The South African government has spent more than R2 billion to develop or renovate 16 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges for those who do not qualify for university.
Colleges and universities offer employment opportunities by private companies, government initiatives and NGOs. There are 50 colleges with more than 200 campuses in South Africa, each with its own focus and specialization.
Speaking at the National Assembly on preparations for the 2023 academic year last week, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Blade Nzimande said the department has implemented a new strategy for School Education and Training (PSET).
“Each academic year should be approached as a milestone in achieving our goal of increasing access and success in our PSET system. Our department has invested over R2.880 billion in the development and renovation of 16 new TVET campuses which will allow for the expansion of the TVET system over the long term medium,” said Nzimande.
He said that by December 2022, the department has secured 10 616 placements for TVET students with employers in the public and private sectors and NGOs, with the support of the Education and Training Sector (Seta).
“Setas we combined, placed 44 619 unemployed to learnerships, of which over 34 710 young people under the age of 35 years, and over 25 550 were women, at a cost of about R1 billion,” Nzimande said.
Private company
Mining company Anglo American recently graduated 35 young graduates through its Information and Communication Technology (ICT) learning program.
The 12-month Seta-accredited students are managed by local development specialist, Summit, with each student receiving a monthly stipend, work equipment, data and an employee mentor from Anglo American.
About 40% of students’ time is spent on practical training and learning subjects such as e-commerce, graphic design, UI/UX and cloud computing.
From this first group of graduates, 11 have been employed full-time by the non-profit organization, Edunova, 10 will pursue NQF5 coding studies and 14 will enroll in higher education bachelor’s programs.
Zaheera Soomar, Anglo American’s global leader for education and community skills, said: “Through this partnership, opportunities and pathways are created for our community, especially to access quality education, technology and digital skills. As the program rises for more young people, I looking forward to seeing the impact it will have on them, their families, and their communities.
Anglo American said in a statement that the study program was established after the success of the Google Sprint, which took place over six months in 2021.
The sprint saw more than 150 Year 12 students from schools around Anglo American’s mining operations complete courses in IT support, UX/UI design, project management and data analytics.
This year the program will increase its intake to 120 students in locations close to Anglo American’s operations in Limpopo, the North West and the Northern Cape.
Tshegofatso Mosiapoa, one of the graduates, said on the first day of his studies he did not know how to use a computer and programs such as Microsoft Word, as he had never used a laptop.
“One year later, I am an ICT graduate with my own small business, helping people in my community open, install and update software and teach them how to use Microsoft. Studying has given me the skills to earn an income for myself. I am excited to improve my skills by studying courses The development of the NQF 5 System as well,” said Mosiapoa.
Youth Workforce Services
Another option is the Youth Employment Service (YES), which is a network that offers free access to matriculation to study and gain opportunities.
YES is supported by the president, the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator as part of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention.
A business-led collaboration, the 12-month YES program offers unemployed young people practical work skills and experience.
Working with many companies, people are placed in business.
Noxolo Makhothi said he was placed with an insurance company, Telesure, by the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator and Harambee’s job readiness program prepared him for the corporate world.
“Arriving at Telesure Investment Holdings, we were trained on the products offered by the company. We were shown how the call center system is operated. As part of the program we were helped to obtain certificates such as business class and RE5 qualifications,” said Makhothi.