Learnership Recruitment and Selection Tips

Learnership Recruitment and Selection Tips. Recruiting unemployed (18.2) candidates for a learnership? Try these recruitment and selection tips.

Learnership Recruitment Tips

Stipends for Strugglers: Payment. Let’s just be upfront. 

We all work for money, even the youth.  They really need a stipend above R4000 if you wish to make a difference in their lives.

Learnerships were conceptualised as pro-poor interventions addressing youth development, unemployment challenges and sector-based development needs. This training and development space has become highly incentivised with few financial advantages for the youth.  Sure, candidates benefit from work experience and a qualification, but at what personal cost? The low wages they earned on the learnership will likely get them started on a low-wage trajectory once qualified.

You may disagree. But likely you are privileged to do so.

Stipend Status

Our youth often contribute to households (black tax) who perceive them as economically successful once contracted on a Learnership. Part of their stipend will be sent home. Understand that this is not an option for them, often survival of their family unit depends on this.

A stipend below R3 000 per month should be questioned on moral grounds – but you decide. If organisations can’t afford to give these youngsters a decent wage, which they can even claim back, then they have to reduce their numbers.

The emerging model of development is one where companies’ budget for skills development is based on how many BEE points and rebates they can obtain – not what they can effectively deliver upon.

• What Learners say about Learnership Stipends

Learnership Recruitment Adverts

Publish the stipend amount in the recruitment advert because Section 23.1 of the Constitution requires that everyone experiences fair labour practice. The omission is unfair.

Applicants have a right to know if they are investing time, effort and money participating in a recruitment process for an opportunity they can afford to accept.

• Illegal Kelly Recruitment A BANKSETA Bumchum

Learnership Recruitment Strategy

1. If you want 10 people to succeed, select 12 candidates to mitigate attrition. If you’re recruiting for 20, select 25 etc.
2. Check if candidates are already registered on the NLRD, if so, red flag them as you could have a problem registering them on another learnership.
3. If you’re recruiting for an NQFL4 program, remember the second language requirement. Find candidates who already have some knowledge of the language you offer or those who have a second language at Matric level.
4. Reduce the fundamental training by applying CAT
5. If a group is challenged by the programme, I recommend you still run the Fundamental unit standards – it strengthens the opportunity for evidence creation, advantaging learners
6. Applying the Fundamentals unnecessarily can also be detrimental. There are many variables so work it out and consider your options!
7. Conduct a pre-assessment in order to establish prior learning and experience in order to further inform your selection
8. Refer to the exit level outcomes for benchmarking prior learning and experience.
9. Recruiting the correct candidates requires a training provider’s input. A recruiter must understand the NQF level and qualification components. If there’s no collaboration then your strategy’s crud.
10. A learnership is both qualification and work experience, recruiters who only focus on employer expectations are defrauding the system as learners are not supported through the learning component. The incentives awarded to employers are meant to reward those who have uplifted disadvantaged citizens, not simply to hire them for low wages. The recruitment function must therefore match a candidate to the qualification requirements in addition to a firm’s expectations.

• How to Recruit Unemployed Candidates for Learnerships

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Good luck and select the best by being the best yourself!