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In January 2012, the Green Paper on Post-School Education and Training was released for public comment. It received a great deal of attention from stakeholders in the post-school system. This White Paper seeks to set out a vision for the type of post-school education and training system we aim to achieve by 2030. It has been developed after consideration of the nearly 200 responses to the Green Paper received from educational institutions, Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), employer groupings, trade unions, other organisations and individuals, as well as further reflection within the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) on the challenges facing the sector. The post-school system is understood as comprising all education and training provision for those who have completed school, those who did not complete their schooling, and those who never attended school. It consists of the following institutions, which fall under the purview of the DHET:

• 23 public universities (with two more being established in 2014);
• 50 public technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges (formerly known as further education and training [FET] colleges);
• public adult learning centres (soon to be absorbed into the new community colleges);
• private post-school institutions (registered private FET colleges and private higher education institutions, also to be renamed TVET colleges);
• the SETAs and the National Skills Fund (NSF);
• regulatory bodies responsible for qualifications and quality assurance in the post-school system – the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) and the Quality Councils.

In addition, a number of state-owned post-school institutions exist under the authority of several other national government departments, mainly (but not exclusively) training public service workers. Furthermore, some institutions are operated by provincial governments and municipalities to train their own personnel. The DHET – through the Quality Councils – is responsible for assuring the quality of provision in these colleges and for ensuring that the qualifications that they offer are registered.

The White Paper sets out strategies to improve the capacity of the post-school education and training system to meet South Africa’s needs. It outlines policy directions to guide the DHET and the institutions for which it is responsible in order to contribute to building a developmental state with a vibrant democracy and a flourishing economy. Its main policy objectives are: 

• a post-school system that can assist in building a fair, equitable, non-racial, non-sexist and democratic South Africa;
• a single, coordinated post-school education and training system;
• expanded access, improved quality and increased diversity of provision;
• a stronger and more cooperative relationship between education and training institutions and the workplace; 
• a post-school education and training system that is responsive to the needs of individual citizens, employers in both public and private sectors, as well as broader societal and developmental objectives.

Focus Areas

National Plan for Post-School Education and Training (NPPSET)

Minister Blade Nzimande: Launch of White Paper for Post School Education and Training

Speech by the minister of higher education and training education, mp,  dr be nzimande at the launch of the white paper for post school education and training, pretoria, unisa.

Vice-Chancellor of Unisa, Prof.  Mandla Makhanya Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Mr. Mduduzi Manana Our Host: Chair of Council: Dr Matthew Phosa & His VC Prof. Makhanya Director General of the Department, Mr. Gwebs Qonde Vice-Chancellors of our Universities Principals of Technical and Vocational Education Training ( TVET) colleges Academics Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) Chairs and CEOs Quality Councils Mr Godwin Khoza our respondent and the white paper team Higher education fraternity Business community Unions Students Task Team Chairs: Ministerial Projects Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) officials Members of the media Ladies and Gentlemen

Good Morning

20  years  ago,  we,  the  democratically elected  government led  by  the African National Congress, set on a new path, not only to dislodge and destroy the structures of the apartheid regime, but to embark on the tasks of building a new and better South Africa. We inherited a divided education system, one for white South Africans, well subsidized and supported, and the other for blacks, Bantu Education, under-resourced and intellectually inferior. We sought to mobilise our people to implement policies aimed  at  building  a  new  education  system whose key objective has been to meet the needs of a new democratic society. Our policy interventions have thus been aimed at transforming the country’s education system to overcome the legacy of apartheid and colonialism, as part of confronting racial, gender, class and other forms of inequality.

We have recorded outstanding achievements in the field of education. We have changed and built new education structures from what used to be the bantustans and their educational institutions to be in line with the objectives of building a more egalitarian society; we have reconfigured and aligned different and divergent universities  and  technikons  to  serve  all South Africans irrespective of background and social status; we have expanded enrolments at our universities and colleges for the historically marginalised sections of our society, in particular blacks and women. Today women and blacks constitute more than 60% of the overall student enrolments at South African universities. The growing black middle class, , amongst other things, owes its success to the educational opportunities provided by our government. Some of the new black professional and middle classes were from poor families and from within the ranks of the working class. We need to be proud of all these achievements as the country celebrates 20 years of democracy. This year’s 78.2% matric pass rate, no mean feat, is another milestone and demonstrates the ANC’s seriousness about improving education in our country. Surely we are creating hope amongst the majority of the people of our country, as well as demonstrating our absolute determination to tackle the triple scourge of unemployment, inequality and poverty.

In spite of these successes, much still needs to be done to rid ourselves of the legacy of apartheid, particularly in education.  Deep-seated inequalities are rooted in our past and it is not by accident that today the disparities of wealth, educational access and attainment, health status and access to opportunities that exist are still largely based on race and gender. This is largely the apartheid aftermath. Most black people remain poor and continue to be served by lower-quality educational institutions which often still bear the marks of Bantu Education. This unevenness is very concerning.

We have made these advances in the context of resistance from sections of our population, some of which still remains strong. For instance, some of the resistance to  legislative measures aimed at the transformation of our university sector and the SETA system are both ideological and political and, in some cases, aimed at defending past privileges and particular modes of accumulations for sections of our population.

Though we have made substantial progress in a number of areas, patriarchy, amongst other things, remains a reality that threatens to undermine the gains we have made to transform the conditions of women and girls for the better. In addition, South Africa still has a post-school education and training system which does not offer sufficient places to the many youth and adults seeking education and training. Expansion is needed, in terms of numbers of available places, and in the types of education and training available. Sadly, over 3.4 million of the country’s young people between the ages of 15 and 24 are not in employment, education or training and a strategy is required to pull them out of the doldrums of poverty and misery.

Education has long been recognised as a route out of poverty and a way of promoting equal opportunities. The achievement of greater social justice is closely dependent on equitable access by all sections of the population to quality education. Just as importantly, widespread and good quality education and training could allow more rapid economic, social and cultural development for society as a whole. Without education, economic growth is not possible. The results of inadequate education often include unemployment, social upheaval, instability and above all poverty. This is why education and, in the case of South Africa, educational transformation remains a top priority for the ANC.

To confront our developmental challenges, South Africa needs a single,  coherent, differentiated, highly articulated and yet diverse and non-racial post-school education and training system, with all sectors playing their role as part of a coherent but differentiated whole. This is what the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), and indeed government as a whole, proposes in this White Paper for Post-School Education and Training that we are launching today, building on the advances of the past twenty years. The development of integrated, fully articulated and seamless  post  school  education  has  been made easier by the establishment of the DHET in 2009.

To date our system comprises of Further Education and Training colleges (to be renamed Technical and Vocational Education and Training colleges), universities, the National Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and the levy grant institutions, that is the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), the National Skills Fund (NSF) and the draft Human Resource Development Strategy for South Africa. Through this White Paper for Post-School Education, we are firmly set on creating a diverse, integrated post school system that will absorb into education and training many of our youth and adults who could not access them in the past, so that they can participate meaningfully in the country’s economy. The councils dealing with quality, Umalusi, the Council on Higher Education, the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations and the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) will help us build this viable post school sector.

The aim of this White Paper is to create a framework that defines  DHET’s  focus  and priorities and that enables it to shape its strategies and plans for the future. It is a definitive statement of the government’s vision for the post-school system, outlining our main priorities and our strategies for achieving them. This White Paper is a motor with which to drive and deepen transformation of the entire post-schooling sector, improving the capacity of the post- school education and training system to meet the needs of the country. It aims to set out policies to guide the DHET and the institutions for which it is responsible in  order  to contribute to building a developmental state with a vibrant democracy and a flourishing economy.

This White Paper will empower us as we strive to build a post-school education and training system that is able to contribute to eradicating the legacy of apartheid. It will assist us to build a non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous South Africa characterised by progressive narrowing of the gap between the rich and the poor. Access to quality post-school education is a major driver in fighting poverty and inequality in our society. This post-school system will be responsive to the needs of individual citizens and employers in the public and private sectors, as well as serving broader developmental objectives.

Above all, the  White Paper for Post School Education is in line with the country’s key national policy documents including the National Development Plan, the New Growth Path, the Industrial Policy Action Plan and the Human Resource Development Strategy for South Africa.  Behind  it  is  the  determination  to  produce  sophisticated,  socially  and  politically conscious citizens and above all to expand further opportunities for the poor, not to patronise them, but rather to give them the intellectual tools and skills for them to control their own destinies.

Contrary to claims by some of our detractors that this government doesn't care, doesn't listen and doesn't consult, this White Paper is a product of thousands of hours of consultations, months of intense debates and discussions and hundreds of thousands of pages of commentary from our people,  especially those South Africans who have sought  to constructively engage with our democratic government, albeit critically. This paper has benefitted enormously from these engagements.

There are many positive, practical aspects of this White Paper for Post-School Education.

Part of the process of ensuring that TVET colleges become quality educational institutions will involve setting a benchmark of optimal functionality to determine the intervention needed in each institution. A turnaround strategy has been developed for the period 2012-2015 and will be extended accordingly. By 2030 the goal is to have head-count enrolments of 1.6 million in the public universities, 2.5 million in TVET colleges and 1.0. million in the community colleges.

The quality of education in colleges will be monitored on an on-going basis. The Quality Councils will assure the quality of assessments, and the New South African Institute for Vocational and Continuing Education and  Training  (SAIVCET)  will fulfill a developmental, monitoring and evaluation role. Advise the Minister on policy for the recognition of prior learning as it affects TVET and  community  colleges, promote dialogue, coordination and linkages between TVET and community colleges, and between these institutions and universities, SETAs, employers and workers, in order to enhance coherence and articulation and upgrade the technical knowledge and pedagogical skills of existing staff in TVET and community colleges as well  as promote professionalism of lecturers, instructors and other expert staff. By 2030 there will be at least one institution offering TVET programmes in every district in the country. Some of these programmes may not be in TVET colleges, but  could  be offered in community colleges, or other suitable institutions.  

• One of the challenges for post- school system is to substantially expand access to education and training over the next twenty years. This is essential not only to take into account the needs of the youth who complete school but also for those who happen not to have completed schooling. The post school education system should be expanded in such a way that the needs of older people are also catered for. This includes those who did not have the opportunity to attend school but in need  of education and training opportunities for them to live productive lives as both workers and citizens. This is where community colleges come in- to offer skills to the marginalised that have the potential to make a difference in the economy and the society at large, if empowered with education and skills.  
• Through the White Paper we seek to improve alignment between universities, Technical and Vocational Colleges and Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) in an effort to improve student and learner mobility across these sectors. The Post-School Sector will also be a system that recognises that the right to access to an educational institution is not enough, and that institutions must provide education of a high quality. The system envisaged must provide paths for articulation between various qualifications: there should be no dead-ends for students; there should always be a way for someone to improve their qualifications without undue repetition and hindrances.  
• Our post-school system will prioritize funding of the marginalised, enabling them to access post-school institutions and fulfil dreams of careers thought to be unrealisable.  
• The DHET will ensure a large expansion of post-graduate studies to ensure the expansion of the academic profession and the development of high level knowledge and skills.  
• Through this White Paper, we will ensure that South Africa becomes a country with a deeply rooted research culture. We want outstanding researchers capable of producing ground-breaking work. This is where universities, regarded as centres of knowledge production, are crucial.  
• It will ensure that citizens have full access to the country’s educational institutions including the envisaged Community Colleges, emphasising workplace learning, preparing workers for the labour market and economic self-sufficiency. Those already in the workplace will improve their skills through the assistance of the SETAS.  
• DHET will work towards creating a post-school distance education landscape, based on open learning principles, building on the past achievements. This landscape will complement the traditional campus-based provision. It will consist of a network of education providers supported by learning centres and/or connectivity for students. Of paramount importance for this discussion, is the notion that there are rapidly increasing ways of designing educational programmes to meet the needs of learners and the demands of the country. This diversity of provision, based on open learning principles, is seen as a strategic enabler to improving learning opportunities across the post-school education and training sector, and inform the policy directives  which follow. The DHET expects that providers will engage and collaborate in sharing infrastructure, learning resources and staff capacity, to contribute to improved access, quality and cost-effectiveness of provision. This means, inter alia, institutions using their resources for the delivery of programmes of other institutions, using a mix of contact and distance modes. For example, a TVET college or a community college in a rural area could be used for the delivery of evening classes for part-time students of a university who are also studying through distance mode. It could also mean the DHET or groups of institutions establishing multipurpose educational facilities to facilitate mixed-mode arrangements.  
• Despite attempts to integrate disability into the broader policy arena, currently there is no national policy on disability to guide education and training institutions in the post- school domain. The management of disability in post-school education remains fragmented and separate to that of existing transformation and diversity programmes at the institutional level. Individual institutions determine unique ways in which to address disability, and resourcing is allocated within each institution according to their programme. Levels of commitment toward people with disability vary considerably between institutions, as do the resources allocated to  addressing  disability  issues. TVET colleges in particular lack the capacity, or even the policies,  to  cater  for students and staff with disabilities.

Data from 22 of the 23 public universities shows that 5 807students with disabilities were enrolled in higher education institutions in 2011, accounting for only 1 per cent of the total enrolment. The low numbers of people with disabilities in universities and colleges is despite the fact that bursary funding for learners with disabilities is available. A bursary scheme was introduced in 2008 to complement Department of Labour funding provided through the NSF. The DHET’s Disability Funding was, however, underutilised in 2010 and 2011, at levels of only 47 per cent and 55 per cent respectively of available funding. The low uptake of bursaries is a matter of serious concern, given the continued inequities in access. It is most likely related to the fact that many learners with disabilities do not qualify for university education, but research is required to fully understand this problem.

The DHET made available an amount of R130 million, with universities providing an additional R52 million, towards ensuring universal physical access to university infrastructure and facilities. Allocation to each university was based on whether addressing disability was a priority and whether capacity existed. In TVET colleges, there is still no ring-fenced funding to improve the accessibility of buildings, although the Norms and Standards for Funding these colleges do provide for additional funding for learners with special needs. Greater attention will be given to ensuring that the colleges improve their capacity to accommodate and serve students with disabilities.

A strategic policy framework is necessary to guide the improvement of access to and success in post-school education and training (including in private institutions) for people with disabilities. The framework will create an enabling and empowering environment across the system. The framework will set norms and standards for the integration of students and staff with disabilities in all aspects of university or college life, including academic life, culture, sport and accommodation. Through this White Paper policy framework, we will seek to integrate recognition of prior learning (RPL) into the post-school education and training system. Such recognition must not be ad hoc, but must form an integral part of our whole system.

The production of this White Paper is an important milestone in the consolidation of our relatively young democracy. It is an integral part of deepening and advancing a truly democratic order that will be of benefit to the overwhelming majority of our people. for our young democracy - the first model of its kind. It reasserts the very values upon which our democracy is founded.

Let none of us be purveyors, prophets or professors of doom. Let all South Africans and education stakeholders join in to turn this vision and policy framework into a living reality!

On behalf of DHET I would like thank all those who have contributed to the realization of this White Paper  for Post-School  Education and Training. This  includes  Deputy Minister Mduduzi Manana, Director General Gwebs Qonde, and the officials of the Department. This also includes all those stakeholders who made a contribution to developing the Green Paper, those who gave their responses to it and those who contributed to the consultations that took place during the writing of the White Paper. In particular I would like to give a special word of thanks to the team, led by my Special Advisor, John Pampallis, which did the actual research and writing: Stephanie Matseleng Allais, Michele Berger, Nadya Bhagwan, Tsakani Chaka, Paul Kgobe and Kgomotso Ramushu. Special thanks also go to the other researchers who helped to inform and develop the White Paper.

Thank you  

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National Plan for Post-School Education and Training (NPPSET)

The NPPSET includes the goals, strategies and responsibilities for achieving the White Paper's vision of an improved, transformed, expanded, responsive and articulated PSET system.

The document can be accessed here.

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White paper for post-school education and training: building an expanded, effective and integrated post-school system

The aim of this white paper is to set out strategies to: expand the current provision of education and training in South Africa; improve its quality; integrate the different strands of the post-school system; and set out modalities for ways in which employers can participate in the creation of a skilled labour force. The paper was developed after consultation with stakeholders based on the ‘Green paper for post-school education and training’. The contents are: Executive summary; Background and challenges; The college system; Universities; Private education provision; Addressing disability; Ope ...  Show more

The aim of this white paper is to set out strategies to: expand the current provision of education and training in South Africa; improve its quality; integrate the different strands of the post-school system; and set out modalities for ways in which employers can participate in the creation of a skilled labour force. The paper was developed after consultation with stakeholders based on the ‘Green paper for post-school education and training’. The contents are: Executive summary; Background and challenges; The college system; Universities; Private education provision; Addressing disability; Open learning through diverse modes of provision; Linking education and the workplace; The National Qualifications Framework, the Quality Councils and an articulated system; Conclusion. Show less

Corporate authors: South Africa. Department of Higher Education and Training

Published: Pretoria, South Africa, Department of Higher Education and Training, 2014

Resource type: Government report or paper

Physical description: xviii, 76 p.

Related items: TD/TNC 107.1304 ; TD/TNC 118.451

ISBN: 9781770187139

Document number: TD/TNC 116.368

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Subjects: Governance Teaching and learning Higher education Vocational education and training Equity Policy Disability Qualifications Providers of education and training Employment Workforce development

Keywords: Postsecondary education Delivery system Strategic planning Education and training system Education and training reform College Qualifications framework University Open learning Education work relationship Employers

Geographic subjects: South Africa Africa

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• White paper for post-school education and training: Building an expanded, effective and integrated post-school system 9

White paper for post-school education and training: Building an expanded, effective and integrated post-school system

This white paper sets out strategies to improve the capacity of the post-school education and training system to meet South Africa’s needs. It outlines policy directions to guide the Department of Higher Education and Training and the institutions for which it is responsible in order to contribute to building a developmental state with a vibrant democracy and a flourishing economy. Its main policy objectives are: - a post-school system that can assist in building a fair, equitable, non-racial, non-sexist and democratic South Africa; - a single, coordinated post-school education and training system; - expanded access, improved quality and increased diversity of provision; - a stronger and more cooperative relationship between education and training institutions and the workplace; - a post-school education and training system that is responsive to the needs of individual citizens, employers in both public and private sectors, as well as broader societal and developmental objectives.

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A critique of the White Paper for Post-School Education and Training in South Africa

This article was written in order to contribute to the Department of Higher Education and Training`s ( DHET ) third edition of the Research Bulletin on Post-School Education and Training in South Africa published in March 2015. It is based on planned research in the Transport sector.

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The appropriate size and diversity of the Post-School Education and Training (PSET) sector has been the subject of some debate in South Africa. On the one hand, there is the annual scramble for the available spaces at public higher education institutions, suggesting that we do not have enough post-school opportunities available and consequently, that we need more institutions; and on the other hand, we have hundreds of thousands of students who do not make the grade and who are not eligible for entry to public higher education. While some of these students are absorbed by the public college system, many either access private institutions or do not access any further education at all. This study aims to assess education and training opportunities across the public and private sector.

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South Africa has made huge gains in ensuring universal enrolment for children at school and in restructuring and recapitalising the [further education and training] FET college sector. However, some three million young people are not in education, employment or trainingn [NEET] and the country faces serious challenges in providing its youth with the pathways and support they need to transition successfully into a differentiated system of postschool education and training. Across nine evidence-based chapters, 17 authors offer an overview of the different facets of post-school provision in South Africa. These include an analysis of the impact of the national qualifications system on occupational training, the impact of youth unemployment, the capacity of the post-school system to absorb larger numbers of young people, the relationship between universities and FET colleges, the need for more strategic public and private investment in skills development, and a youth perspective on educa...

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This research report is an analysis of the main debates, arguments, and concepts pertaining to the topic of public transport and the experiences of students’ using public transportation in Johannesburg and Berlin. The purpose of a comparative study is to understand the manner in which public transport is experienced in different contexts, whilst the case study method will be used to narrow the subject area of public transport down through using students’ as the analytical lens. A semi-structured questionnaire was conducted on students’ at The University of the Witwatersrand. The questionnaire revealed that public transport in Johannesburg is not efficient, as it does not work to improve the experience and participation of students’ in this city. I argue that due to the paralysing system of apartheid, South Africa has been left with a dysfunctional administration system that lacks the capacity to actualise policy. With the use of the Berlin case study, I further argue that there are ...

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This paper considers the education and training decisions currently being made in the transport industry, especially in Urban Public Transit. It uses Australian data but the issues raised are generally applicable especially in the developed nations. Whilst an increase in formal rather than on the job training is welcomed the method of deciding what training is needed is questioned. In particular attracting and serving customers are important in passenger transport and are frequently identified as vital to the future of Public Transit. If improvements in these area are sought education and training priorities may need adjustment. This is especially relevant for women who are often found in customer service roles in the industry

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This paper explores the extent to which latest developments in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training System in South Africa respond to key principles espoused for a developmental, democratic and inclusionary ideal. The White Paper for post school education and training approved by Cabinet in November, 2013 is referred to by the Minister as the “definitive statement of the governments vision for the post school system” and as such represents a crucial strategy document intended to chart the TVET direction to 2030. Using key theoretical constructs from development theory, this paper provides an assessment of the TVET strategy contained is the paper and explores the extent to which it does respond to the agenda defined by the promise. It is argued that the challenges outlined are not yet able to provide the blueprint for a TVET transformative vision. It is concluded that while the development rhetoric contained in the paper is plausible, the creative tinkering of the syst...

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International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training

This paper explores the extent to which latest developments in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training System in South Africa respond to key principles espoused for a developmental, democratic and inclusionary ideal. The White Paper for post school education and training approved by Cabinet in November, 2013 is referred to by the Minister as the "definitive statement of the governments vision for the post school system" and as such represents a crucial strategy document intended to chart the TVET direction to 2030. Using key theoretical constructs from development theory, this paper provides an assessment of the TVET strategy contained is the paper and explores the extent to which it does respond to the agenda defined by the promise. It is argued that the challenges outlined are not yet able to provide the blueprint for a TVET transformative vision. It is concluded that while the development rhetoric contained in the paper is plausible, the creative tinkering o...

Volker Wedekind

Since the advent of democracy in 1994, South Africa has prioritized education and training with three broad social goals: redress of past injustice; developing skills for an industrializing economy; and enhancing democratic practices. Almost 20 years later, South Africa’s education system is poorly regarded by the public and often referred to as being in crisis. The inequalities of the colonial and apartheid periods have not lessened, the education system does not deliver the skills required by the economy, and there is little evidence to suggest that the system has deepened democratic values and practices. This paper tracks the various policy moves that South Africa has made, including the processes of borrowing, and proceeds to discuss the ways in which the reforms have failed to address the social goals that they were intended to address. Finally, alternative ways of addressing the crisis in education are discussed, and possible areas of alignment with BRICS countries are explored.

White paper for post-school education and training (Oct 2015)

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The aim of this White Paper by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) is to outline a framework that defines the Department's focus and priorities, and that enables it to shape its strategies and plans for the future.

Following the adoption of the White Paper by Cabinet, and based on the framework that it provides, the DHET will elaborate a concrete development plan for the period up to 2030. This White Paper is an important document in the development of the higher education and training system.

It is a definitive statement of the government's vision for the post-school system, outlining the main priorities and strategies for achieving them. It is a vision for an integrated system of post-school education and training, with all institutions playing their role as parts of a coherent but differentiated whole.

These institutions include the colleges and universities whose main purpose is the direct provision of education and training and, in the case of universities, the conduct of research. They also include institutions that support the education and training process, such as the Sector Education and Training Authorities, the National Skills Fund and the advisory, regulatory and quality assurance bodies such as the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) and the Quality Councils.

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What is Post School Education and Training?

What happens to the masses of students exiting the school system each year? This has become a major point of contention for government and higher education authorities.

The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) aims to increase access to what is known as 'Post School Education and Training' (PSET) opportunities, for successful matriculants as well as for those who have not achieved their grade 12 certificate.

What is PSET?

Post School Education and Training refers to all learning and teaching that happens after school. This includes private, public, formal and informal training.

Universities, TVET colleges, private institutions, apprenticeship programmes, and in-service training all form part of and contribute to the PSET sector.

According to John Arnesen post-school system advisor for Chartall Business College the PSET landscape in South Africa currently consists of:

• 26 Public universities
• 94 CHE accredited private higher education providers
• 100 private providers
• 31 Provisionally accredited private higher education providers
• 50 TVET colleges
• Various speciality public colleges estimated at less than fifty
• 21 Sector Education and Training Authorities
• Approximately 4000 small providers serving SETA skills development needs
• Regulatory bodies responsible for qualifications and quality assurance in the post-school system – the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) and the Quality Councils.
• Public adult learning centres
• The National Skills Fund

The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Blade Nzimande “is responsible for all post school education and training. This includes both public and private providers at ‘college’ and ‘university’ level” , says Arnesen.

What is the aim of PSET?

The DHET budget feeds into the post-school system through universities, NSFAS, TVET colleges, community colleges and SETA levies to develop skilled graduates. The aim is to create a workforce that has the right skills and training to meet the needs of business and the broader economy.

As a result the DHET has made special provision for students who wish to pursue a career in the trades in order to meet the demand for skilled worers in the engineering and artisan sector. The department has also highlighted other fields and sectors that are experiencing skills shortages.

To improve the PSET sector and promote discussion on the way forward government released a Green Paper in 2012 for public comment. The proposal focused on developing a vision that would integrate formal and informal higher education and boost skills development in the country.

The Green Paper received nationwide attention from stakeholders in higher education. The White Paper was later developed from the nearly 200 responses.

According to the Council of Higher Education;

“The White Paper sets out strategies to improve the capacity of the post-school education and training system to meet South Africa’s needs. It outlines policy directions to guide the DHET and the institutions for which it is responsible in order to contribute to building a developmental state with a vibrant democracy and a flourishing economy.”

Its main policy objectives are:

• a post-school system that can assist in building a fair, equitable, non-racial, non-sexist and democratic South Africa;
• a single, coordinated post-school education and training system;
• expanded access, improved quality and increased diversity of provision;
• a stronger and more cooperative relationship between education and training institutions and the workplace;
• a post-school education and training system that is responsive to the needs of individual citizens, employers in both public and private sectors, as well as broader societal and developmental objectives.

By Cindy Payle - Portal Publishing

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Stanford University Postdoctoral Association Co-Chair Samyuktha Suresh and operations manager Joy McKenna discuss challenges and needs of postdoctoral scholars during a presentation to the Faculty Senate. (Image credit: Andrew Brodhead)

Representatives of the Stanford University Postdoctoral Association (SURPAS) underscored the need for training and mentorship for postdoctoral scholars to the Faculty Senate on Thursday.

Separately, in remarks to the senate, President Richard Saller discussed updates announced on Thursday that prohibit overnight displays and camping on White Plaza. Tabling on White Plaza will still be allowed between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. These changes are intended to support both the safety and well-being of the community while maintaining the university’s commitment to peaceful expression of free speech on White Plaza, Saller said.

During a presentation, SURPAS operations manager Joy McKenna emphasized the importance of mentorship to postdocs because of the transitional nature of their work before they go into academic or non-academic careers. SURPAS suggests training for both mentors and mentees, and for postdocs to devote 10 percent of their paid work time, or four hours a week, to professional development, which is based on a recommendation from a National Institutes of Health report.

Stacey Bent , vice provost for graduate education and postdoctoral affairs, said she supported the SURPAS recommendation. “Our postdocs are here for professional training in every realm, not just in the laboratory or in their research,” Bent said. “We have many, many excellent advisors … but it’s variable and some of us could definitely benefit from more training and more understanding of current issues among our postdoctoral fellows.”

Some senators noted the needs of postdocs may vary greatly across the university’s different schools. SURPAS Co-Chair Samyuktha Suresh agreed and said SURPAS plans to conduct a formal study to better understand postdocs’ experiences and needs.

Jane Willenbring , associate professor of Earth and planetary sciences and, by courtesy, of Earth system science, pointed out that some federal grant proposals include a mentoring and professional development plan while others do not, and asked if there may be instances in which institutional funding is needed for training.

James Ferrell, professor of chemical and systems biology and of biochemistry, said that postdocs face unique challenges compared to graduate students and undergraduates, including a more limited support system and greater housing challenges. Suresh acknowledged that these are indeed major concerns among postdocs, but said addressing them will require longer time frames due to their complexity.

Senators also heard memorial resolutions for Jon Kosek and Thomas Rohlen .

Kosek, 90, clinical professor emeritus of pathology, died on Oct. 16, 2020.

Rohlen, a professor emeritus at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and a senior fellow emeritus at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, died March 6, 2022, at age 81.