Abstract
The purpose of this research was to gain insight into and investigate how effective the electronic learning (e-learning) training interventions at the National School of Government (NSG) are in improving skills development in the public sector. This study adopted a case study research design. The study applied a qualitative approach and utilised unobtrusive research techniques to eliminate bias and to promote conceptual and documentary analyses. Data collection utilised only secondary techniques. The findings of the study indicate that the South African public sector is faced with numerous service delivery challenges that are linked to a skills shortage and public servants not possessing the required skills to carry out their duties. Additionally, the study found that several education and training policies have been implemented by the South African government to help eradicate the skills shortage in South Africa, as well as various training interventions implemented by the NSG to assist public servants to broaden their knowledge, skills, and aptitude. The study found that one of the ways to improve effective and efficient public service delivery standards and ensure that public servants are experienced, well qualified, and upskilled is to implement e-learning as a mechanism to improve skills development in the public sector in South Africa.
The study concludes and recommends that an assessment of the implementation of e-learning in the South African public sector should be conducted. Furthermore, the study suggests that the NSG should put in place digital e-learning training programme ratings, review training programmes, create a digital ecosystem, draft a strategic e-learning plan, promote information and communications technology (ICT) literacy, and invest more in ICT infrastructure to improve e-learning in the public sector in South Africa. This study contributes to the current body of knowledge by providing an in-depth understanding of e-learning practices firstly by exploring how the public sector can enhance the utilisation of e-learning to upskill and re-skill its workforce, and secondly by indicating the specific challenges and contextual variables that need to be addressed to strengthen skills development in the public sector.