INVOLVEMENT OF SECTORAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING AUTHORITIES IN

FET COLLEGES

BRIEFING BY DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING TO THE

PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION & TRAINING

20 July 2010

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Structure of Presentation

• Steps taken by Minister in 2009 – 2010/11 Service level Agreement Framework

• Current activities of SETAs in FET Colleges in NSDSII

• Actions in process to strengthen relationships:– NSDSIII draft framework– COSE– Minister’s Priorities

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1. STEPS TAKEN BY MINISTER IN 2009: 2010/11 SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT FRAMEWORK

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SLA for 2010/11- SETAs were asked to:• Minister’s Statement of 4th November 2009 indicated that:

– “Current mechanisms contained in NSDS II will be emphasised in the Service Level Agreements between the DHET and SETA’s for the 2010 financial year in order to ensure alignment with government’s strategic priorities and to focus on immediate priorities such as:• SETA/FET College partnerships• The provision of opportunities for work based learning to accompany ‐

formal learning in Colleges and Universities of Technology• Skills for rural development and cooperatives• Intensified artisan training”

• This was taken forward in the instructions to SETAs to:– Reference SETA Success Indicators of NSDS II– Extend targets from 2009/10 for one last year– Develop SSP to deliver to new targets including those

indicated by the Minster as priorities4

2. CURRENT ACTIVITIES OF SETAS IN FET COLLEGES IN NSDSII

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• The placing of college learners for experiential learning in workplaces

• The placing of interns in colleges• Capacity building of college lecturers• Accrediting colleges to run approved courses• Funding internships for college students• Supporting the training of artisans through funding• Awarding discretionary grants to colleges• Providing bursaries for college students• Recognising colleges as centres of learning

excellence• Conducting audits to establish the readiness of

colleges to offer approved courses 6

• Not all SETAs have been successful in forming working relationships with colleges. – TETA for example reports that it has not yet entered

into any agreements with any FET. • Of the SETAs that have engaged with colleges,

some have worked with colleges on a variety of projects whilst others have focused only on accreditation. – CHIETA for example, besides accreditation work, also

reports supporting colleges with discretionary grants and being involved in colleges’ artisan development programmes

• An analysis of the reports from SETAs will be distributed

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IMPACT?

• The reports from SETAS need to be assessed for impact and effectiveness.

• This is being taken forward in the SSP and strategic planning process for 2011

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3. ACTIONS IN PROCESS TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS:

i. NSDSIII draft frameworkii. FET Summit processiii. Minister’s PME Priorities

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3. ACTIONS IN PROCESS TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS:

i. NSDSIII draft frameworkii. FET Summit processiii. Minister’s PME Priorities

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NSDSIII Draft Framework

• SETA involvement with colleges under NSDS iii will be strengthened, more systematised and increased through the Pivotal programmes Strategic programmes

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Pivotal Programmes• Pivotal programmes are defined in NSDS III as

“Professional, Vocational, Technical and Academic Learning’ programmes that meet the critical needs for economic growth and social development”

• They combine course work at university, universities of technology and colleges with structured learning at work

• The vehicles through which this combination will be achieved are learnerships, apprenticeships, internships and work-placements.

• This combination needs to be supported by improved:– access to post-school learning institutions– quality of learning programmes– partnerships between employers, post school learning

institutions and SETAs. 12

The Pivotal Grant

• It is proposed :– That employers who provide placements for

workplace learning for a college learner/graduate will be given a grant per learner for the duration of the placement.

– To provide incentive for the development and delivery of programmes of a standard of quality and relevance that will attract the interest of employers, colleges will be granted funds per learner placed.

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The case of artisan training• There are currently four routes to passing trade tests and

qualifying as a an artisan:– Learnerships– Apprenticeships– Recognition of prior learning– Vocational training programmes that include work experience

training.• Success in a trade test is dependent on both Should,

through research, vocational learning followed by regulated work experience training, be established as the most efficient and effective method of artisan training, colleges will again play a major role in artisan production.

• Improved access for artisans in vocational training to work places will be facilitated by college, SETA and employers partnerships.

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Strategic Programmes

• The NSF will provide catalytic grants for the implementation of strategic programmes aligned to the MTSF objectives.

• It is anticipated that some of these programmes will be developed and implemented by SETAs and that the theory component of these SETA developed strategic programmes will be provided by Further Education Training Colleges.

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COSE (Collaboration for Occupational Skills Excellence)

• The project’s aims are to achieve the alignment of the curricula of programmes at college with the work place learning required to enable learners to qualify for occupational assessments and to improve the quality of college programmes including NVC programmes

• SETAs, Colleges and representatives of professional bodies will form and comprise working groups for each occupation. The functions of the working group will amongst others include facilitating the:– development of curriculum for different occupations– review and development of the practical and theoretical

components of the curricula. – evaluating and upgrading of college facilities where and as

needed.

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ACTIVITIES RELATED TO MINISTER’S PRIORITIES ARISING FROM PME STRATEGIES

• Manage the pipeline from institutions to the workplace and workplace to the institutions (articulation)

• Strengthen relationships between SETAs and FET Colleges• Strengthen the relationship between Universities of

Technology (and Comprehensives) and Colleges to deliver certificates and diplomas

• Establish regime for the colleges to deliver post-matric programmes on the OQF and HEQF

• Create system-wide partnerships between colleges and SETAs to assist graduates to get workplace training.

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