How Learnerships Drive Youth Employment & Skills Growth
Learnerships: The Smart Solution to South Africa’s Skills Crisis.
High youth unemployment and persistent skills shortages don’t have to coexist. Learnerships, when designed with intent, bridge the gap between education and employability.
At Duja Consulting, we help organisations turn compliance into capability by designing accredited, high-impact learnership programmes that:
✅ Create work opportunities for youth
✅ Build scarce and critical skills
✅ Strengthen B-BBEE performance
✅ Deliver real business value
Read our latest article: How Learnerships Support Youth Employment and Reduce Skills Shortages.
How Learnerships Support Youth Employment and Reduce Skills Shortages
Brought to you by Duja Consulting
Executive overview
Youth employment and skills shortages are often framed as separate crises: one group of people cannot find work, while employers insist they “cannot find the right skills”. Learnerships sit exactly at that intersection. Properly designed and implemented, they give young people a structured pathway into the labour market and help employers build the scarce capabilities they struggle to hire.
South Africa’s unemployment statistics underline the urgency. The official unemployment rate is above 33%, with nearly half of young people aged 15–34 unable to find work. Youth unemployment remains stubbornly high at around 45%, despite modest improvements in some quarters. At the same time, sector skills plans across the economy highlight persistent shortages in technical, digital, financial, engineering, and supervisory skills.
Learnerships were created precisely to respond to this dual challenge. Under the Skills Development Act, a learnership is a work-based learning programme that combines structured theoretical learning with practical work experience and leads to a nationally recognised qualification registered with the South African Qualifications Authority. Learnerships are funded and quality-assured through the sector education and training authorities (SETAs), which also use them as a tool to address scarce and critical skills.
For employers, learnerships are not simply a compliance requirement or a quick route to Black Economic Empowerment points. The Skills Development element on the B-BBEE scorecard actively rewards investment in accredited learning, while further bonus points are available for absorbing learners into permanent roles. When integrated into workforce planning, learnerships become a practical talent strategy, improving productivity, building loyalty, and broadening the recruitment pipeline.
For young people, learnerships provide a bridge between school, college or university and the workplace. They offer paid, structured work experience, exposure to professional environments, and a qualification that is portable across employers. Research and practice show that learnerships are associated with improved employment prospects and better long-term career trajectories.
This article explores how learnerships support youth employment and reduce skills shortages, and how organisations can design programmes that are both developmentally meaningful and commercially sound.
1. Understanding the learnership model
Learnerships were introduced through the Skills Development Act as a formal mechanism to promote structured workplace learning. They are not ad-hoc internships; they are regulated programmes with clear criteria.
A SETA may register a learnership only if:
- It includes structured theoretical learning (usually delivered by an accredited training provider).
- It includes structured workplace experience of a defined nature and duration.
- It leads to a qualification registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).
- It is formally registered with the Director-General and the relevant SETA.
A learnership agreement must be signed between the learner, the employer and the training provider, and registered with the SETA. The employer undertakes to provide the job placement, on-the-job training and time off for classes; the training provider delivers the curriculum and assessments; the learner commits to attendance, performance and completion of assignments.
This formal structure is important. It means learnerships are designed from the outset to meet occupational standards, not just to “keep young people busy”. It also makes them an ideal instrument for tackling skills shortages in specific roles and sectors.
2. Bridging the gap between education and work
A central problem in the youth labour market is the gap between what education systems deliver and what employers actually need. Many young people complete school or tertiary study having never worked in a professional environment. At the same time, employers regularly insist on prior experience even for entry-level roles.
Multiple studies and practitioner reports describe learnerships as a way to bridge this gap between education and employment.
Learnerships:
- Translate theoretical knowledge into workplace competence.
- Expose learners to real systems, customers, and constraints.
- Allow employers to shape capabilities in line with their processes and culture.
- Provide learners with a track record, references, and a sense of professional identity.
Because the qualification is externally recognised, learners are not locked into a single employer. They obtain a credential that has relevance across the broader labour market, improving their employability even if they are not absorbed by the host organisation.
From a youth employment perspective, this is significant: the learnership year is not simply a temporary stipend; it is a developmental investment that can unlock future opportunities.
3. Tackling youth unemployment at scale
South Africa has one of the highest youth unemployment rates globally, with around 45–46% of people aged 15–34 unemployed in recent labour force surveys. Many of these young people have never held a formal job. Others have had short-term contracts with no structured learning or clear path to progression.
Learnerships directly address several barriers that keep youth locked out of the labour market:
- The “no experience, no job” trap
Learnerships are built on the expectation that learners lack experience. The programme is designed to grow competence from a low base. For employers, this provides a framework to bring in inexperienced youth without compromising service quality. - Financial constraints
Learnerships usually include a stipend or allowance, which can significantly help with transport, meals and other costs associated with attending work and training. That financial support can be the difference between participation and exclusion. - Limited exposure to professional environments
Many young people have never spent time in a corporate or formal setting. Learnerships provide exposure to workplace norms—timekeeping, communication, customer service, and teamwork—which traditional schooling does not fully develop. - Discouragement and lack of networks
Learnerships typically involve support structures such as mentors and coaches. This psychosocial backing helps build confidence, while the workplace setting expands learners’ networks, improving their access to future opportunities.
When learnerships are implemented at scale across sectors—through coordinated SETA and employer initiatives—they become a systemic tool to absorb thousands of young people into work and training each year.
4. Reducing skills shortages in critical occupations
While youth unemployment is high, employers across the country report difficulty recruiting people with the right skills, especially for technical, digital, supervisory and specialised roles. Sector Skills Plans produced by SETAs repeatedly highlight scarce and critical skills that limit productivity and growth.
Learnerships help to reduce these shortages in several practical ways:
- Demand-led design
Learnership qualifications are linked to occupational profiles and developed in consultation with industry, SETAs and the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations. This means the curriculum is aligned with real skills needs, not abstract theory. - Targeted pipelines for scarce skills
Employers can establish learnerships focused on specific areas—such as business analysis, supply chain coordination, insurance administration, contact centre operations, or IT support—where vacancies are difficult to fill. Over time, each intake builds a steady pipeline into those roles. - Regional and sectoral alignment
Sector Skills Plans and scarce-skills guides provide evidence on where shortages are most acute. Learnerships can then be located in those geographies and industries, ensuring that training spend is focused where it will have the greatest impact. - Agility in response to new technologies
As industries digitise, qualifications and learnerships are updated to reflect new tools and methods, such as data analytics, customer engagement platforms, or advanced manufacturing technologies.
In this way, learnerships shift skills development away from generic training towards structured, occupation-specific capability building.
5. Strengthening soft skills and workplace readiness
Skills shortages are not only technical. Employers frequently highlight deficits in so-called “soft skills”: communication, teamwork, problem-solving, resilience, and customer orientation. These abilities are hard to teach in a classroom alone; they are best developed in real-world settings where consequences are tangible.
Because learners are embedded in an actual work environment, learnerships are particularly effective at cultivating these behaviours.
Learners practice:
- Professional communication in meetings, email, chat and phone calls.
- Collaboration across teams, departments and hierarchies.
- Handling feedback, conflict and pressure.
- Customer service, empathy and problem resolution.
- Personal discipline—punctuality, meeting deadlines, and managing workload.
Over time, learners develop not only a CV but also a reputation as dependable, engaged professionals. That reputation is often what persuades employers to convert a fixed-term learnership into a permanent position.
6. Supporting transformation and inclusion
Learnerships are a powerful mechanism for inclusive growth. B-BBEE skills development rules deliberately encourage employers to invest in the training of black South Africans, including women, people with disabilities and youth from rural and underserved communities.
Key inclusive features include:
- Access for unemployed youth
Many learnerships are funded specifically for unemployed learners, creating opportunities for individuals who may never have studied beyond school or who did not complete matric. - Dedicated opportunities for people with disabilities
The design of incentives and grant structures often includes enhanced support for people with disabilities, recognising the additional barriers they face in entering the labour market. - Geographic reach
SETAs, employers and training providers can place learnerships close to where unemployed youth live, reducing the need for costly relocation or long commutes.
By aligning learnerships with inclusion goals, organisations contribute not only to their B-BBEE scorecards but also to the broader social mandate of reducing inequality and expanding economic participation.
7. The business case for employers
For employers, learnerships are most impactful when viewed as a strategic talent investment, not merely a compliance exercise.
The business case spans multiple dimensions:
- Customised talent pipelines
Instead of competing for scarce skills in a tight labour market, companies can grow their own talent—trained in their systems, values and processes. - Improved productivity and service quality
Learners, guided by structured programmes and mentors, can quickly become productive in entry-level roles, freeing senior staff to focus on higher-value work. - Retention and loyalty
Employees whose careers started as learnerships often have a stronger emotional connection to the organisation and are more likely to stay, reducing recruitment and onboarding costs. - Reputation and employer brand
Visible investment in youth development enhances the organisation’s reputation among customers, investors and potential recruits. - Financial and compliance benefits
- Skills development is a priority element on the B-BBEE scorecard; meaningful spend on accredited learning is rewarded.
- Tax incentives for registered learnerships can significantly offset programme costs.
- Absorbing learners into permanent roles can earn valuable bonus points on the skills development element.
When organisations integrate learnerships into workforce planning, they usually find that the long-term return exceeds the cost of stipends, mentorship and administration.
8. From learnership to lasting employment
One of the strongest indicators that learnerships contribute to youth employment is the rate at which learners are absorbed into permanent or longer-term roles. Reports from providers and employers show that a high proportion of learners who perform well are retained at the end of the programme.
Several factors drive successful absorption:
- Clear role pathways
Before launching a learnership, leading organisations define which roles learners can move into on completion. This avoids the “dead-end” scenario where learners finish their programme with no vacancy in sight. - Performance management and coaching
Regular feedback, coaching and performance reviews help learners understand what is expected for absorption and how to close any gaps. - Alignment with workforce growth
When learnership intakes are linked to planned expansion, retirements, or succession needs, there is a natural demand for newly qualified learners.
Even where learners are not absorbed, the combination of a recognised qualification, references and work experience significantly improves their chances of finding employment elsewhere. This is where learnerships deliver broader labour-market benefits beyond the sponsoring organisation.
9. Designing high-impact learnership programmes
The quality of learnership experiences varies widely. Some programmes are transformative; others run the risk of becoming box-ticking exercises.
Organisations that achieve real impact tend to follow a set of common design principles:
- Start with strategy, not compliance
Clarify why you are investing in learnerships. Is it to build a specific pipeline, support a community, diversify your workforce, innovate in a new business area, or all of the above? The strategy should be explicit. - Anchor on real skills needs
Use Sector Skills Plans, internal workforce planning and business strategy to identify priority roles and capabilities. Learnerships should map tightly to those needs, rather than being generic. - Choose the right partners
The choice of training provider and SETA collaboration matters. Look for providers with a track record of high completion rates, strong learner support and relevant industry expertise. - Invest in mentorship and supervision
Line managers and workplace mentors need support and clarity about their roles. Without that, learners can be left idle or underutilised, undermining both learning and productivity. - Support the whole person
Many learners are navigating complex personal circumstances. Programmes that include psychosocial support, financial literacy, and basic wellness awareness tend to have better outcomes. - Measure outcomes beyond completion
Track not only enrolment and completion, but also absorption rates, later promotions, and broader business impact (productivity, customer satisfaction, quality). This data helps refine future intakes. - Align with B-BBEE and tax incentives without letting them lead
Incentives should be a tailwind, not the steering wheel. The programme must remain grounded in genuine skills development and employment outcomes.
Duja Consulting typically encourages clients to view learnerships as multi-year journeys, not one-off projects. That perspective allows for iteration, improvement and sustained impact over time.
10. Learnerships within an ecosystem of youth development
Learnerships do not operate in isolation.
They are part of a broader ecosystem that includes:
- School-to-work transition initiatives
Career guidance, work-readiness training and bridging programmes that prepare youth before they enter a learnership. - Internships, apprenticeships and graduate programmes
Complementary pathways that cater for different levels of prior education and different occupational routes. - Entrepreneurship and small-business support
Some learnerships can build skills that later enable young people to start their own ventures, particularly in service sectors. - Public employment and social programmes
Government initiatives aimed at creating temporary work and skills-building opportunities for large numbers of youth.
Within this landscape, learnerships add unique value because they combine an accredited qualification, regulated workplace experience and a clear link to specific occupations. When aligned with other initiatives, they can amplify the overall impact on youth employment and skills supply.
11. A practical roadmap for employers
For organisations considering expanding or formalising their use of learnerships, a practical roadmap might include:
- Diagnose your skills gaps and workforce risks
Use internal data and external research to identify where skills shortages are most pressing. Consider which roles are difficult to fill, where turnover is high, and which capabilities are critical for future strategy. - Select priority learnership qualifications
Work with SETAs and training providers to select qualifications that align to these priority roles. Ensure they are on the NQF and appropriately pitched for youth entrants. - Design the learner journey
Map the entire learner experience—from recruitment and assessment through onboarding, rotations, classroom training, mentoring, assessment and exit/absorption. - Clarify governance and accountability
Assign clear responsibilities for HR, line managers, mentors, and training providers. Ensure there is executive sponsorship and regular reporting on progress. - Integrate with B-BBEE and tax planning
Work with your advisory partners to ensure that your programme structure maximises available incentives while remaining pedagogically sound. - Communicate the purpose internally and externally
Share the story with employees, learners, customers and communities. Positioned well, learnerships can enhance morale and reputation. - Partner with experienced specialists
Firms like Duja Consulting bring experience in programme design, SETA engagement, administration, quality assurance and reporting, enabling organisations to scale learnerships without overburdening internal teams.
12. Conclusion: Learnerships as a strategic lever for shared prosperity
Youth unemployment and skills shortages are often treated as inevitable features of the economic landscape. Learnerships show that this need not be the case. They provide a concrete mechanism to help young people gain a foothold in the labour market while equipping employers with the skills they urgently need.
The regulatory framework—anchored in the Skills Development Act and B-BBEE codes—provides not just obligations but also powerful incentives for employers to invest in accredited workplace learning. SETAs, training providers and advisory firms have built substantial experience in designing and managing programmes that work. Research and practice confirm that, when done well, learnerships create pathways into lasting employment and contribute to the long-term development of a skilled workforce.
For organisations, the question is less whether to invest in learnerships and more how to do so strategically—aligning them with future skills needs, embedding them in workforce planning, and ensuring that learners receive both high-quality training and meaningful workplace exposure. For young people, learnerships can represent the crucial first step from potential to performance.
Call to action – from intent to implementation
If your organisation wants to:
- Build reliable talent pipelines in scarce-skills areas;
- Support youth employment in a way that delivers real business benefits; and
- Align skills development, B-BBEE and tax incentives into a coherent strategy,
Duja Consulting can help.
Our team works with clients across sectors to design, implement and optimise learnership programmes—from SETA engagement and qualification selection to workplace design, mentorship frameworks and impact measurement.
If you would like to explore how learnerships could support your youth employment and skills strategies, connect with Duja Consulting to start a focused, practical conversation.
