To address the skills shortages identified in the Sector Skills Plan as well as the barriers to higher education, the W&RSETA established a Bursary Scheme in 2011 to provide financial assistance to disadvantaged students to study wholesale and retail qualifications at public and private universities, universities of technology and TVET colleges. The Bursary Scheme creates a pool of potential employees with scarce and critical skills, thus narrowing the gap between skills supply and demand in the sector. It further promotes and positions wholesale and retail as a career of choice. The scheme is fully administered by institutions of learning.