Meeting with Federal Republic of Germany Bundestag Committee on Education, Research & Technology Assessment on skills transfer

Meeting report

Introduction
The Chairperson noted the past visit the Portfolio Committee had made to Germany and the many facets of cooperation between South Africa and Germany. There were 600 German companies investing in South Africa and there was a hope for continued skills transfer and the continued development of the relationship between the two nations. In South Africa there was an exponential growth of enrolments in higher education and there was a desire for Germany to help in this area with regard to both student and teacher exchange programmes. Today’s presentation would deal with the existing and intended future cooperation between the two countries.

Mr Helge Meyer, Interpreter to the delegation, translated.

DHET South Africa/German Co-operation on Higher Education and Training Presentation
Mr Gwebs Qonde, DHET Director-General (DG), introduced the Department's delegation.

Ms Guria Umeh, DHET Director: Curriculum and Training, who had just returned from a study tour of Germany on curriculum development, said that today’s presentation would deal with the collaboration between tertiary institutions, vocational education and training and the transfer of skills. She noted the bilateral relationship was facilitated through over-arching agreements between the two governments. It was not surprising that collaborations had escalated since 1994 and two very recent and important collaborative initiatives would be focused on today.

Multi-fora engagement between Germany and South Africa was accomplished through a number of different platforms including the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ [note: abbreviations are from the German]). GIZ was an agency commissioned by BMZ to foster international cooperation for sustainable development on a wide range of areas including education. BiBB was a German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) institution dealing with policy, research and practice in the field of vocational training.

Emanating out of the Basic Employment Skills Training (BEST) project, the Basic Entrepreneurial Skills Development (BESD) Programme formed part of a joint initiative between the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda), the National Skills Fund and GIZ on behalf of the German government. A 1 per cent employer levy went into the National Skills Fund (NSF). The BEST programme was begun with the aim of utilising youth and unemployed people to train emerging entrepreneurs. Skills development was not only about training people for employment but must empower them to create opportunities to earn a living. The programme was expected to train 200 unemployed youths as Entrepreneurial Development Practitioners (EDPs) and provide skills support to 2 000 emerging entrepreneurs over four years.

The second major programme in recent years was the South African Renewable Energy Training Centre. Earlier this year, the Green Cape approached the Department with a proposal to establish a South African Renewable Energy Training Centre in the Western Cape and requested funding for the project.

To be able to put together a viable plan for this institute, a study tour was undertaken in Germany in September. The study tour was specifically focused on wind energy and included all service providers involved in its production. It involved visits to service providers, test centres for turbines and wind calibration, and a health institute in Bremenhof in Hamburg. It was an extremely enlightening tour because it alerted the delegates, from universities, FET colleges, Eskom and the South African National Development Institute (SANEDI), to the complexity of the wind energy sector, especially offshore, which was an area of interest for South Africa given the length of the South African coastline. Three lecturers from Eastern Cape were sent through a partnership with GIZ to study in Germany on bonding and adhesive materials. The implementation was expected next year. Most of the expertise required for the operation of such wind farms was from qualified mechanical and electrical artisans who would undergo further training as wind turbine service technicians. NSF would provide the initial funding, but there was an expectation and a need for other funding sources to come forward.

Institutional linkages had been entered into between higher education institutions in Germany and South Africa. The DHET’s database reflected a total of 123 institutional collaborations. Several South African academics have visited their German counterparts and all were in agreement that more research collaborations needed to be conducted particularly at the postgraduate level.

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) advanced international academic exchanges by granting organisational and financial support to universities and grants. A number of scholarships and student and academic exchanges had taken place as part of the DAAD initiative on academic and scientific cooperation.

As a part of strengthening Ministry-to-Ministry cooperation, Higher Education Minister Dr Blade Nzimande visited Germany in 2010. It was agreed that both countries would undertake study visits. In December 2011, the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training also undertook a study tour to Germany to obtain in-depth knowledge of the German post school education system with special focus on Vocational Education and Training (VET). Furthermore there was an initiative to create a database to use as a source of reference for the information disseminated during the visits.

A German/South African Bi-national Commission (BNC) established the Joint Committee on Vocational Education and Training and it was agreed that both parties would convene a joint seminar with the aim of producing an action plan.

Discussion
Ms Ulla Burchardt (SPD [Social Democrats]), Member of the Bundestag (MdB), German Bundestag Committee on Education, Research and Technology Assessment Chairperson, thanked the Portfolio Committee for the information presented and the opportunity for today’s meeting. It was very important that further advances be made in these areas. One of the key points of comparison was with the German dual training system. The main characteristic was that a theoretical part was combined with a work placement in a company to gain practical knowledge. Trainees had a full role as employees of these companies and were able, for example, to learn about their representation by trade unions. Yesterday in Soweto, the German delegation had the chance to visit the building training centre run by the foreign chamber of commerce which had been very enlightening. As a result a number of questions had arisen which the delegates hoped to have answered in the discussion period.
Mr L Bosman (DA) noted interest in the German vocational system as it was an area in South Africa that needed expansion. In South Africa the primary education system was not conducive to people getting involved in vocational training. Input was called for on how to incorporate vocational training at a primary level. Was there a system at grades 8-10 in place in Germany to aid in choosing a career path?

Mr Michael Gerdes (SPD [Social Democrats]), MdB, was impressed by the 1 per cent levy charged to companies but wished to know if this was related to profits or taxes levied on a company. How did the inter-linkage work between private, social and public entities and who was in charge of this? One of the problems in Germany was that each occupational unit was too rigid and could not respond adequately to new technological change. What was the situation in South Africa?

Ms Sylvia Canel (FDP [Free Democrats]), MdB, emphasised the great joint interests of both countries. She observed that Germany was an industrial nation with an interest in furthering economic development of other countries. As a result there was a focus on the provision of quality basic education that would later enable job seekers to find success in the labour market. In Germany there were different grades in which you could leave school which determined whether you entered vocational training or university, with a focus on very specific vocational aspects during grades 5-10 to allow for practical experiences. Not all children could become lawyers or doctors, despite their parents’ wishes, so there was a need to have a permeable system so that someone who started out studying to be an artisan might later do a university degree. University and vocational training should have the same standing in society. Participation in practical training in a company was compulsory under German law. She wondered if there was an intention to make this compulsory in South Africa as well.

Mr Qonde replied that the skills levy had been developed in 1999 and had come into effect in 2000. Each company in the country was required to contribute 1 per cent if its staff establishment was more than 50 employees. It was made available to SETA and other educational and training authorities and in some instances to components of Government. State-owned enterprises had abdicated the authority to train as a result of an inability to finance training and thus relied solely on the training of artisans by the Seda system which became ineffective. This had brought about legislative changes and changes in relationships between employers and educational institutions, especially among universities of technology. This resulted in the training of artisans instead of the rolling out of a number of short courses that did not result in any qualification.

He called for experience-sharing and the development of programmes that would enable South Africa to produce artisans and technicians on a huge scale as in Germany. It was therefore important to look at methods of cooperation and facilitate these measures at a Government level to ensure financial backing. Lastly, the exchange of lecturers, especially from the German vocational and education system, to South African universities would be crucial in expanding training capacity. The current focus was on the Western Cape due to the location of a skills centre there and the roll-out of solar panels and renewable energy in the area, with a view to expand to the Northern Cape and the Eastern Cape at a later date.

Ms Umeh noted that during the study tour to Germany she had noted that training programmes were very specific and very advanced when compared to similar programmes offered in South Africa. Likewise they were highly resource intensive as they only catered to small numbers of people in highly specialised areas. South Africa had only recently come to the area of specialised training which had been established through the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO). This council used unit standards (small areas of knowledge with small training components that would be pieced together to give you one qualification in a particular area) based qualifications comprising theoretical learning, practical application and work place experiences.

The new occupational qualifications were better suited to a dual system like Germany’s; however, South Africa had not reached that level of specialisation yet. An example was in South African mines where four different types of electricians had been defined; this meant, for instance, that a surface electrician could not work underground and that had become problematic. South Africa was going for a broader set of skills with greater pieces of knowledge, which were less specific, to better address skills gaps. In response to the question on making work place training compulsory, there were practical difficulties in finding work places, but the Minister had signed a skills accord or a social compact with all relevant partners to ensure that workplaces were first available to graduates before the programme became compulsory.

Ms Burchardt thanked the Portfolio Committee for the opportunity to discuss these issues and said that, in  the governance and coordination of vocational training, BiBB was the key organisation. She expressed an interest in the building training centre which the delegation had visited during its trip and asked if this could not be a model for similar training centres around the country. She noted that there was in Germany training for specific occupations with a rigid entry test and specialised courses. However, first of all, a good basic education was required to be successful throughout life.

Dr A Lotriet (DA) was interested in the question of getting students to go to Further Education and Training (FET)colleges for training rather than universities. Were there any specific strategies used to encourage students to go to vocational training? Were there minimum requirements for lecturers at these colleges?

Mr Kai Gehring (The Greens), MdB, stated that in Germany there were two different educational pathways that a young learner could choose that was determined by the school they attended - vocational training or university. Until now it was an either-or system, but the German government was working hard to ensure there was permeability to allow vocational students to later go to a university to advance their qualifications. 10 to 20 years ago there was a hierarchy where university degrees and academic careers were valued more highly than a trade career, but in recent years there was a certain parity/equality between qualifications. It was important to look at the competencies of a young person and the demands of the labour market to prepare for climate change and social disparities when determining which path to pursue. The German government was also working very hard between its own states and the European Union (EU) to create a unitary training landscape in the future.

Mr Tankred Schipanski (CDU [Christian Democrats]), MdB, said that there were intensive vocational orientation schemes in grades 7, 8, and 9 for a period of one week which would enable students to make more informed decisions about whether they preferred to pursue university or vocational training. Furthermore, standards for lecturers were standardised across the country.

Vocational Education and Training (VET) System in South Africa Presentation
As a matter of clarity, Ms Umeh said that in Germany the word ‘vocational’ was used to cover all areas of vocational and occupational training, whereas in South Africa 'vocational' was used in a more broad sense to describe a career path, while occupational referred to a specific job. In South Africa, five types of institutions delivered vocational training, including six universities of technology. FET colleges numbered 50. Adult education centres (3 000) offered very basic courses, some of which were vocational in nature. Private and public training centres offered a bigger component of practical training, and artisan training was found in those centres. There was a very large private provider system in South Africa which used levies for skills training, but this was very difficult to regulate because of the size of the industry and the types of levies involved.

Programmes available within the Vocational and Educational Training system included higher certificates and advanced certificates, diplomas, and national certificates (vocational and N1-N6). Private providers offered internships, apprenticeships for artisans, and short term skills programmes.

Quality assurance across the education and training system was maintained through the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) which was regulated by the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and comprised three sub-frameworks (pending finalisation): the Council of Higher Education, the Council on General and Further Education Training, and the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO). Each of these bodies were constituted and administered separately.

The funding system for vocational training was composed of conditional grants through National Treasury, institutional fees which were not subsidised, and SETA skills development 1 per cent levy on employers. Applications could also be made through the NSF or NSFAS which included bursaries, loans (which became bursaries or non-repayable loans for students in their final year) and incentive funding support. Extraordinary funding included earmarked capital and recurrent funding which could be tied to a special project and fee-for-service income on a cost recovery basis which would change depending on the service provided.

Historically there had been an absence of professional qualifications for VET educators; however, recent developments at SAQA were an attempt to address this gap. Consequently the quality of teaching and learning in FET colleges was adversely impacted by under-qualified teaching staff, many of whom lacked baseline theoretical knowledge. Furthermore, gaps in the workplace experiential knowledge of educators had hindered preparation of students for the real world and led to a poor alignment of practical assessments with workplace demands.

Systemic challenges were structural distortions which caused the university system to be much larger than the vocational college system. This was partly responsible for a mismatch between VET curricula and the labour market and resulted in limited spaces for the intake of vast numbers of post-grade 12 students and insufficient workplaces to attain learning experience. Also there was unclear articulation between the three qualification sub-frameworks. Poor languages and maths and sciences capabilities of learners coming from the basic education system had also created an impediment to the advancement of the VET system.

In the coming years the projected size of the college VET system was expected to increase from a baseline of 500 000 currently to one million learners by 2014, which was an ambitious target. This number would grow to four million by 2030 as outlined in the DHET Green Paper and would see the expansion of the VET system to include Community Education Training Colleges (CETCs).

Discussion
The Chairperson stated that there was a clear need to expand and improve the skill level of lecturers, as well as a need for more workplaces to open up for student apprenticeships. The curriculum also needed to be adjusted to what the economy required and this would help to ensure employment post-graduation.

The Portfolio Committee was responsible for the oversight of 97 institutions and due to this vast landscape it was simply not possible financially to cover and engage with all of these institutions. Four quarterly reports were issued to assess the performance of the Department and educational institutions. Those that the Committee paid particular attention to were the most problematic and thus the Committee liked to see how allocated funds were being spent. Another emerging problem was that many of the country’s most senior lecturers were due for retirement so universities in conjunction with the Department were working together to develop the next generation of lecturers. Currently R7 billion in funding was allocated to poor students to enable them to attend university and other educational facilities.

Ms Burchardt noted that a good vocational education comprising both theoretical and practical components was key to the success of a future career and building up capacity in society. The development of basic education in this respect would ensure a sustainable economy and therefore it was important to have skilled workers.

Mr Schipanski was very happy to have so many joint projects between the two countries and noted the interest expressed by the Portfolio Committee in Germany’s dual education system. However not everything was as perfect as it might look in Germany. It was interesting that South African training programmes were broader and less specialised because it was believed this would lead to more adaptability in the long run. During university visits it was learned South Africa worked in an interdisciplinary way to enable cross sector engagement. Regarding interdisciplinary work, did this also apply to the political system? Was the cooperation between the three sub-councils of SAQA satisfactory or did it need to be enhanced? What challenges did it pose?

The Chairperson wanted a special focus to be made on collaborations between tertiary institutions regarding curricular content and lecturer/student exchange to build increased capacity in South Africa.

Mr Firoz Patel, DDG: Monitoring and Evaluation, DHET responded by saying that SAQA was the apex body, but the reason to break it up into three policy councils was because of so much public contestation about the conflicting role of higher education institutions. Issue of conflict had not gone away but there was now a requirement for collaboration between councils and a need for legislation with a move towards one framework.  South Africa could learn much from Germany in this regard.

Mr Gehring said he would be interested to hear more about South Africa’s organisational model in terms of implementation by both provincial and local government institutions as well as cooperation between spheres of government in South Africa.

The Chairperson responded that in terms of the Constitution each level of government had specific powers and education was a concurrent responsibility of both the national and provincial levels. The national Government would make budget allocations with response to population and the needs of a given province. To conclude his comments, the Chairperson rose to his feet and said that the German delegation’s visit was appreciated profoundly. The two Chairpersons then proceeded to exchange gifts and pose for photographs.

Ms Burchardt concluded her remarks by saying that she would like to make these types of meeting a tradition and encourage further cooperation at all levels of government. She expressed awe at the achievements South Africa had made over the past two decades and said that 18 years ago a transformation had begun, but for the delegates it was only possible to have a glimpse at the huge challenges facing South Africa.  In comparison, the situation in Germany was much easier. The cooperation between Germany and South Africa in the field of science and technology was almost as old as democracy in South Africa itself and it was hoped the relationship would only increase as the years passed.

The meeting was adjourned.