MAKING LIGHT WORK

TVETs ARE LOSING AT SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande claimed that TVET colleges planned to enrol 497 032 students for ministerial approved programmes with an additional 59 383 enrolment for programmes funded through other sources for the 2023 academic year. This is down from 508 000 registrations for minister-approved courses in 2022, meaning that South Africa is poised to miss its 2.5 million TVET registration by 2030 target.

(merSETA) is responding with a drive to train more than 7 000 learners in solar skills. Skills will be developed across a national network of complementary programmes, such as a R210-million partnership with the Northern Cape provincial government for bursaries and equipment to feed critical skills requirements across high-demand trades.

Intel – the computer chip maker – launched the first of the company’s Digital Readiness programmes at the ORBIT Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College’s Brits campus in 2022.

“Our ambition goes far beyond what can be achieved on Intel silicon,” says Intel Europe, Middle East and Africa general manager Maurits Tichelman about the company’s skills development quest. “But developing human potential can sometimes lead to unforeseen problems, for example, the South African economy currently isn’t big enough to absorb these skills,” he explains.

Cisco is also investing heavily in bridging the skills gap created by the technology revolution.

“When we started Cisco Networking Academy, the focus was on pure network and getting installers and resellers accredited to work with our technology, then we started introducing other courses,” says Cisco managing director for sub-Saharan Africa Hani Raad. “Now we have skilled people coming through, but there is no job for them to walk into, so they start their own thing using their skills.

“Our partnerships with the government and nongovernmental agencies are working well,” Raad says. “Some libraries where we placed networking equipment have become business hubs for small and medium enterprises. Who is going to support them when they move to their own offices? What sort of skills will be needed by these new businesses?”

His words echo Tichelman and point to a larger knowledge gap within South Africa.

SETAs FILLING THE GAP

Skills development is a critical component of South Africa’s landmark Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP), which is seeking to decarbonise our economy over the next 20 years.

“Government is currently sitting down with the relevant SETAs (sector education and training authorities) to address the skills shortages and requirements for the emerging green hydrogen industry,” explains acting director of the South African Institute for Advanced Materials Chemistry green hydrogen programme at the University of the Western Cape) Dr Stanford Chidziva. “We will need to import the skills to train our teachers and lecturers first, and then develop courses for our universities and TVETs.”

The demand for renewable energy sector skills is large, and the manufacturing, engineering and related services SETA

“The merSETA is excited about these partnerships and aims to forge more of this nature and magnitude. It is through these projects, coupled with the invaluable, continuous support from the Department of Higher Education and Training, that we are leaders in closing the skills gap,” said merSETA acting chief executive officer Disa Mpande in a statement.

While the JET-IP and the pivot to renewable energy represent South Africa’s response to the impact of carbon emissions on the environment, the agricultural SETA (AgriSETA) is facing a skills shortage driven by the damage already done to the climate.

In 2018, at the height of the drought in the southern part of the country, the South African agricultural sector declined by 29 per cent, according to StatsSA.

A retrospective study on that drought period by Stellenbosch University Agricultural Sciences found that South African farmers have limited drought and water management skills and poor drought monitoring and early warning systems.

“The challenge was to change the perception of the youth towards agriculture,” explains Nokuthula Sibia, former AgriSETA research, monitoring and evaluation manager. Under her stewardship, AgriSETA laid its framework to respond to the highlighted concerns. Measures included introducing agricultural studies in TVET colleges.

“It’s difficult to convince young people to pursue a vocation or trade when the media tells them to be programmers and engineers,” she says.

Applications for the highly regarded Sasol Foundation bursary programme are open. The opportunity is targeted at underprivileged Grade 12 learners who will commence their tertiary studies in the 2024 academic year and first- or second-year students already studying at universities.

The Sasol Foundation bursary programme aims to support talented individuals in pursuing full-time undergraduate degrees in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, reinforcing the foundation’s commitment to empowering the next generation of South African leaders in these disciplines.

Offering Financial Support And Opportunities

The bursary programme offers comprehensive bursaries to South African citizens who have obtained acceptance or provisional acceptance for studies at a South African public university or university of technology for the 2024 academic year. This initiative aims to provide financial support and create opportunities for aspiring students to excel in STEM disciplines, which are crucial for the country’s future development.