TVET Reforms & Employability in South Africa
Aligning TVETs and Employability
On February 16, 2023 the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) of South Africa hosted a workshop for strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training Colleges (TVETs). The event was related to a collaborative partnership with IFC’s Vitae program. Together, the group focused on tracking graduate outcomes and improving employability practices among TVETs in South Africa.
As part of their partnership, the “Skills in South Africa” program launched in 2021, Vitae and DHET conducted a national employability benchmarking assessment. Insights from the study highlighted opportunities to support TVET colleges in effectively preparing students for the labor market. The study’s results highlighted three key areas for intervention:
- Employability data that supports evidence-based decisions at the program level
- Industry engagements leveraging data and increasing access
- Quality career guidance and support
As part of South Africa’s journey towards TVET, DHET launched the first college-driven graduate tracer study with five pilot colleges. The graduate tracer pilot established a sustainable mechanism to track graduate employment and satisfaction at the program level. This system generates quality data to inform decision-making and strengthen industry engagement.
TVET Testimonials:
“I do think that the Department of Higher Education and Training as well as industry stakeholders play a very important role in terms of addressing the needs of our students and addressing the work readiness skills that our students require to go into industry… I’ve found this event to be very insightful. We’ve learned quite a bit in terms of the employability rate of students in South Africa.”
Roxy Roodt
Career Development Centre Manager, Eastcape Midlands College
“We know the constraints of the economic sector, but what this does is that it shows us what interventions we can put in place… increase it to more colleges, but particularly also include our community colleges in the study and the work that is being done.”
Thembisa Futshane
Deputy Director-General Community Education and Training, DHET
Conclusion
The initiative culminated in a 2-day sector roundtable, bringing together regional leaders and representatives from all TVET colleges, DHET leadership, and industry stakeholders. This event reinforced DHET and IFC’s shared commitment to bridging education-to-workforce gaps through evidence-based reforms and strengthened industry collaboration.
EVALUATE THE PRACTICES OF YOUR INSTITUTION WITH OUR BENCHMARKING TOOL AT https://www.vitaeready.org/benchmarking/
