SACPO PRESENTATION ON WORK INTEGRATED LEARNING WORKSHOP 19 MARCH 2015

INTRODUCTION There is general consensus that certain types of work produce benefits for students such as job readiness skills and knowledge. In the 21 century there is a focus on integration of life, learning and work through programs that enable learners to be active participants in the economy and responsible citizens. For life long learning to be effective learners must be supported through co- ordinated institutional mechanisms to develop required competencies for the world of work and entrepreneurship. Such support mechanisms find expression in some government announcements and policies for student support eg. SSS Framework, Government Lead SETA initiative and Career Development initiatives

WHAT IS WORK INTEGRATED LEARNING Work Integrated Learning (WIL ) refers to types of student employment experiences that are organized by colleges, related to their field of study and geared towards making connections between classroom learning and on the job experiences. This could be in a form of : Research Community Service Professional work Placement Field work etc

STUDENT OPTIONS AFTER COURSE COMPLETION TVET College Studies Start own business INTERNSHIP (During after Course Work) Employment Work Integrated Learning should assist learners to gain employment or to start their own business For this to happen the college must have strong Student Services Support that will be able to provide career development services link students with industry for relevant experience and placement.

STUDENT SERVICESPPORT FRAMEWORK Source: Student Services Support Manual

PRE-ENTRY SUPPORT ON COURSE SUPPORT Building a system for academic support Academic support in the classroom Providing work experience (WiL) Preparing students for work, entrepreneurship or further study. Job placement Graduate tracking EXIT SUPPORT

COLLABORATION BETWEEN SETAS AND TVETS In April 2012 the Minister announced that DHET would require of SETAs to open offices in 50 TVET Colleges Within the context of SSS manual SETAs would assist with On Course and Exit Support SACPO conducted an investigation into the collaboration between TVET colleges and SETAS within the context of Lead SETA initiative

FINDINGS OF SACPO RESEARCH Colleges have different mechanisms for building relations with the world of work. SETAs used different mechanism to give effect to Lead SETA implementation Lead SETA initiative comes as an artificial structure overlaid on top of college structures Reports show that colleges are by no means optimally successful in buiding relations with the world of work SETAs are adamant that they are not in a position to take over student support function as their main business is with their own employers and not with colleges It is colleges programme qualification mix that is the main lynchpin to TVET college SETA relations

RECOMMENDATIONS OF SACPO RESEARCH DHET should consider creating two senior level posts in each college to specialise in building relations with the world of work. DHET should consider requiring each SETA to create a senior level post at national level, dedicated to supporting colleges to build relations to the world of work. DHET should ensure that a future process for SETA/ TVET collaboration is clearly mapped out and that structures and finances are in place to make this a reality. Implementation of those recommendations would make available a network of specialists in TVET colleges, SETAS and DHET that would facilitate communication between stakeholders to satisfy needs of industry and government. This network could facilitate the necessary process for labour market to signal to colleges which changes and improvements should be made to current programmes and which new programmes should be created to meet needs of industry, especially where work placement opportunities have to be sought or created.

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TVETS CAREER DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION Future efforts to drive the integration of workplace skills and entrepreneurship education into TVET Colleges should communicate a more positive message about the need for and role of career development and entrepreneurship education. The message should emphasise the production of productive citizens who possess the requisite life skills and attributes to contribute meaningfully to economic development and wealth creation whether as employees or entrepreneurs. CURRICULUM The curriculum urgently needs to be reviewed to be relevant to current workplace and economic realities. Career Development Services and Entrepreneurship should be extended to all College students regardless of course of study. In the case of engineering studies, consideration should be given to extending the studies by a further trimester focused on entrepreneurship education.

STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE AND TEACHING MATERIAL The course material should be revised to place less emphasis on high-level knowledge of business theory but instead focus on giving students practical guidance on how to start a business. Alternatively, students could be introduced to entrepreneurship during N4 and N5 and required to undertake a practical project, which should preferably involve starting and running a real small-scale business, during N6. This would mean the discontinuation of the expanding a business component of the teaching material and replacement thereof with a practical, hands-on business start-up programme such as the well-established Dynamic Business Start-up Programme or ILO’s SYB (Start Your Business). OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TVETS

STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE AND TEACHING MATERIAL Recommendation Illustrated):

DEDICATED INTERNAL CHAMPION (WITHIN THE COLLEGE) Entrepreneurship development within a College should be driven by the Principal and clearly spelt out as a priority focus in the institution’s strategic plan. An implementation champion should be clearly identified and appropriately resourced to drive the institution’s efforts in this field. To ensure institution-wide buy in and focus on entrepreneurship development, it might be useful to place this institutional champion in an office with cross-cutting responsibilities rather than one based within a particular academic department. OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TVETS

PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH AND ASSESSMENT Pedagogical approaches need to be reviewed to incorporate a strong practical component and use of a variety of teaching and assessment methods such as case studies, computer-based simulations, invitation to entrepreneurs and businesspeople to address students. LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL LINKAGES Establish a national forum for those involved in career development and entrepreneurship education within TVET Colleges. Encourage and support local Colleges to establish links with their counterparts in other parts of the world that are known to have effective career development and entrepreneurship education and development programmes. OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TVETS

TVET COLLEGES Change pedagogical approach – incorporate a variety of practical teaching methods and practical business start-up training Place students within businesses throughout their learning process BUSINESS Business start-up Place business organisations at the heart of the placement relationship Provide business start-up support SETAs and NSF provide funding support OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TVETS