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This study examines how curriculum relevance and workplace-based mentorship influence apprenticeship outcomes in South Africa’s manufacturing industry, with a focus on persistent skills gaps between training provision and industry requirements. Guided by Objective 1, which seeks to examine the relevance and alignment of apprenticeship curricula with the skills, technologies, and competency demands of the manufacturing sector, and Objective 3, which explores the role of mentorship and workplace-based learning in supporting skills development, employability, and workplace readiness, the study investigates the extent to which current apprenticeship programs reflect contemporary manufacturing practices. A qualitative, multi-case research design was employed, drawing on in-depth interviews with stakeholders from public colleges, private training centres, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The findings reveal a sustained misalignment between formal apprenticeship curricula and modern manufacturing technologies, including automation, robotics, and advanced production systems, largely resulting from centralised curriculum control and limited institutional autonomy. In contrast, mentorship and workplace learning emerged as critical mechanisms for translating theoretical knowledge into practical competence, strengthening professional identity, and developing both technical and soft skills. However, the effectiveness of mentorship practices varies across institutional contexts, with colleges facing greater structural and policy constraints than SMEs and training centres. The study concludes that bridging skills gaps in South Africa’s manufacturing sector requires an integrated approach that combines responsive curriculum reform with structured, industry-embedded mentorship and authentic workplace learning opportunities, offering practical and theoretical contributions to vocational education and training scholarship.

The Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) business is under pressure to improve operational efficiency and solve sustainability issues in a digital world. Human capital and digitalisation drive productivity, responsiveness, and long-term competitiveness in sustainable operations. However, present research frequently isolate these elements, limiting knowledge of their combined impact. This PRISMA-guided Systematic Literature Review (SLR) examines human capital and digitisation in FMCG supply chains. Current research trends, theme insights, and knowledge gaps are reviewed. Data shows that AI, automation, predictive analytics, and the IoT boost efficiency, supply chain visibility, and decision-making. Adoption and use of these technologies require human capital, including digital skills, organisational learning, and human-machine collaboration. The analysis shows that FMCG contexts in emerging nations have underexplored human capital and digitalisation integration. The findings improve awareness of how human capital and digital capabilities support sustainable operations, and they show FMCG companies must integrate staff development with digital technology adoption. A detailed overview of their interplay and sustainable supply chain management research and practice directions are presented in this operations management paper

Business Studies education has globally shifted toward learner-centred approach, with South Africa’s Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement positioning Business Studies teachers as facilitators who are expected to employ learner-centred teaching methods. However, teacher-centred instruction persist to prevail in many classrooms, while Pre-Service Teachers (PSTs) are expected to mitigate this gap during their teaching practice. This qualitative case study was able to address this gap by examining 25 purposively selected Portfolio of Evidence (PoE) submitted by Business Studies third-year PSTs at An Open Distance eLearning institution in South Africa, utilising a thematic analysis. The findings were interpreted through Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory and revealed that participants employed diverse learner-centric methods, such as cooperative jigsaw learning, case-based teaching, role playing, inquiry-based methods, flipped classrooms and think-pair-share. The PSTs further reported that well-facilitated collaborative structures promoted inclusive participation, particularly among learners who were previously reluctant and hesitant, and that cooperative learning and case-based learning were the main drivers of critical thinking development and problem-solving skills. Participants credited these methods mostly to their university training. The study offers ramifications for teacher educators training Business Studies PSTs for professional practice.