Perceptions of managers in the public sector regarding the relevance of training and education of entrants to the labour market
Tydskr. geesteswet. vol.49 n.4 Pretoria 2009
Bestuurders in die openbare sektor se persepsies van die toepaslikheid van toetreders tot die arbeidsmark se opleiding en ontwikkeling
Coen Bester; Estelle Boshoff
Departement Bedryfsielkunde, Universiteit van die Vrystaat, Bloemfontein. E-pos: bestercl@shisa.com
Die toepaslikheid van die opleiding en ontwikkeling wat deur tersiêre instellings verskaf word, word dikwels uit verskillende oorde bevraagteken. Die vraag is wat as maatstaf behoort te geld om hieroor 'n besluit te kan neem. Baie opvoedkundiges en sakelui glo dat die behoeftes en vereistes van die arbeidsmark die deurslag behoort te gee wanneer besluite oor kurrikuluminhoud van tersiêre opleidingsprogramme onder die soeklig kom. Die doel van hierdie studie was om juis te bepaal wat hierdie behoeftes en vereistes van die arbeidsmark is, veral vanuit die perspektief van bestuurders in die openbare sektor wat 'n prominente werkgewer is. 'n Geleentheidsteekproef bestaande uit bestuurders wat organisasies in die openbare sektor in stedelike en plattelandse areas en op verskillende bestuursvlakke in die Vrystaat en Noord-Kaapland verteenwoordig, is geselekteer. Inligting is bekom deur middel van vraelyste en fokusgroeponderhoude. Deelnemers se response is verwerk en geïnterpreteer ooreenkomstig die riglyne van inhoudsontleding. Nuttige inligting is ingesamel aangaande die toepaslikheid van opleiding en ontwikkeling, asook die werksverwante tekortkominge van toetreders tot die arbeismark vanuit die oogpunt van bestuurders in die openbare sektor.
Trefwoorde: Toepaslikheid, geskiktheid, opleiding, opvoeding, bestuurders, openbare sektor, persepsies, arbeidsmark, werksverwante kennis, werksverwante vaardighede, algemene lewensvaardighede
The relevance and appropriateness of training and education have become an important issue that is being debated in many circles of society, including the government, educational institutions, the labour market, the private sector, the public sector, economists and consumers. Pertinent questions are being asked regarding the real definitions of relevance and appropriateness, the criteria that should be applied, the needs that should be addressed, and the functions that should be allocated to the respective role players. These questions are complex and difficult to answer clearly, especially in the light of the ever changing external and internal environments and the associated demands. Educational institutions which are preparing and equipping students for their future careers are therefore necessitated to ask themselves whether or not the training and development that they are providing are still relevant and appropriate. According to many educationists training and education can only be appropriate and relevant when the demands of the labour market can be addressed sufficiently. The purpose of this study was to determine these demands, especially from the view point of managers in the public sector, which is an important employer. A sample of 67 managers representing organizations in public sectors in urban and rural areas in the Free State and the Northern Cape, and from different managerial levels of the organizations, was selected. Information was obtained by means of questionnaires and focus group interviews. Paticipants 'responses were processed and interpreted according to the ground rules of content analysis. Useful information regarding the relevance of the training and education, as well as job related shortcomings of labour market entrants was acquired. Many managers indicated that tertiary institution training is not specific enough to address the unique needs of specific organizations, and that in-service training should be conducted to orientate newcomers to the unique characteristics and demands of a specific work environment, and to equip them with more specific job related skills and expertise. Another trend that emerged as a result from the study is that in addition to job related skills and expertise, life skills like interpersonal skills and problem-solving skills are also required in the work environment. Managers in the public sector identified numerous specific job related shortcomings of entrants to the labour market, including the inability to integrate theory and practice with one another; lack of sufficient job related practical knowledge; unrealistic expectations regarding salaries, fringe benefits and promotion opportunities; as well as a lack of a broad range of generic life skills. Examples of specific life skills that are lacking include self-confidence, the ability to work in diverse groups, interpersonal skills, commitment to achieve organizational goals, verbal communication skills, an internal locus of control, maturity, problem-solving skills, independent decision-making skills, work ethics, self-discipline, time management, quality of services, presentation skills, punctuality, self-actualisation, common sense, internal drive, adaptability and flexibility, stress management, conflict management, endurance and perseverance, humility, emotional intelligence, ability to see the bigger picture, and balancing the respective life roles.
Key concepts: Relevance, appropriateness, training, education, managers, public sector, perceptions, entrants, labour market, job related knowledge, job related experience, general life skills
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1 Vergelyk Stephens, Hernandez, Roman, Graham & Scholz (2008); Manthe & Smallwood (2007); Daniel, Kanwar & Uvali-Trumbi (2007); Canyon, McGinty & Dixon (2001).
2 Hierdie bevinding word onderstreep deur die uitspraak van O'Brien en Clark (in Brindley & Ritchie 2000), Coetzee en Le Roux (2001) en Kanwar en Uvali-Trumbi (2007).
3 Kyk onder meer Stephens et al (2008), Kenwar & Uvali-Trumbi (2007), Jordaan (2004), Canyon et al (2001), Gnanam (2000), Gibbons (1988) en Alan (1996).
Coen (CL) Bester is die afgelope 18 jaar verbonde aan die Departement Bedryfsielkunde aan die Universiteit van die Vrystaat nadat hy vir 13 jaar aan die department Sielkunde verbonde was; hy was vir 12 jaar hoof van die departement Bedryfsielkunde. Hy het die volgende grade verwerf: BA, BA Honneurs (Sielkunde), MA (Siel- kunde)(met lof), UOD, BEd (met lof). Hy is ook
'n geregistreerde sielkundige in die kategorieë Voorligtingsielkunde en Opvoedkundige sielkunde. Daar het tientalle akademiese publikasies van professor Bester in nasionale en internasionale geakkrediteerde tydskrifte verskyn en hy het ook talle kongresreferate by nasionale en internasionale kongresse gelewer. Sy spesialisasiegebiede is menslike hulpbronbestuur, loopbaansielkunde, psigometrie en sosiale sielkunde.
Coen (CL) Bester has been teaching in the Department of Industrial Psychology at the University of the Free State for the past 18 years; and he was departmental head of this department for 12 years. Previously he was a lecturer in the Department of Psychology for 13 years. He obtained the following degrees: BA, BA Honours (Psychology), MA (Psychology)(cum laude), UED, BEd (cum laude). He is a registered psychologist in the categories Counselling Psychology and Educational Psychology. Professor Bester has published numerous academic articles in national and international accredited journals; in addition, he has also presented numerous conference papers at international and national conferences. His fields of speciality include human resource management, career psychology, psychometrics and social psychology.
Estelle Boshoff beskik oor 'n meestersgraad (cum laude) in Bedryfsielkunde wat sy aan die Universiteit van die Vrystaat verwerf het. Estelle is tans besig met haar PhD en fokus op die ontwikkeling van 'n werksetiekvraelys gestandaardiseerd vir die Suid-Afrikaanse omgewing. Sy is as 'n Bedryfsielkundige geregistreer by die Gesondgeidsberoepe Raad van Suid-Afrika. Estelle is 'n lektor in Bedryfsielkunde aan die Universiteit van die Vrystaat. Sy doseer onderrig in Navorsings-metodologie en is ook betrokke by die professionele opleiding van interne-psigometriste ten einde by die Gesondheidsberoepe Raad van Suid Afrika as psigometriste te kan registreer. Estelle se fokusareas is Psigometriese Assessering (met die fokus op Regs-Mediese Assessering), Etiek en Navorsingsmetodologie. Sy bly op hoogte van die nuutste ontwikkelinge in haar spesialiteitsareas deur die bywoning van relevante werkswinkels, seminare en kongresse. Estelle het uitgebreide ervaring in die veld van Keuring, Potensiaal-evaluering en Psigometriese Assessering.
Estelle Boshoff holds a masters degree (cum laude) in Industrial Psychology from the University of the Free State and is currently studying towards a PhD focusing on the development of a work ethics questionnaire standardized for the South African environment. She is registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) as an Industrial Psychologist. Estelle is currently employed by the University of the Free State as a lecturer in Industrial Psychology. She teaches Research Methodology and is involved in the training of intern-psychometrists for professional registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa. Estelle's focus areas are Psychometric Assessment (with the focus on Medical-Legal Assessment), Ethics and Research Methodology. She keeps abreast of the latest developments regarding her area of speciality by attending relevant workshops, seminars and conferences. Estelle has extensive experience in the field of Selection, Evaluation of Potential and Psychometric Evaluation.