Question NW3473 to the Deputy President

Reply:

1. The Ministry of Higher Education has advised us of the following successes in addressing Human Resource Development challenges which South Africa is faced with, relating to poverty and youth unemployment:

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1.1 Regarding University Education

• Two new Universities have been established in the Northern Cape (Sol Plaatjie University) and Mpumalanga (University of Mpumalanga) to expand access to post school opportunities.

• Additional two Universities are in the process of being establishment (University of Science in Ekurhuleni and University of Crime Detection in Hammanskraal). Preliminary work on the location including the assessment of the demand and supply-side mapping for each University has been undertaken.

• Preliminary enrolment data for the 2021 academic year shows 1 047 758 students have been enrolled, 29 percent of enrolments during 2020 were in Science, Engineering and Technology.

• Eight (8) of the ten (10) accredited Universities to offer TVET related programmes to improve the qualifications of teachers at TVET colleges have since commenced with offering TVET programmes.

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1.2 Regarding Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)

• Through the recommendations of the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC), measures were put in place to reposition TVET as an important skills development sector to incrementally produce the required numbers of artisans.

• According to the Department of Higher Education, TVET sector has expanded, and enrolments amongst the youth has been recorded as follows:

• Student enrolments in TVET colleges have reached 452 277 in 2020 and targeted to increase;
• Eight (8) of the 13 new TVET college campuses have reached 100% completion (Msinga, Umzimkhulu, Nongoma, Aliwal North, Ngqungqushe, Graaf Reinet, Thabazimbi & Nkandla A). The remaining sites are 68-99% complete;

• Thirty four (34) Centres of Specialisation have been established at TVET colleges focusing on 13 critical trades required for the economy;

• 6 779 TVET graduates have been placed with industry and across government departments;

• Seventeen (17) Entrepreneurial hubs have been established in 17 public TVET Colleges across the country;

• Three (3) Water and Climate Smart Agriculture Greenhouses have been established in TVET Colleges.

1.3 Regarding Community Education and Training Colleges (CET)

• According to the Ministry of Higher Education, the Community Education and Training institutional landscape has been reconfigured and rationalised from 3 279 community learning centres to 1791 learning sites (200 Community learning centres and 1691 satellite centres) in the interest of quality, access and available budget.
• Nine (9) CET colleges have since been established and are functional.

• All nine (9) Colleges have functional councils appointed in terms of the Continuing Education and Training Act, Act No 16 of 2006. Their term of office will end in October 2025.

• Programme offering at CET colleges has been improved to include entrepreneurship and Digital programmes. A register of programmes approved by the Director-General is issued on an annual basis.

• The Department of Higher Education hosted the first ever CET summit in March 2022 to position the CET sector to move into mass skills provision. R200 million has been made available through the National Skills Fund to assist colleges in this regard.

1.4 Interventions by the National Skills Fund (NSF)

• According to the Ministry of Higher Education, the National Skills Fund has since 2018, disbursed a total of R7.97 billion to a variety of skills development programmes benefiting 407 495 individuals. Targeted areas included the following categories:
  • Agricultural and rural skills development;
  • Information technology;
  • Promotion of small, medium and micro enterprises;
  • Worker education;
  • Capacity development in the PSET sector;
  • Scholarships and bursaries (domestic and international);
  • Research efforts;
  • TVET infrastructure building;
  • Funding NSFAS shortfall;
  • People living with disabilities have also been funded by the NSF.

1.5 Artisan Development and Workplace Based Learning Opportunities

• One of the major successes of HRDC is the Artisan Development. Through the recommendations of the Council, measures were put in place to reposition TVET as an important skills development sector to incrementally produce the required numbers of artisans. This was made possible by mobilising government to make funding available to improve access.

• The HRDC established a Technical Task Team on Artisan Development which has assisted in ramping up the artisan development.

2. The following are key challenges in Human Resource Development as identified by the Ministry of Higher Education in addressing critical issues of poverty and youth unemployment:

2.1 One of the major challenges is the poor performance, and declining economy. This has had far reaching implications in opening up workplaces by the industry for workplace based learning opportunities. This has led to a decline in employment, especially among the youth. Government recognises the critical importance of capable human resources as a key driver of economic development. In an endeavour to mitigate the impact of the pandemic and the looming socio-economic ‘crisis’, government adopted an Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan with a view to address the challenge of the declining economy and youth unemployment, amongst others.

2.2 The outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic has worsened an already vulnerable economy, and it’s devastating effect has further deepened the crisis, largely affecting youth, in both relative and absolute terms.

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