Question NW598 to the Minister of Higher Education and Training

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04 April 2017 - NW598

Profile picture: America, Mr D

America, Mr D to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training

Is his department actively scanning the changing technical and vocational landscape to identify training needs for the future world of work and its impact on the current curricula and/or qualifications offered at our technical and vocational education and training colleges; if so, (a) which official or division is tasked with this, (b) what training needs have been identified since his department was established in 2009 and (c) what changes in curricula have been implemented due to the changing needs?

Reply:

a) Yes, the Department has actively been undertaking an environment scan using empirical methods to ascertain the needs of the labour market through various mechanisms. The Labour Market Intelligence Project (LMIP), located in the Planning, Policy and Strategy Branch of the Department, is one initiative that was set up in partnership with the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), to provide labour market signals to guide education and training in the various institutions under the jurisdiction of the Department. Furthermore, a “List of Occupations in High Demand” was published in Government Gazette No. 37678 on 24 May 2014 by the Department, in which the top 100 high demand occupations were listed. A revised list was published on 19 January 2016 in Government Gazette No. 39604. This list is published every two years.

b) The list referred to above has informed various education and training initiatives in institutions under the Department. With regard to implementation in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, most of the mid-level skills and trade occupations on the list are already on offer in colleges in one form or another, namely through:

  • Report 191 (NATED) programmes N1 - N6, for example trades in the electrical occupations, as well as welder, fitter and turner, boiler maker, carpenter, automotive motor mechanic, are already on offer.
  • National Certificates (Vocational) [NC(V)] programmes which cover 19 vocational fields among which are programmes in mechanical, electrical and civil engineering, mechatronics, finance, transport and logistics, Information Technology (IT) and Computer Science. A Renewable Energies Technologies subject was introduced under the Electrical Engineering and Infrastructure Construction NC(V) programme in January 2015, to meet the requirements for the installation and maintenance of solar and photovoltaic units as part of the skills required to drive energy efficiencies.
  • Learnerships are delivered in partnerships between colleges and Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), as well as through some partnerships between colleges and private sector entities and parastatals. The War-on-Leaks project, for example is supported by identified TVET colleges in producing Water Agents and artisans for this national project.

c) Where it was identified as absolutely necessary, the content of certain Report 191 subjects were revised to replace outdated information, such as policies, legislation and practices that are no longer relevant in the workplace. Given the scale of the Report 191 offerings, the revisions are undertaken on a limited basis as these will gradually be phased out and replaced by the newly registered occupational qualifications developed by the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO). It is important to note that the shift to delivering large-scale occupational qualifications and part qualifications in TVET colleges will require new and significant funding from all sources – the national fiscus, SETAs, the National Skills Fund, and public and private enterprises, among others to be successful.

Certain outdated curricula in the Report 191 programmes are managed through the examinations process, whereby examiners do not examine irrelevant aspects of the curriculum, and lecturers are encouraged to teach students content that is current in workplaces. Even though these are not formally tested in the examinations, they are tested as part of continuous assessments. The subjects that fall into this category are comparatively small. A particular case in point is the N4 Management Communication subject, where the syllabus speaks of telegrams but lecturers do not teach this aspect and instead incorporate current and electronic means of communication. A formal amendment to this syllabus will be undertaken with the QCTO, as the Council is responsible for setting workplace standards in all occupationally directed curricula.

Since the inception of the NC(V) qualifications in 2007, regular revisions were made in response to inputs from employers and colleges, as well as new subjects were introduced based on formal requests and motivations. The most recent of these was the request to introduce a Wholesale and Retail subject, which was introduced in colleges in 2016, as was the RET subject in 2015. Revisions were effected over time across several subjects, such as the inclusion of solar heating in the Plumbing curriculum, and major revisions to the Automotive Repair and Maintenance subject to include the latest technologies and electronics found in newer vehicle models.

COMPILER/CONTACT PERSONS:

EXT:

DIRECTOR – GENERAL

STATUS:

DATE:

QUESTION 598 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED

Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP

MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING

STATUS:

DATE:

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