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Since 1998, the "Learnership" model of workplace training has been promoted in South Africa as a creative vehicle for addressing high unemployment rates and a serious skills shortage. This is achieved through fast-tracking the acquisition of skills and increasing a learner's chances of employment. However, because learnerships are a recent innovation, the body of applied knowledge is small. This article aims to contribute to what is known through examining a series of pilot projects, implemented between 1997 and 2001 in KwaZulu-Natal. A key finding concerns how learnerships are managed: the effective delivery of a learnership programme and of its outcomes requires the involvement of key stakeholders from the outset, role clarity and a carefully structured and monitored process of implementation. Using a case study approach, this article situates learnerships within the context of workplace training; explores four key lessons learnt and presents a proposed model of effective learnership management. (Contains 2 tables, 2 figures and 4 notes.)