This research investigates the impacts of construction skills acquired by the beneficiaries who participated in the construction of housing in the three case studies used in this study; the housing policy also assumes such a connection. The study argues that the construction skills can assist training beneficiaries to acquire sustainable employment in the housing construction industry. The housing beneficiaries have however experienced the problem of being unable to make further housing completion due to various problems such as unemployment, low income, regulations and building standards. Therefore, the study also assumes that housing construction industry has a potentially pivotal role to play in providing sustainable employment to the training beneficiaries, which In turn allow them to generate income for housing improvements. The study uses two core-housing approaches (incremental and enabling), which emphasises the importance of construction skills to the training beneficiaries and are relevant to the South African Housing Policy. This study argues that the Housing Policy has a crucial role to play in construction skills acquisition during the construction of incremental housing projects. This study investigates the relationship among skills, employment and housing improvements of Hambanati, Mshayazafe and Waterloo areas in KwaZulu-Natal. A research In this study has been conducted for the purpose of highlighting realities regarding the impact of acquiring relevant construction skills through incremental housing projects. The research will enable the study to inform the government's current housing policy about the potential benefits of providing construction skills in the delivery of incremental housing.

Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, 2003.