Dr. Blade Nzimande, minister of higher education and training, has urged all firms to welcome TVET college students into their workplaces for placement.
“The National Development Plan (NDP) emphasises the necessity of TVET colleges turning into the preferred institutions for vocational education and training as well as the significance of workplace-based training in employment development.
The importance of Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) in fostering the growth of connections between educational institutions and companies is also emphasised, according to Nzimande.
The Minister was speaking at the Cape Town International Convention Center’s Ministerial Summit on Strategic Industry Partnerships with TVET Colleges.
The Post School Education and Training (PSET) industry, government agencies, non-governmental organisations, labour groups, and business representatives are all participating in the two-day summit, which began on Wednesday, to talk about ways to improve partnerships between TVET colleges and businesses, particularly work-based learning.
Nzimande highlighted that the extension of chances for students to learn in the workplace has proven to be difficult in the TVET college sector.
In response to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address, he claimed, the department had pledged to see that 10,000 TVET college graduates received work experience so they could finish their degrees, enhancing their chances of finding employment or launching their own small enterprises.
The Minister stated that helping our young people make the transition from learning to working is the main goal of placements.
He continued by saying that he had previously made it clear on multiple occasions that TVET college administration, particularly principals, must understand that they are not in charge of TVET colleges unless they prioritise forming alliances with industry.
All TVET college principals must follow the Minister’s directive and sign new performance agreements with industry collaborations listed as one of their key performance factors.
The White Paper for Post-School Education and Training, which mandates that Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) be a central component of college programmes and that the degree to which students are able to get placements in the workplace must be used as an important indicator for assessing the performance of institution management, served as the basis for this decision.
“As principals of TVET colleges, you owe it to the nation’s children and to develop strategic alliances with business in order to manage student admissions with the end in mind.
If we allow our inaction to make TVET colleges a dead end for students, it will indeed be a travesty of justice and a serious indictment on us, as leaders,” Nzimande said.
Creating avenues for young people to access skill-training programmes and workplace-based training, matriculate into higher education, and pursue self-employment without obstruction is one of the primary tasks of leaders.
supporting the innovation programmes at TVET colleges
Nzimande has also asked the Higher Education and Training to encourage the introduction of entrepreneurship programmes in the nation’s colleges and the Department of Science and Innovative to support innovation projects and programmes in TVET colleges.
“Our objective remains to provide a highly defined, integrated, coordinated, and post-secondary education and training system for the betterment of our young and adults’ social and economic growth.
“Many South Africans who need to raise their educational standards and/or pick up a skill are served by our TVET colleges.
In order to achieve this, it is crucially important for TVET college principals to drive the creation of partnerships with business and/or workplaces, according to the Minister.
By 2030, he continued, TVET colleges must be strong, distinct institutions that provide a variety of top-notch programmes that prepare students for the workforce and entrepreneurship.
“They must provide credentials that respond to students’ requirements as well as regional and societal skill demands.”