“The major driver of unemployment in South Africa is the lack of skills and experience among the unemployed population. This policy brief sets out to investigate the impact of the training provided by the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) on employment creation and skills development. The paper argues that skills development is not always a priority in EPWP projects. In the few cases where efforts are made to provide training, the acquired skills are largely inappropriate to the demands of the mainstream economy, which is becoming more and more sophisticated. It is therefore recommended that EPWP programmes be complemented with formal training and apprenticeship programmes that benefit from the involvement of the private sector.”
