring a critical interpretative perspective
  • 3.5.3 Computer-aided data analysis
  • 3.6 The reliability and validity of this study
  • 3.7 Methodological constraints
• CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS
  • 4.1 Introduction
  • 4.2 An exposition of my meaning attached to the literature (non-empirical data)
  • 4.3 An exposition of meaning emanating from the analysis of empirical data
• CHAPTER 5: SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPLICATIONS OF THE STUDY
  • 5.1 Introduction
  • 5.2 Synoptic overview of the study
  • 5.3 Examining the data in the context of the theoretical framework
  • 5.4 The implications for research, policy and practice
  • 5.5 A contemplated appraisal of the SDA in relation to HEIs
  • 5.6 A critical reflection on the research project: co-operation, limitations and contributions
  • 5.7 Limitations of the research
  • 5.8 Contributions of this study
  • 5.9 Conclusion
  • REFERENCES

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SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA