Labour Economics Certificate (HCLE)

Course ID

FP003-LEC

Campus

Level

Undergraduate

Semester

1st Semester

Credit

Method

Lecture

The approach to this learning experience is a participatory one. This means that you will be responsible, together with our fellow classmates, facilitators and staff of the Workers’ College for your own development.

Introduction

The Labour Economics Programme is structured as Higher Certificate in Labour Economics (HCLE). The programme is premised on the ground that collective bargaining is fundamentally an economic activity that aims at improving workers conditions of work. It aims at developing workers’ representatives and community activists’ knowledge on workplace issues with specific focus on their relationship to economics. The core subjects that constitute the programme are the following:

Fundamental of economics for trade unions;
Economics in industrial relations;
Political economy of South Africa;
Political economy of the South African legal framework;
The South African Labour Market; and
Research and academic literacy for trade union.

The structure of the blocks has been designed to allow students to read, write, jot down questions between blocks and get ready for informed engagement in class discussions.

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Other new or emerging topical issues such the Fourth Industrial Revolution and COVID-19 and various workers-initiated subjects may be developed as ‘fit-for-purposes’ modules and added in the structure of the programme. This can be done taking into account the flexibility of the programme which allow up to 40% of restructuring with new subjects.

Target Audience

The programme is intended for workers representatives and community activists. It is for participants with significant union, shop stewards, and community activism experience. It is recommended that newly elected trade union and community’s representatives complete some short courses or go through a process of recognition of prior learning (RPL) assessment if advised to do by the designated member of the education team at the College. The programme is offered over a period of one year, usually in 5 intensive blocks of five days each.

Accreditation Framework and Status

Accreditation Framework and Status: Accredited with conditions, CHE.

It should be noted that the subjects that constitute the Labour Economics, the Labour Studies, and the Labour Law programmes can be offered individually to build the capacity to workers and community leaders if the need arises.