COVER STORY BY FIONA WAKELIN AND SINAZO MKOKO
Dr Levy Baloyi, the Principal of Mopani TVET College and a beacon of hope for his community
T
here’s a fundamental need to build a strong foundation for Technical and Vocational Education in South Africa, and this needs to start from the primary school level. The country needs to eradicate the myth that the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges are meant for those who aren’t smart enough for a university education, people who can’t think or come up with innovative solutions to the country’s economic problems, this should start with correctly structured career guidance. These were views expressed by Dr Levy Baloyi who is the Principal of Mopani TVET College in Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality within Mopani District, Limpopo Province. An engineering lecturer by profession, with Technical and Vocational Education, Dr Baloyi is responsible for the multitudes of eager students who enrol at Mopani TVET College every year. The TVET college prides itself by offering a mixture of programmes in both Engineering and Business studies, which directly relates to the South African needs for producing a competent and skilled workforce in various trades. This institution focuses mainly on the Ministerial Programmes (Business and Engineering fields), and occupational programmes that address the dire need for skilled artisans, IT technicians, and professionals in the tourism
16 | Public Sector Leaders | July 2022
