TVET colleges are central to addressing skills gaps

Stronger TVET colleges  will improve the provision of technical qualifications.

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges are a high priority for government because they play a critical role in addressing the current skills gaps in South Africa. 

That is according to Higher Education and Training Minister Naledi Pandor who was speaking at the official opening of Capricorn College for TVET’s Central Office in Polokwane in Limpopo.

The college opened its Central Office in the city  to ensure the smooth running of its four campuses based in Polokwane, Seshego, Senwabarwana and Ramokgopa. These institutions provide tertiary education to about 18 000 students.

Minister Pandor said stronger colleges will expand the provision of mid-level technical and occupational qualifications that will lead directly into paid work for the growing numbers of young people leaving the schooling system.

“Government wants more young people to attain skills and competencies that will help them find jobs or create their own enterprises,” she said.

She said colleges are able to establish links with industry so they can increase employment prospects of students.

The Acting Principal of the college Amos Thema told Vuk’uzenzele that it was necessary for the college to have a central office so that it can continue to provide education to students without unnecessary hindrances.

“When the college opened its doors in 2003 we only had about 7000 students but now we have grown in leaps and bounds and it had become difficult to run the college without having a central office,” he said.

Although each campus had its own administrative block, Thema said core administration work is done at the central office, and that the office was needed to accommodate about 100 staff members who could no longer be accommodated on campuses due to limited space.

The newly revamped state-of-the-art six-story building consists of about 64 offices, parking, three boardrooms, two staffrooms, two chambers, three store-rooms and a wellness room.