Recruitment and selection of unemployed people for learnerships and other training programmes

Government has introduced training programmes to assist the country’s citizens to become more employable.These are for example learnerships, apprenticeships, internships and short learning programmes.The Government is encouraging the implementation of these training programmes through financial grants and tax incentives for employers. To further assist employers to take on unemployed learners, the Department of Labour is providing a range of recruitment and selection services, including a psychometric assessment service. These services are described in this brochure.

What is the Department of Labour’s recruitment and selection service?

Each Labour Centre of the Department has a database of work-seekers from which people can be selected for recruitment into learnerships, apprenticeships, internshipsand other short training programmes, as well as vacancies. Employers willing to implement a training programme, as well as training providers and SETAs, can contact a Labour Centre to assist with recruitment and selection of unemployed learners. Employers can also contact the Department of Labour to assist them with recruitment for vacancies..

In certain instances a psychometric assessment service will be delivered on request of the stakeholder. The Department of Labour provides a psychometric assessment service for learnerships, apprenticeships, in some cases for internships and for strategic short –term training projects, provided the candidates are unemployed.

All the above servicesare free of charge.

What are the benefits of the recruitment and selection service?

Experience of the learnership programme suggest that when these training opportunities are known, large numbers of people will apply for them. The Labour Centres can help to review applications and to assist in the selection of those people most likely to benefit from, and succeed in, a learnership. Recruitment and selection procedures, and especially psychometric assessment, can help to increase the number of people who complete a learnership successfully. Drop – out rates from training programmers are also reduced.

Who can apply for this service?

An employer, training provider or SETA, looking to recruit learners for learnerships, apprenticeships, internships, short training programmers and/or vacancies, can make use of this service.

How much will it cost?

This service is free of charge. The Department of Labour might request employers, training providers or SETAs to assist in arranging venues for briefing sessions and assessments.

How does the recruitment and selection work?

Recruitment, assessment and selection will be a joint effort by employers, SETAs, training providers and the Department of Labour.

The process is as follows:

  • An employer, training provider or SETA approaches the Labour Centre for assistance with the recruitment and selection of a number of learners for agreed and specified learnerships, apprenticeships, internships and/or strategic short-term projects.
  • Recruitment and selection criteria (such as the minimum education required, experience and others) for the training programme(s) will be determined by the employer in consultation with the relevant SETA, the Department of Labour and the training provider.
  • The Department of Labour will also request the SETA, employer or training provider to indicate the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) level of the training programme, together with critical job competencies for the training programme.
  • The Department of Labour will search the database for registered work-seekers meeting the minimum selection criteria.
  • For every training programme opportunity the Department of Labour will invite five unemployed people, who meet the minimum selection criteria and are interested in the specific training programme, to a briefing session. The employer, the training provider and the SETA may also attend the briefing session. Potential learners will be informed about the learning programme(s) on offer, the nature of work, the duration of the training programme and other relevant arrangements.
  • After the briefing session potential learners will have to make a decision if they want to continue with the selection process for one of the training programmes on offer.
  • For every training programme opportunity applicants will then be invited to attend a psychometric assessment by the Department of Labour. The results of the assessment are confidential. A short list of applicants will be referred to the requesting stakeholder.
  • Results of the assessment will be captured in a list, ranking unemployed according to their potential. Details of the results will then be explained to the employer.
  • The employer makes the final decision on the unemployed person(s) to be selected for the training programme.

How long does it take?

Depending on the number of learners and the NQF level of the training programme, employers need to contact the Department of Labour about 6 weeks ahead of the actual starting date of training to allow sufficient time for preparation, assessment and feedback on results. If more than 1000 learners are to be selected in any one province or in more than one province at the same time, the recruitment period might stretch to 8 weeks.

How do I apply for the selection and recruitment service of the Department of Labour?

  • Contact the Career Counsellor at your nearest labour centre in writing for assistance providing the following details:

-Name, contact person, address of employer/organization requesting assistance

-Type of training programme(s)

-NQF level of training programme(s)

-Number of opportunities per training programme(s)

-Planned start date of the training programme(s)

-Selection criteria and job competencies of training programme (s)

The Department of Labour will confirm within 14 days if the assistance can be provided and will set up a meeting to plan the specific recruitment and selection processes.

How to obtain more information?

For further general information on the Department of Labour recruitment and selection process, please contact a labour centre or contact one of the Department’s Provincial Office.

Provincial Offices of the Department of Labour

Labour Centres of the Department of Labour

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