PSET System Improvement
The NSF's Funding Solutions
PSET System Improvement
Capacity Building of the PSET System
NSF remains an important source of funding to enable linkages between the skills system and other post-schooling subsystems. A number of the strategic goals and objectives related to the post-school education and training (PSET) system cannot be achieved without the enabling funding from the NSF.
NSF, therefore, continues to provide funding for skills development capacity in public education and training institutions. A significant portion of this work is spearheaded by various entities and branches of the DHET and cuts across PSET learnings sectors. This ranges from the Central Application Service for university and TVET college students, to establishing research chairs focussed on the PSET research agenda to inform skills supply and demand, and various initiatives aimed at contributing towards improving the skills shortage of artisans in the country, including the Centres of Specialisation (CoS) Programme and to encourage and support the integration of workplace training with theoretical learning.
Further, NSF co-funds Higher Health towards enabling the provision of health and wellness programmes in PSET communities. Enabled by NSF’s continued funding, Higher Health is implementing the PSET mobile student health, wellness and psycho-social development programmes across 1,800 sites (100 university campuses, 300 TVET campuses and 500 CET campuses) and 52 skills centres in the 44 districts and 8 metros in the country. I am pleased to report this funding support will also target persons with disabilities and the LGBTQ community.
Additionally, if targeted skills needs are to be delivered by the 50 public TVET colleges, there must be effective management and functionality at the 264 campuses. Without a capable and committed leadership and management at campus level, there can be little progress towards the realisation of the TVET colleges’ mandate: to be the vehicle for national economic and social development. It is on this basis the professional development of TVET college managers project was initiated – to build the capacity of TVET campus managers – and funded by NSF over three phases. The project has also enabled a bond of comradery to develop between all campus managers across the country.
In prior years, NSF invested to build the capacity of the universities of Fort Hare, Walter Sisulu and Limpopo to regain the accreditation of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) accounting programme. Through the SAICA programmes at these universities, more students are given access to an undergraduate qualification and subsequent Certificate in Theory of Accounting (CTA).
Skills Research
Research, development and innovation is a strategic lever that is fundamental to the achievement of a skilled nation, attracting investment and achieving shared growth and development. Hence NSF continues to fund research through the National Skills Authority (NSA), the Human Resource Development Council of South Africa (HRDCSA) and DHET Planning Branch.
The DHET, through the Planning, Policy and Strategy Branch, initiated a five-year research programme on TVET. The programme, wholly funded by NSF, commenced in 2019 and runs until 2024.
The Institute for Post-School Studies (IPSS) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) was contracted to undertake the programme. There are over 30 projects under the programme where the UWC had partnered with 11 research organisations to lead on various various research projects intended to build the knowledge base on TVET in South Africa, and to serve as a basis for planning by a range of stakeholders including TVET colleges.
The project has managed to complete and publish the following research reports:
- Understanding the TVET College Sector
- Evaluation of Centres of Specialisation
- Curriculum Relevance and Responsiveness of NCV and NATED Programmes in TVET Colleges
- Analysis of Programme Qualification Mix (PQM) responsiveness to the world of work
- Geographic Information System (GIS) Mapping of TVET Colleges
- TVET Student Satisfaction Survey and Student Sentiment Analysis
- Professionalisation of TVET Lecturers
Visit our Research Repository to access some of the published research
The Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) research programme is a flagship intervention of the DHET to make the post-school education and training (PSET) system more responsive to the need of the labour market.
It is wholly funded by NSF and managed by the DHET Planning Branch in collaboration with the University of Cape Town (UCT).
The LMI research programme is undertaken to identify skills needs across the economy, align skills planning with economic planning, ensure that skills are not a constraint on economic growth and promote the use of labour market intelligence for skills provisioning.
The programme comprises several projects related to the identification of current and future skills needs and shortages, the identification of interventions required to address skills needs and shortages, and the exploration of ideological, philosophical and empirical approaches to understanding the relationship between education and the economy.
More specifically, LMI research is undertaken to:
- support the DHET to move to a more responsive PSET system – demand driven approach to education and training
- identify skills needed in the economy through the production of the list of occupations in high demand, critical skills list and the list of priority occupations
- provide economy-wide evidence about the labour market to SETAs (sector briefs for SETAs)
- provide evidence about skills needs that can be used by all stakeholders (business, labour, government departments and entities, to develop their skills development strategies and plans
- build a community of practice on matters associated with skills planning.
The overarching work will, over a period, involve identifying and measuring the extent of skills imbalances in the labour market. It will continue to conduct research, collect information, track vacancies, analyse findings and inform labour market information users of ‘bottlenecks’ in skills demand and supply in the labour market.
A (non-exhaustive) list of key deliverables and milestones produced is below:
- The Skills Supply and Demand in South Africa Report
- The 2022 Critical Skills List for the Department of Home Affairs Research Report
- The 2020 National List of Occupations in High Demand (OIHD) Research Report
- The 2020 List of Priority Occupations Research Report
- Data Review of the Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) and Annual Training Report (ATR).
Visit our Research Repository to access some of the published research
NSF’s support towards the research community includes commitment towards the South African Research Chairs Initiative which is assisting to attract and retain excellence in research and innovation at South African public universities and towards contributing to the formulation of evidence-based policy and translational research.
Innovation
In the sixth administration of government, the Ministry of Higher Education and Training was integrated with Science and Innovation under a single Ministry. The new Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation holds the potential to open up opportunities in the production of both knowledge and skills. Science and technology can be leveraged to realign, reposition and project the joint capabilities of these two departments and its entities in new ways, and significantly contribute towards South Africa’s innovation system.
The White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation (WP-STI) places responsibility to NSF to directing its skills funding to improving not only the low skills base, but increasing the pool of students accessing university and science-based TVET.
Beyond funding additional students taking digital occupations in universities and TVET colleges, NSF considers proactive/unsolicited proposals that support innovation and creative responses to skills development and the development of a new portfolio on digital technology and innovation.