SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Why a new mind-set is needed to back technical and vocational training
The notion that vocational and technical jobs are inferior has led many young people unwilling or unsuited for academic study to frustration, feelings of failure, hopelessness and depression. It has also led to a decline in vocational education and training enrolment. Parents and teachers wrongly perceive vocational education as meant for students who are academically challenged with limited career prospects. To deliver 21st century artisans, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges are undergoing a rapid transformation and grooming a generation of professional artisans acquainted with trade skills and the soft skills required when the fourth industrial revolution arrives. The colleges produce critical thinkers, problem solvers and design thinkers. SA needs a strong technical skills base to grow the economy, and to combine this with entrepreneurial development as existing businesses cannot absorb skills without reaching breaking point. A successful vocational ...
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