The construction SMEs development debate in South Africa: Contributions from fet colleges

The why, when, and how to engender contractor development in South Africa has been interrogated in recent years. Various authors have proposed one panacea or the other without considering the possible contributions of Further Education and Training (FET) colleges in the country. The research identifies key factors that influence how FET colleges are able to facilitate the development of successful construction small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa. A survey of the literature was followed by an empirical study, which generated the primary data. A survey was initially conducted among registered construction SMEs, and then interviews were conducted with academics who are employed at FET colleges. The findings indicate that FET colleges serve a multidimensional purpose by producing qualified artisans, who produce quality workmanship in their specific trades and who are capable of establishing successful businesses. Based upon the findings, it can be concluded that FET college structures can provide the foundation for SME development programmes in South Africa. It is therefore recommended that the syllabi for contractor development programmes (CDP) and construction programmes in FET colleges should align with one another in order to develop a specific programme for construction SME development.