This study assesses apprenticeship training programs in South Africa’s manufacturing industry through the viewpoints of key stakeholders, including SMEs, colleges and training centres. A purposive, criterion-based sampling strategy was used to select participants who were directly involved in apprenticeship delivery and management across these institutional contexts. A total of 12 participants were included, representing SMEs, TVET college and a training centre. The sample size was determined based on qualitative research principles of information-rich cases and depth of insight. Data collection continued until thematic saturation was reached, where no new codes or themes were emerging from the interviews. This approach is consistent with qualitative multi-case study designs where smaller samples are appropriate for achieving depth and contextual understanding rather and analytical richness rather than statistical generalisation.
The study investigates how mentorship, the apprenticeship framework, and systemic factors influence skills development and workplace readiness. The findings identifies critical obstacles such as obsolete and antiquated curricula that fail to keep pace with continuous technological innovations such as automation and robotics, resulting in persistent skills mismatch. Access barriers, including digital divides and funding inequities, further restrict equitable involvement, particularly for learners from disadvantaged backgrounds. Centralised policy structures prohibit institutional independence, restricting curriculum innovation and responsiveness to industry needs.
Notwithstanding these systemic limitations, the study underscores strengths such as the pivotal role of on-the-job training, structured mentorship, and personalised feedback in promoting practical skills and enthusiasm among apprentices. SMEs demonstrate efficacious mentorship practices that improve learner engagement, whereas training centres impart valuable formative evaluations. The study also highlights the significance of soft skills, communication, adaptability, and teamwork as essential for employability and career success. Continuous professional development for trainers is a crucial factor underpinning quality apprenticeship delivery in a developing industrial landscape.
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The research improves theoretically by amplifying cognitive apprenticeship models within the South African context and methodologically through a multi-case qualitative approach that triangulates data across different stakeholders. Methodologically, data were analysed using thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke’s framework, employing an iterative process of coding, categorisation, and theme development. Analysis was supported using ATLAS.ti Version 25, which facilitated systematic organisation and refinement of qualitative data derived from semi-structured interviews.
The study contributes theoretically by extending cognitive apprenticeship theory within a South African manufacturing context and methodologically through a multi-case qualitative design that enables cross-stakeholder comparison and triangulation. Practically, this study provides evidence-based awareness to enhance program design, instructional techniques, and collaborative participation between educational institutions and industry. Policy implications call for curriculum change to promote flexibility and alignment with labour market standards, improved funding mechanisms to foster equity, and stronger government–industry partnerships to support mentorship and trainer development.
Recommendations include decentralising curriculum evolution, institutionalising structured mentorship and feedback systems, enhancing professional development for trainers, and increasing SME involvement in curriculum design and workplace learning. Future studies should explore the scalability of mentorship models, policy execution at institutional levels, and collaboration with digital learning tools in vocational training.
Boithuto bona bo lekola mananeo a kwetliso ya boithuto indastering ya tlhahiso ya Afrika Borwa ka maikutlo a bankakarolo ba bohlokwa, ho kenyeletswa di-SME, dikholetjhe le ditsi tsa kwetliso. Ho ile ha sebediswa leano le nang le maikemisetso le ipapisitseng le ditekanyetso ho kgetha bankakarolo ba neng ba ameha ka kotloloho phano ya boithuto le tsamaiso maemong ana a ditsi. Nomoro e felletseng ya bankakarolo ba le 12 ba ne ba akaretswa ke ba emetseng di-SME, kholetjhe ya TVET le sebaka sa thupello. Boholo ba sampole bo ile ba kgethwa ho ipapisitswe le melao-motheo ya boleng ba dipatlisiso tsa dinyewe tse nang le tlhaiso-leseding le botebo ba temohisiso. Pokello ya dintlha e ile ya tswela pele ho fihlela ho fihlelwa ka botlalo, moo ho neng ho se na dikhoutu tse ntjha kapa dihlooho tse hlahang dipuisanong. Mokgwa ona o dumellana le meralo ya boleng ya boithuto ba maemo a mangata moo disampole tse nyane di loketseng ho fihlella botebo le kutlwisiso ya maemo ho ena le borui ba tekolo ho fapana le kakaretso ya dipalopalo.
Phuputso e batlisisa ka moo boeletsi, moralo wa boithuto, le dintlha tsa tsamaiso di susumetsang ntshetsopele ya ditsebo le ho itokisetsa sebaka sa mosebetsi. Diphuputso di supa ditshitiso tse mahlonoko tse kang kharikhulamo ya kgale e hlolehang ho tsamaisana le dintlafatso tse tswelang pele tsa theknoloji tse kang automation le robotics, e leng se bakang ho se dumellane ho sa feleng. Ditshitiso tsa phihlello, ho kenyeletswa dikarohano tsa dijithale le ho se lekane ha ditjhelete, di boetse di thibela ho kenya letsoho ka tekatekano, haholo-holo ho baithuti ba tswang malapeng a hlokang menyetla. Mekgatlo ya maano a mahareng e thibela boikemelo ba setheo, e thibela boiqapelo ba kharikhulamo le ho arabela ditlhoko tsa indasteri.
Ho sa tsotellehe dikgaello tsena tsa tsamaiso, thuto e totobatsa matla a kang karolo ya bohlokwa ya kwetliso ya mosebetsing, tlhabollo e hlophisitsweng, le maikutlo a motho ka mong bakeng sa ho kgothaletsa ditsebo tse sebetsang le tjheseho hara diithuti. Di-SME di bontsha ditlwaelo tse sebetsang tsa boeletsi tse ntlafatsang boitshebetso ba baithuti, athe ditsi tsa kwetliso di fana ka ditlhahlobo tsa bohlokwa. Boithuto bona bo boetse bo totobatsa bohlokwa ba ditsebo tse bonolo, puisano, ho ikamahanya le maemo, le tshebedisano-mmoho e le tsa bohlokwa bakeng sa ho hirwa
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le katleho ya mosebetsi. Ntlafatso e tswelang pele ya profeshenale bakeng sa bakwetlisi ke ntlha ya bohlokwa e tiisang phano ya boleng ba boithuto sebakeng sa indasteri e ntseng e tswela pele.
Patlisiso e ntlafala ho latela mohopolo ka ho hodisa mekgwa ya boithuto ba kelello ka hara maemo a Afrika Borwa le ka mokgwa wa ho sebedisa maemo a mangata a kopanyang dintlha ho pholletsa le bankakarolo ba fapaneng. Ho latela mokgwa, dintlha di ile tsa hlahlojwa ho sebediswa tlhahlobo ya sehlooho ho latela moralo wa Braun le Clarke, ho sebediswa mokgwa o pheta-phetwang wa ho ngola dikhoutu, karohano le ntshetsopele ya sehlooho. Tlhahlobo e ile ya tshehetswa ho sebediswa ATLAS.ti Version 25, e nolofaditseng tlhophiso e hlophisehileng le ntlafatso ya dintlha tsa boleng tse nkilweng dipuisanong tse hlophisitsweng hantle.
Patlisiso e kenya letsoho ho ya ka mohopolo ka ho atolosa mohopolo wa boithupelo ba kutlwisiso e mabapi le maemo a tlhahiso a Afrika Borwa le ka mokgwa wa mohopolo wa maemo a mangata a maemo ao a bapisang batho ba nkang karolo ba fapaneng. Ha e le hantle, thuto ena e fana ka tlhokomediso e thehilweng ho bopaki ho matlafatsa moralo wa lenaneo, mekgwa ya ho ruta, le ho kenya letsoho tshebedisanong pakeng tsa ditsi tsa thuto le indasteri. Ditlamorao tsa leano di hloka phetoho ya kharikhulamo ho kgothaletsa ho tenyetseha le ho ikamahanya le maemo a mmaraka wa basebetsi, mekgwa e ntlafaditsweng ya ditjhelete ho kgothaletsa tekano, le dikamano tse matla tsa mmuso le indasteri ho tshehetsa boeletsi le ntshetsopele ya bakwetlisi.
Ditlhahiso di kenyelletsa ho arola thuto ya ho iphetola ha dintho, ho theha boeletsi bo hlophisitsweng le ditsamaiso tsa maikutlo, ho matlafatsa ntshetsopele ya ditsebi bakeng sa barupelli, le ho eketsa seabo sa SME moralong wa kharikhulamo le ho ithuta mosebetsing. Dithuto tsa nako e tlang di lokela ho lekola bokgopo ba mehlala ya boeletsi, tshebetso ya maano maemong a ditsi, le tshebedisano mmoho le disebediswa tsa ho ithuta tsa dijithale kwetlisong ya mosebetsi wa matsoho.
Ngudo iyi i ṱola mbekanyamushumo dza vhugudisi ha u guda mushumo kha nḓowetshumo ya vhubveledzi ya Afrika Tshipembe nga kha mavhonele a vhakwamei vha ndeme, hu tshi katelwa na dziSME, khoḽedzhi na senthara dza vhugudisi. Tshiṱirathedzhi tsha tsumbonanguludzwa tshi re na ndivho, tsho tewaho kha maitele tsho shumiswa u nanga vha dzhenelaho vhe vha vha vha tshi shela mulenzhe thwii kha u ṋetshedzwa ha vhugudisi na vhulanguli kha nyimele idzi dza tshiimiswa. Vhadzheneleli vha linganaho 12 vho katelwa, vha tshi imela dziSME, khoḽedzhi ya TVET na senthara ya vhugudisi. Vhuhulu ha tsumbonanguludzwa ho tiwa ho sedzwa kha milayo ya ṱhoḓisiso ya vhuimo ha milandu yo pfumaho nga mafhungo na u dzika ha nḓivho. U kuvhanganya data zwo bvela phanḓa u swika hu tshi swikelelwa u ḓala ha thero, hune ha vha na khoudu ntswa kana thero dzine dza khou bvelela kha inthavhiyu. Nḓila iyi i tshimbilelana na nḓila dza ngudo dza kheisi nnzhi dza vhuimo hune tsumbonanguludzwa ṱhukhu dza vha dzo teaho u itela u swikelela vhudzivha na u pfesesa ha vhuimo nṱhani ha na u pfuma ha tsenguluso nṱhani ha u angaredza ha zwitatamennde.
Ngudo i ṱoḓisisa nḓila ine vhueletshedzi, muhanga wa u guda mushumo, na zwithu zwa sisieme zwa ṱuṱuwedza ngayo mveledziso ya zwikili na u ḓilugisela mushumoni. Mawanwa a topola zwithithisi zwa ndeme zwi ngaho kharikhuḽamu dzo fhelelwaho nga tshifhinga na dza kale dzine dza kundelwa u tshimbila na vhubveledzi ha thekhinoḽodzhi vhu bvelaho phanḓa vhu ngaho u ḓiitela na robotho, zwine zwa bveledza u sa tendelana ha zwikili zwi sa fheli. Zwithivheli zwa tswikelelo, hu tshi katelwa na u fhandekana ha didzhithala na u sa eḓana ha masheleni, zwi isa phanḓa na u thivhela u dzhenelela ho linganelaho, nga maanḓa kha vhagudi vha bvaho kha vhubvo vhu si na zwishumiswa. Zwivhumbeo zwa mbekanyamaitele zwo ṱanganaho zwi thivhela u ḓiimisa ha zwiimiswa, zwi thivhela vhubveledzi ha kharikhuḽamu na u fhindula kha ṱhoḓea dza nḓowetshumo.
Hu sa londwi mikano iyi ya sisṱeme, ngudo i ombedzela maanḓa a ngaho mushumo wa ndeme wa vhugudisi ha mushumoni, vhueletshedzi ho dzudzanywaho, na vhupfiwa ho khetheaho kha u ṱuṱuwedza zwikili zwi shumaho na u fhisea kha vhagudiswa. DziSME dzi sumbedza maitele a vhueletshedzi a shumaho ane a
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khwinisa u dzhenelela ha vhagudi, ngeno senthara dza vhugudisi dzi tshi ṋetshedza tsedzuluso dza ndeme dza u vhumba. Ngudo i dovha ya sumbedza ndeme ya zwikili zwa sofuthiwee, vhudavhidzani, u kona u ṱanganedza zwiimo, na u shuma sa tshigwada sa zwa ndeme kha u tholiwa na u bvelela kha mushumo. Mveledziso ya phurofeshinaḽa i bvelaho phanḓa ya vhagudisi ndi tshithu tsha ndeme tshine tsha tikedza ṋetshedzo ya vhugudisi ha vhuimo ha nṱha kha shango ḽa nḓowetshumo ḽine ḽa khou bvelela.
Tsedzuluso i khwinisa nga theori nga u engedza modele dza u guda ha ṱhalukanyo nga ngomu ha nyimele ya Afrika Tshipembe na nga maitele nga kha nḓila ya khwaḽithethivi ya kheisi nnzhi ine ya ṱanganya data kha vhakwamei vho fhambanaho. Nga nḓila, data yo senguluswa hu tshi shumiswa tsenguluso ya thero hu tshi tevhelwa muhanga wa Braun na Clarke, hu tshi shumiswa maitele a dovhololaho a u khouda, u khethekanya, na mveledziso ya thero. Tsenguluso yo tikedzwa hu tshi shumiswa ATLAS.ti Vesheni 25, ye ya leludza ndangulo yo dzudzanyeaho na u khwinisa data ya vhuimo yo bviswaho kha inthavhiyu dzo dzudzanywaho nga tshipiḓa.
Ngudo i shela mulenzhe nga theori nga u engedza theori ya u guda ha ṱhalukanyo nga ngomu ha nyimele ya vhubveledzi ha Afrika Tshipembe na nga maitele nga kha mveledziso ya khwaḽithethivi ya kheisi nnzhi ine ya konisa u vhambedza na u ita zwipiḓa zwiraru zwa vhakwamei vho fhambanaho. Nga nḓila ya u shuma, ngudo iyi i ṋetshedza nḓivho yo tewaho kha vhuṱanzi u itela u khwinisa nzudzanyo ya mbekanyamushumo, thekhiniki dza u gudisa, na u shela mulenzhe ha tshumisano vhukati ha zwiimiswa zwa pfunzo na nḓowetshumo. Zwine mbekanyamaitele ya amba zwone zwi vhidzelela tshanduko ya kharikhuḽamu u itela u ṱuṱuwedza u tendelana na zwilinganyo zwa makete wa vhashumi, maitele o khwiniswaho a u ṋetshedza masheleni u itela u ṱuṱuwedza u lingana, na vhufarisani ho khwaṱhaho ha muvhuso na nḓowetshumo u itela u tikedza vhueletshedzi na mveledziso ya vhagudisi.
Themendelo dzi katela u fhandekanya mvelaphanḓa ya kharikhuḽamu, u ita uri sisiṱeme dza vhueletshedzi na vhupfiwa dzo dzudzanywaho dzi vhe dza tshiimiswa, u khwinisa mveledziso ya phurofeshinaḽa ya vhagudisi, na u engedza u dzhenelela ha SME kha u ḓivhadza kharikhuḽamu na u guda mushumoni. Ngudo dza tshifhinga tshi ḓaho dzi tea u sedzulusa u linganela ha modele dza vhueletshedzi, u shumiswa ha
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mbekanyamaitele kha maimo a zwiimiswa, na u shumisana na zwishumiswa zwa u guda zwa didzhithala kha vhugudisi ha mishumo ya zwanḓa.
