Determining the attitudes/perceptions of retrenched Lesotho migrant labourers from the RSA mining industries regarding education using their career life histories

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The level of unemployment in Lesotho has reached an alarming rate and this situationis compounded by massive mine retrenchments (Central Bank of Lesotho, 2001: 22).Given this background, it is imperative to gain a deeper understanding of the careerlife histories of retrenched Basotho migrant labourers in order to explain theirperceptions/attitudes regarding education. In-depth individual interviews with 26retrenched mineworkers were conducted for collecting data and a grounded theoryapproach was followed in analysing the data.The life histories of the men were critically investigated, from the time before theywere employed in the mines, to the stage when they were working in the miningindustries. The enquiry continued to a stage when they were retrenched from themines. Their lives after retrenchment were looked at to establish whether they hadacquired skills whilst they were employed in the mines. The objective was to determinewhether the skills acquired were useful to them after retrenchment and if they couldsecure them employment in other sectors of the economy besides the mines. Thestudy revealed that most of the migrant labourers had not acquired other skills besidesthose that were offered in the mines. As a result, all of the men were unemployedbecausethey lacked skills that were relevant to the economy of Lesotho.Retrenched migrant labourers reported that education was important, especially fortheir children. For them, they indicated that they could pursue education if they wouldbe employed in the mines again of it is offered where they would be employed, on thejob training. The question is whether these men will secure employment in othersectors in Lesotho given that they lack relevant skills. It is advisable, therefore, for thegovernment of Lesotho to facilitate career guidance in the country to encourage thesemen to acquire marketable skills and to promote employment creation.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University