Graduates' view on the effectiveness of training delivery environments for skills acquisition in adult non-formal education centres in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Abstract

The South African government legislated non-formal adult education through the Adult Education and Training (AET) Act 25 of 2010 in order to provide employability skills and marketable skills to non-educated and unskilled adults. The scope of this study was demarcated to mainly examine graduates’ views on the effectiveness of training delivery environments for skills acquisition in adult NFE centres in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The study utilised mixed research methods or a combination of both qualitative and quantitative methods. The sample was drawn from the educational district of uMgungundlovu of KZN. The sample size of the study consisted of six NFE centres and their 200 graduates. In the quantitative method, the research instruments for the data collection was questionnaires administered to 200 graduates, while one-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with five self-employed graduates. Concerning the inputs, the study found that in the private centres and few from public, the existence of adequate tools and equipment for learning in the workshops for practicum fostered training delivery for skills acquisition. With regard to the transformation process, the majority of graduates, mostly from private centres, viewed that the approach of training delivery fostering skills acquisition was practice-oriented in the real situation similar to the future workplaces. Regarding the outputs of the training delivery, the majority of the graduates acquired technical skills and competence to work without supervision. As main recommendation, the centre managers should make the technical training delivery be 25% theory and 75% practical by means of workshops, on-the-job training and project-based training.