This study examined the validity of Holland’s circular order model of vocational personality types for young black South African men and women. The validity of the model was investigated for four groups, namely men and women from the Eastern Cape Province, and men and women from the North West Province. The randomization test of hypothesized order relations and the accompanying correspondence index suggested that the data of all four groups fit the circular order model poorly. The results of multidimensional scaling analyses also suggested poor fit. These results indicate that the circular order model may not be valid for black South African youths. Reasons for the unsatisfactory fit between the model and the observed data are discussed.

No abstract

The high unemployment rate in South Africa is a central concern of policy makers. Because there are only a few substantial labour intensive industries, led by the private sector, it has become essential to explore other less mainstream avenues for employment creation. The role of public works programmes has historically focused on the infrastructure sector, but the Expanded Public Works Programme includes the social sector. The government has at its disposal a strong policy instrument - the provision of a range of services to meet basic needs - and so could, in the medium term, create a large number of jobs through social development services, the demand for which vastly exceeds their provision. Basic social development needs programmes target a large number of unskilled unemployed and promise the possibility of affordable employment creation. Such programmes include Early Childhood Development (ECD) and Home and Community Based Care (HCBC) as identified by the Social Sector Plan. This article explores these options.