An exploratory study of the ability of small, micro, medium enterprises development to create jobs and serve as centres of skills development in the construction industry : a case study in King WIlliams Town

The significance of SMME development as a route to creating jobs and enhancing skills development has been and is still on top of South Africa‟s developmental agenda. The escalating unemployment rate and skills shortage to meet with demands of globalization compels the government to develop strategies to respond to the crisis. It is eighteen years since South Africa became a democratic country but the job creation and skills development sectors remain in a crisis. Stagnant economic growth is as a result of high unemployment which is a factor of skills shortage in the black South African labour force. The government creates an enabling environment by developing flexible regulations for equal participation of historically disadvantaged individuals to participate the in mainstream economic activities. Public investment through infrastructure development is one of the labour intensive programmes to promote SMME development, job creation and skills development. It is against this background that this research aims to explore the effect of SMME development in creating jobs and its ability to serve as centres of skills development. Also, it is against this background that this study aims to assess the extent of government support in creating an enabling environment for SMME development to achieve its ultimate goals