The Community Engagement Unit at CUT held a seminar on post-school white paper 2013 with deans of faculties, subject experts and relevant stakeholders to come up with the best ways and means of interacting and building synergy between the university and FET/TVET colleges to establish a more cohesive working relationship that will bear fruits and benefit the youth and its communities. 

The post-school system comprises of all education and training provision for those who have, and have not completed their schooling and those who never attended school. The White Paper sets out strategies to improve the capacity of the post-school education and training system to meet South Africa’s needs. Mr Ivor Baatjies, a subject expert and a Director at Centre for Integrated Post-School Education and Training, (CIPSET) at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), shared their tried and tested methodologies that already exist at NMMU. The Centre for Integrated Post School Education and Training (CIPSET) contributes to deepening and expanding NMMU’s role in the Post-School Education and Training (PSET). The Centre has also developed and implemented a five-year research agenda that focuses on civic engagements, supporting vocational and career education and building adult and community education and other Post School Education and Training projects that are relevant  to address the issues of unemployment, inequality and poverty. “We need to know what our communities are doing so that we can apply our skills and expertise to advise, support and polish their existing knowledge. 

At NMMU, we look at their capabilities, as we are aware that our communities are pockets with loads of skills. We also look at what they have and don’t have and provide them with the necessary support.” In addition to Mr Baatjies comments, Mr Mabu Rapotle from the ETDP SETA (Education, Training and Development Practices Sector Education and Training Authority); whose mandate is to promote and facilitate the delivery of education, training and development to enhance the skills profile of the Education, Training and Development (ETD) sector and contribute to the creation of employment opportunities, said that all SETAs are expected to contribute to the achievement of white paper targets. He also said that one of their strategic focus areas is to support community colleges and cooperatives. “As ETDP SETA, we are looking into absorbing public learning adult centers and convert them into Community Education and Training colleges. To date, nine Community Education and Training colleges (CET’s) pilots have been established.” In his comment, Prof. Alfred Ngowi, Dean of Engineering and Information Technology shared his knowledge and experience referring to countries like Germany and Switzerland where they have placement systems for their graduates. Prof. Ngowi further said that South Africa might be able to curb the high unemployment rate if it follows suits. “We should encourage students to get involved in community projects,” he said. Mr Ivor Baatjes has worked in all the subsectors of the post school education and training sectors. He conducts research in adult and community education, higher education, workers’ education, learning in social movements and autonomous spaces. He was Senior Researcher at the Centre for Education Rights & Transformation (CERT) at the University of Johannesburg and previously Director of the Centre for Adult Education at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He also served as Deputy Director for Adult Basic Education and Training Directorate of the National Department of Education in the 1990s. He is the founder and country Director of the Paulo Freire Institute – South Africa. Mr Ivor works closely with community organisations, social movements, and trade unions.  

Images 

1: Mr Ivor Baatjies, a subject expert and a Director at Centre for Integrated Post-School Education and Training, (CIPSET) at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU). 

2: Mr Mabu Rapotle, Manager at ETDP SETA.