The roadside work-seeker phenomenon in the South African informal construction sector

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dc.contributor.authorHammond, Sylvia
dc.contributor.authorBowen, Paul
dc.contributor.authorCattell, Keith
dc.date.accessioned2023-05-11T09:54:15Z
dc.date.available2023-05-11T09:54:15Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.description.abstractA key objective of post-apartheid South Africa has been the integration of previously disadvantaged persons into the economy. Human resource development strategies of increased access to education and skills development are supported by a package of enabling legislation. The construction sector via implementation of critical infrastructure and public works offered potential for employment and training of unskilled and semi-skilled labour. This research evaluates the extent to which this potential been realised, and identifies sustainable best-practice and impediments to progress. A mixed methods research methodology utilises: a textual analysis of strategy, skills development policy and legislation; statistical indicators of national and construction sector employment; semi-structured personal and telephonic interviews with workers and junior contractors; and online discussion with skills development practitioners. The findings confirm a comprehensive strategy for integrated and articulated post-school education and training, and extensive development of vocational training institutions. However, the qualification structure including knowledge, applied skills, and formal work experience does not meet the requirements of the sub-contractor junior construction industry players. The compilation of skills into formal qualifications follows occupational structures that don’t parallel real world requirements. There has been indifferent implementation of the recognition of prior learning, and extensive use of casualised labour and short term employment contracts impede implementation of skills development. The practical implications are that both national and immigrant workers continue to be excluded from acquisition of formal qualifications and career development, limiting the scope of their employment potential to temporary, short-term, informal contracts. The multi-disciplinary analysis contextualises these human resource management practices within the policy and legislative framework, and the contested economic model. The conclusion offers practical suggestions to improve the economic status of labour: recognising discrete skills independent of full qualifications, and adoption of bonus payments such as the fishing sector “agsterskot”.en_US
dc.identifier.apacitationHammond, S., Bowen, P., & Cattell, K. (2016). <i>The roadside work-seeker phenomenon in the South African informal construction sector</i>. Manchester, UK, ,Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment ,Centre for Law and Society. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/37859en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationHammond, Sylvia, Paul Bowen, and Keith Cattell. "The roadside work-seeker phenomenon in the South African informal construction sector."n.d. Manchester, UK. ,Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment ,Centre for Law and Society. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/37859.en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationHammond, S., Bowen, P. & Cattell, K. 2016.The roadside work-seeker phenomenon in the South African informal construction sector. Manchester, UK. ,Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment ,Centre for Law and Society. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/37859.en_ZA
dc.identifier.risTY - Conference Paper AU - Hammond, Sylvia AU - Bowen, Paul AU - Cattell, Keith AB - A key objective of post-apartheid South Africa has been the integration of previously disadvantaged persons into the economy. Human resource development strategies of increased access to education and skills development are supported by a package of enabling legislation. The construction sector via implementation of critical infrastructure and public works offered potential for employment and training of unskilled and semi-skilled labour. This research evaluates the extent to which this potential been realised, and identifies sustainable best-practice and impediments to progress. A mixed methods research methodology utilises: a textual analysis of strategy, skills development policy and legislation; statistical indicators of national and construction sector employment; semi-structured personal and telephonic interviews with workers and junior contractors; and online discussion with skills development practitioners. The findings confirm a comprehensive strategy for integrated and articulated post-school education and training, and extensive development of vocational training institutions. However, the qualification structure including knowledge, applied skills, and formal work experience does not meet the requirements of the sub-contractor junior construction industry players. The compilation of skills into formal qualifications follows occupational structures that don’t parallel real world requirements. There has been indifferent implementation of the recognition of prior learning, and extensive use of casualised labour and short term employment contracts impede implementation of skills development. The practical implications are that both national and immigrant workers continue to be excluded from acquisition of formal qualifications and career development, limiting the scope of their employment potential to temporary, short-term, informal contracts. The multi-disciplinary analysis contextualises these human resource management practices within the policy and legislative framework, and the contested economic model. The conclusion offers practical suggestions to improve the economic status of labour: recognising discrete skills independent of full qualifications, and adoption of bonus payments such as the fishing sector “agsterskot”. CY - Manchester, UK DA - 2016 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - labourer KW - migrant KW - roadside work-seeker KW - sub-contractor KW - skills LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PP - Manchester, UK PY - 2016 T1 - The roadside work-seeker phenomenon in the South African informal construction sector TI - The roadside work-seeker phenomenon in the South African informal construction sector UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/37859 ER -en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/37859
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationHammond S, Bowen P, Cattell K, The roadside work-seeker phenomenon in the South African informal construction sector. ; Manchester, UK. ,Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment ,Centre for Law and Society; 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/37859 .en_ZA
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment Construction Economics and Managementen_US
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Engineering and the Built Environmenten_US
dc.publisher.locationManchester, UKen_US
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/en_US
dc.subjectlaboureren_US
dc.subjectmigrant
dc.subjectroadside work-seeker
dc.subjectsub-contractor
dc.subjectskills
dc.titleThe roadside work-seeker phenomenon in the South African informal construction sectoren_US
dc.typeConference Paperen_US
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