It is widely accepted that good-quality TVET is crucial to enhancing a country’s economic productivity and growth.

SSACI believes that there is ample common ground between business and government on which to establish a mutually satisfactory TVET system in South Africa.

Though the state is - and for the foreseeable future will likely remain - the primary custodian of SA’s national TVET system, the two most important resources for achieving quality in any TVET system – namely, opportunities for work-based learning and availability of skilled practitioners to train others – are in the hands of employers and therefore largely of the private sector. Both these resources need to be mobilised on a far greater scale than has hitherto been the case. SSACI would like to help that happen.

TVET is a developmental ‘sweet spot’ where a few focused interventions by the private sector could produce significant results, because the colleges:
•    are currently the DHET’s top priority
•    are set to become the largest component in the national skills training system, with enrolment increasing from about 700’000 today to 2’500’000 by 2030
•    focus on scarce intermediate-level skills (i..e. artisans, trade workers, associate professionals and skilled personnel)
•    are the major provider of skilled young Africans (over 80% of their enrolment)
•    allow companies to ‘cherry-pick’ students as future employees
•    are open to partnerships that will give participating companies influence over their curricula, thereby ensuring a future supply of relevant skills