Copyright © International Labour Organization 2018
First published 2018
ISBN 978-92-2-132036-4
In 2010 OneWorld completed a country case study on South Africa (SA) for the ILO-CEDEFOP’s Skills for Green Jobs: A Global View Report. The report explored opportunities for developing skills in response to climate change interventions and the green economy development in SA and considered new skills that might emerge from these drivers. It also examined opportunities for retraining people diverted from industries in decline due to climate mitigation policy decisions.
The 2010 report found that policy was inconsistent and market forces are more effective in driving change. However, it also found potential for policy to direct significant structural changes, given a cohesive approach to green skill anticipation across sectors. The current report updates the 2010 case study with subsequent and planned future developments, focusing on key policy drivers and emerging greening policies and strategies. The report highlights the extent to which SA’s skills response is effectively organised to meet the challenges associated with greening the economy, based on training planning, institutional frameworks and delivery channels. Its key finding is that SA is not ready for a comprehensive approach to green skills development, primarily because the overarching policy framework does not allow this. Recommendations include addressing of information gaps and definitions for green skills development, strengthening of green skills development in the National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS), and scaling-up of M&E systems and programmatic interventions, including in municipalities.
