South African businesses are under growing pressure to upskill and reskill their workforce and contribute to the country’s skills pipeline and job creation.
Anton Visser, COO of SA Business School
The skills development element of the B-BBEE scorecard rewards companies for investing in training and skills development, but deciding on the right type of training starts with having a talent development strategy that supports business objectives.
Two of the most common interventions are learnerships and skills programmes - each with a unique purpose, structure, and impact on your organisation and people.
What is a learnership?
A learnership is a structured, work-based learning programme that combines theoretical training (classroom or online learning), and practical workplace experience (on-the-job training). It leads to a full qualification registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).
Learnerships usually run for 12 to 24 months, and they are designed to prepare learners for a specific occupation. A company might place unemployed youth on a Business Administration NQF Level 4 Learnership to develop future admin assistants or customer service clerks.
What is a skills programme?
A skills programme is shorter and more focused. It addresses a specific competency or gap by offering training on selected unit standards from a full qualification. Completion results in a statement of results, which can later be combined with other unit standards to achieve a full qualification.
Skills programmes are typically a few days to a few weeks long, making them ideal for targeted upskilling – think financial management for non-finance managers, customer service skills, conflict and change management and so on.
When should an employer choose a learnership?
Businesses often choose learnerships when they want to:
- Build a pipeline of future talent – graduate intake programmes.
- Support unemployed youth – by creating work opportunities and claiming B-BBEE points for absorbing learners into the workforce.
- Invest in career-pathing – helping their current employees gain full qualifications for professional career growth.
Learnerships are best suited when there’s a clear career pathway within the organisation, and when the business can commit to hosting learners for the full duration.
When should an employer choose a skills programme?
Skills programmes are ideal when:
- A specific skills gap needs to be addressed quickly, such as compliance training, technical upskilling, soft skills and so on.
- The business cannot release employees for a 12-month period.
- There’s a need to train multiple employees without committing to a full qualification for everyone.
- The organisation wants to complement a learnership with “top-up” training in a specific area.
Skills programmes offer flexibility, focus and speed, making them ideal for addressing urgent training needs. They are low impact in terms of employee productivity as there is little work time lost to training days, while having a high impact on efficiencies with skills learned that are immediately applicable in employee work roles.
B-BBEE skills development: How each contributes
Under the B-BBEE Codes of Good Practice, skills development is one of the most powerful levers for improving a company’s scorecard. Both learnerships and skills programmes contribute points - but differently:
Learnerships
- Score well under Category C and D spend (structured learning programmes).
- Earn bonus points when unemployed learners are absorbed into the business after completion.
- Count towards both spend targets (training costs) and headcount targets (number of learners trained).
Skills programmes
- Also count under Category B or C spend depending on their NQF registration.
- Allow businesses to spread training across a larger group of employees, helping meet the headcount target.
- Flexible for achieving annual skills spend targets without committing to long-term programmes.
For maximum impact, many businesses use a blend of both - learnerships for pipeline development and points leverage, and skills programmes for quick wins and broad-based upskilling.
By understanding the difference, HR and L&D teams can design a balanced skills development strategy that meets business needs, people development goals and compliance targets.
In leveraging the full benefit of skills programmes and learnerships, work with a professional training partner that is able to build a bespoke learning and development solution around the needs of your business and its human capital, capacities and budget allocations.
It’s not just about the tax incentives and an improved B-BBEE scorecard, but about laying powerful foundations for your people in meaningful, sustainable jobs and career paths to address critical skills shortages and deliver a competitive advantage for businesses and our economy.
Learnerships and skills programmes – quick comparison
| Aspect | Learnership | Skills Programme |
| Definition | Structured, work-based learning programme that leads to a full NQF-registered qualification. | Short, targeted training programme that covers selected unit standards (partial qualification). |
| Purpose | To provide theoretical knowledge and practical workplace experience, preparing learners for a specific occupation. | To build or “top-up” a specific competency or skill needed for a job function. |
| Duration | Typically 12–24 months. | Typically a few days to a few months. |
| Scope | Covers full qualification requirements (fundamental, core, and elective unit standards). | Covers only specific unit standards relevant to the skill need. |
| Workplace Experience | Mandatory — includes structured workplace learning. | Not always required — may be classroom/online only. |
| Outcome / Certification | Nationally recognised qualification (e.g. NQF Level 4 Certificate). | Statement of results for completed unit standards, which can count towards a full qualification later. |
| Target Audience | Often unemployed youth or employees entering a new occupation — provides a career pathway. | Existing employees or teams needing quick, focused upskilling. |
| Employer Benefit | Contributes to skills development targets on B-BBEE scorecard, creates pipeline of skilled workers. | Fills specific skills gaps quickly without the long-term commitment of a learnership. Also contributes to skills development targets on B-BBEE scorecard |
