The Department of Higher Education & Training hosted a research colloquium to discuss how to make technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges more appealing to students. The goal of the colloquium was to increase awareness about the current state of TVET and to provide recommendations for enhancing various aspects of the sector. This two-day colloquium brought together participants from 80 different organisations, including TVET colleges, universities, community education and training colleges, private colleges, SETAs, national and provincial government departments, quality councils and qualification bodies, non-government organisations (NGOs)/ non-profit organisations (NPOs), professional bodies, research organisations, businesses, academics, and private individuals. Andrew Patterson, JET Research Specialist, and Zaahedah Vally, JET Researcher, were among the presenters at the colloquium.
The Research Programme comprised multiple research projects, focusing on the following key themes: An overview of the TVET College sector; Responsiveness of TVET Colleges to the world of work; Access and demand for TVET; Evaluation of TVET Colleges; Teaching and learning in TVET Colleges; TVET College lecturer development; Private Colleges; Capacity building, governance and dissemination; and Additional or new research from the contingency funds.
The preliminary findings from most of the projects were presented at the Colloquium which took place on 15-16 November 2023 at the Premier Hotel OR Tambo in Johannesburg.
