An assessment of skills development interventions in South Africa: work-based skills upgrading in firms in the public and private sectors: skills planning dead in the water without data

Key Points

• Training improvements are tied to better skills development interventions and data management in South Africa, stressing the need for data-driven decisions.
• The critical state of data management limits effective skills planning in public and private sectors, highlighting an urgent need for reform.
• Assessment of current practices reveals significant gaps in how training is recorded and utilized for strategic skills development.
• The lack of robust data hinders policy-making, pointing to essential changes needed to enhance skills upgrading initiatives.