Successful skills training in relation to women's home management practices and household attributes.

Abstract

Women engaged in skills training courses were surveyed to determine if selected home management and household attribute variables influenced women's attendance and successful completion of training. The common (and wide) use of literacy as the entry requirement for women's income orientated skills and entrepreneurship training courses was challenged. The predominance of Black women in South Africa's informal sector, and the prevalence of illiteracy among female informal sector participants in particular; demand more appropriate, precise and impartial entry criteria for such courses than literacy levels alone. A sample of 161 women engaged in skills training courses offered by NGO's in KwaZulu-Natal were surveyed through use of a questionnaire. The dependent variables were: course attendance, rate of successful completion of training and education levels. The independent variables were grouped into three sections: variables related to training course characteristics (such as course duration and skill type taught), variables thought to indicate women's home management practices (such as participation in household production and child care), and household demographic attributes (for example household size). Logistic regression analyses were used. It was concluded that the significant home management and household attribute variables may be more impartial and appropriate predictors of attendance and successful completion of skills training. The absence of significant relationships between attendance, successful training and education level may challenge the use of literacy as the sole training prerequisite. However, the course related variables did influence attendance and success rates, which inferred that the attendance and success variables may have been reliable predictors. Further refinement of these variables and greater control of the course related variables is recommended.