The primary challenge currently facing learners is the financial pressure they continuously face on a daily basis‚ a survey has revealed.
The survey‚ to ascertain the daily challenges facing South African students‚ was conducted by Stanley Hutcheson & Associates (SHA)‚ a Skills Development Firm specialising in practical work readiness programmes.
Stanley Hutcheson‚ founder and managing director of SHA says: “SHA operates nationwide‚ and as a result we deal with learners from all walks of life. This particular survey was conducted in Midrand with the majority of respondents between the ages of 23 and 28. They resided mainly in the Ekurhuleni and City of Johannesburg municipal districts‚ which are some of Gauteng’s most densely populated areas and the findings were very insightful.”
The survey‚ he says‚ revealed that the primary challenge currently facing learners is the financial pressure they continuously face on a daily basis.
“Perhaps the most astounding cost was the amount of money that the students spend on transport every month‚” says Hutcheson. “On average‚ students spend approximately R1‚100 every month on transport which forms a large portion of their income stream.
“The study also revealed that nearly all of the students were solely dependent on the minibus taxi transport system as their primary form of transport. The respondents sighted that buses were unreliable or simply not available on the routes that they travelled to get to and from their main training facility.”
According to South African legislation‚ the minimum monthly stipend/income paid to a student on a learnership programme varies in accordance to the level specified by the National Qualifications Framework. For a level 5-8 qualification‚ a minimum weekly stipend is set at R700‚ which equates to an average monthly remuneration of R2‚800.
Hutcheson explains: “The survey concluded that on average‚ learners are spending 52% of their monthly earnings on transport alone and while the income from the wage is most welcome‚ potential employers in the public and private sector need to be aware that in some families these learners are the main breadwinners. 14% of the respondents had to support their own families and a further 21% of students had to work part time to meet their financial commitments every month.”
As South Africa attempts to stare down rising inflation rates because of the weak Rand as well as a depressed industrial sector‚ the financial pressures facing learners will increase‚ says Hutcheson.
“It is critical that the private and public sectors work together to encourage skills development. A stable and capable workforce is a benefit to any economy facing a down turn. While our larger industries might take longer to recover‚ South Africa has a healthy banking and SME market which offer great employment opportunities‚” he says.
Financial pressure biggest challenge for students
The primary challenge currently facing learners is the financial pressure they continuously face on a daily basis‚ a survey has revealed.
The survey‚ to ascertain the daily challenges facing South African students‚ was conducted by Stanley Hutcheson & Associates (SHA)‚ a Skills Development Firm specialising in practical work readiness programmes.
Stanley Hutcheson‚ founder and managing director of SHA says: “SHA operates nationwide‚ and as a result we deal with learners from all walks of life. This particular survey was conducted in Midrand with the majority of respondents between the ages of 23 and 28. They resided mainly in the Ekurhuleni and City of Johannesburg municipal districts‚ which are some of Gauteng’s most densely populated areas and the findings were very insightful.”
The survey‚ he says‚ revealed that the primary challenge currently facing learners is the financial pressure they continuously face on a daily basis.
“Perhaps the most astounding cost was the amount of money that the students spend on transport every month‚” says Hutcheson. “On average‚ students spend approximately R1‚100 every month on transport which forms a large portion of their income stream.
“The study also revealed that nearly all of the students were solely dependent on the minibus taxi transport system as their primary form of transport. The respondents sighted that buses were unreliable or simply not available on the routes that they travelled to get to and from their main training facility.”
According to South African legislation‚ the minimum monthly stipend/income paid to a student on a learnership programme varies in accordance to the level specified by the National Qualifications Framework. For a level 5-8 qualification‚ a minimum weekly stipend is set at R700‚ which equates to an average monthly remuneration of R2‚800.
Hutcheson explains: “The survey concluded that on average‚ learners are spending 52% of their monthly earnings on transport alone and while the income from the wage is most welcome‚ potential employers in the public and private sector need to be aware that in some families these learners are the main breadwinners. 14% of the respondents had to support their own families and a further 21% of students had to work part time to meet their financial commitments every month.”
As South Africa attempts to stare down rising inflation rates because of the weak Rand as well as a depressed industrial sector‚ the financial pressures facing learners will increase‚ says Hutcheson.
“It is critical that the private and public sectors work together to encourage skills development. A stable and capable workforce is a benefit to any economy facing a down turn. While our larger industries might take longer to recover‚ South Africa has a healthy banking and SME market which offer great employment opportunities‚” he says.
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