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IOL News
27-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Degrees of disconnection: realigning education to drive South Africa's economy
According to Statistics South Africa, only 7% of Grade 12 learners qualify for STEM-related degrees despite growing demand for engineers, technicians and digital specialists. It is not a lack of money or effort. It is the absence of a system that speaks to our economy, our people and our moment in history. South Africans are not confused about what is broken. Ask a teacher, an employer, or a young job-seeker and they will all tell you the same thing: how we prepare people for work no longer works. We are a nation of firsts and paradoxes. The first on the continent to industrialise and the last to align our education system with our economy. The most connected generation in our history is also the most unemployed. The data confirms this disconnect. According to Statistics South Africa, only 7% of Grade 12 learners qualify for STEM-related degrees despite growing demand for engineers, technicians and digital specialists. Youth unemployment is 45.5% and nearly half of university students never complete their qualifications. Among those who do, many emerge with degrees that fail to meet market demands—contributing to a paradox where employers can't find skilled workers. At the same time, thousands of young South Africans remain unemployed. This is not just an education problem. It is a systemic failure of alignment. The economy is demanding skills in logistics, renewable energy, welding, ICT, agritech and infrastructure maintenance, yet our institutions continue to produce graduates in fields with limited absorption capacity. The result is visible across industries: vacancies remain unfilled while communities sink deeper into frustration, dependency and disillusionment. This is more evident than in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system. TVET colleges are meant to function as engines of economic inclusion, providing job-ready training aligned with sector needs. However, most suffer from outdated curricula, limited industry partnerships and low completion rates. A 2022 DHET review found that over half of enrolled TVET students drop out before completing their programmes. Many cannot secure employment among those who do graduate due to poor employer confidence in the system. Compounding this is the digital divide. In rural South Africa, only 37% of households have stable internet access, cutting millions off from the digital economy. This gap presents a structural chokehold on progress for a country hoping to leverage technology, AI and remote work as economic enablers. Education reform cannot succeed unless it is accompanied by infrastructure reform, especially in broadband access, digital devices and digital literacy from primary school upward. We produce more graduates than ever, yet we struggle to fill critical roles in welding, solar energy, logistics and digital technology. These contradictions are not poetic; they are structural. And the price is being paid in wasted potential and fractured futures. While the system falters at scale, there are glimpses of what alignment could look like. The Youth Employment Service (YES), launched in 2018, offers one example. It has created over 140,000 work experiences for youth through private-sector partnerships; YES has shown that structured, demand-led interventions can succeed where institutional models fall short. Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator has also demonstrated that data-driven matching, employer engagement and targeted skilling can unlock jobs at scale, especially for first-time workers without formal education. Another promising case is Eskom's Just Energy Transition (JET) Strategy at the Komati Power Station. Rather than abandon a decommissioned coal site, Eskom has partnered with the South African Renewable Energy Technology Centre (SARETEC) to retrain workers and local youth in solar energy, battery storage and grid maintenance. These are not workshops; they are pathways. And they reflect a truth policymakers must urgently embrace: the transition to a new economy is a transition in skills, too. South Africa is not alone in facing these challenges or seeking tested responses. Germany's dual vocational training system provides a powerful global benchmark, combining formal classroom instruction with paid apprenticeships, co-designed and co-financed by industry. It has helped Germany maintain one of the lowest youth unemployment rates in the OECD. The success lies in funding and design: vocational education is not a second-tier option but a first-rate pipeline into skilled employment. Local artisan training academies, including those aligned to the construction and energy sectors, have also proven that targeted upskilling can create real economic traction when linked directly to employer demand. However, these examples remain isolated. What is missing is the systemic integration of such models into national planning and funding frameworks. Without it, promising programmes remain pilots and not platforms. To achieve inclusive economic growth, South Africa must begin by resolving this foundational misalignment. That means government departments, basic education, higher education, trade and industry and digital infrastructure must coordinate with the same urgency as they would for a budget crisis. Skills development cannot be the work of one ministry or funding cycle. It must be the architecture of a new industrial strategy. As the Government of National Unity (GNU) reshapes its policy agenda and the Treasury braces for difficult fiscal decisions in 2026, the question is not whether South Africa can afford to realign education with economic demand but whether it can afford not to without targeted investment in youth and skills, the country's energy, infrastructure and industrial transitions risk stalling before they start. Public financing will need to be matched with private sector alignment. Employers must not only offer internships or training slots; they must also help shape curricula, signal future labour demands and co-invest in the training pipeline. The return on investment is clear: a workforce ready to build the infrastructure, manufacture the components and drive the systems of tomorrow's economy. The social return is even greater. Realigning education with economic needs does not only produce jobs. It restores dignity, curbs unrest and lowers grant dependency. It tells a generation of young people that their efforts, talents and ambitions are not misplaced. President Cyril Ramaphosa noted in his 2024 State of the Nation Address: 'We must ensure that our education and training systems are fit for purpose, to equip our people not for the past, but for the future.' This is not about creating another acronym. It is about fixing a nation's broken bridge between education and opportunity with data, urgency and shared responsibility. If we fail to act, the degrees of disconnection will only grow wider. But if we act with discipline and intention, we may rewire South Africa's future, one skill, one job and one aligned learner at a time. Nomvula Zeldah Mabuza is a Risk Governance and Compliance Specialist with extensive experience in strategic risk and industrial operations. She holds a Diploma in Business Management (Accounting) from Brunel University, UK, and is an MBA candidate at Henley Business School, South Africa.
The Citizen
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Higher Education and Nsfas vow action amid Durban student protests
KwaZulu-Natal students demand urgent action from Nsfas and DHET as unpaid fees and delayed registrations disrupt academic progress. Amid student marches in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), over delayed payments by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas), the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and Nsfas say they are actively working together to resolve ongoing funding challenges. Since the beginning of the academic year, university students have faced numerous funding challenges, including application discrepancies, late registration confirmation and appeals, and budget constraints. Students from different higher education institutions in KZN marched on Friday over non-payments. Durban students march over Nsfas non-payment The students started gathering at King Dinuzulu Park in Durban to demand urgent intervention from the scheme and the department. 'Nsfas must pay all historical debt that is left unpaid by Nsfas. Close the closeout project cases for students to get their qualifications,' read a sign by the South African Students Congress-affiliated students. 'DHET must clear historical debt now' and 'Release the loan funding guidelines with immediate effect', read the signs from EFF Student Command (EFFSC)-affiliated students. ALSO READ: DUT denies claims of Nsfas registration portal closure Due to errors made during the application process, some university students who applied during the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) application cycle have had issues with their registration status. Late registration confirmation & appeals, and budget constraints The DHET and Nsfas said the registration statuses of some students were only confirmed after the official deadline, causing delays in their access to funding support. Due to a limited remaining budget, students whose appeals have been granted are also facing financial shortages. This is impacting their capacity to pay for registration and related costs. ALSO READ: Nsfas slams 'fake news' about registration portal closure In a joint statement on Friday, DHET and Nsfas said they are actively collaborating to address these challenges. 'Efforts include reviewing applications from students who applied during the TVET application cycle, providing funding for students whose registration was submitted late and exploring options to allocate additional resources to support students with approved appeals,' the institutions said. Institutions must assist students – DHET and Nsfas DHET and Nsfas also encourage higher education institutions to assist students in resolving outstanding issues promptly. 'We remain committed to ensuring that all eligible students have access to the funding necessary to continue their studies without undue disruption,' the DHET and Nsfas said. 'We appreciate the patience and understanding of students and stakeholders as we work diligently to resolve these issues swiftly.' ALSO READ: Nsfas recovers over R850 million following SIU probe
News24
09-05-2025
- Business
- News24
Higher Education website offline all week due to unspecified ‘technical issues'
The website of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has been offline for the past week due to unspecified 'technical issues'. The website includes strategic plans, tenders, statistics of higher education, career info, media statements and registers of accredited private colleges and public universities. Internet users have been unable to access it since Monday. Visiting the website brings up a message saying: 'You don't have authorisation to view this page.' 'Our IT team is working diligently to resolve the problem and restore access as soon as possible. We apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience,' the DHET said on Friday. South African internet users have for years complained about slow and unresponsive government websites, often crammed with old data and dead links. Last year, a number of government websites crashed, leading to questions about whether the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) was able to deal with it. SITA, at the time, blamed the issues on 'intermittent high bandwidth utilisation'. While SITA is responsible for hosting and maintenance for some government websites, it is not responsible for the DHET site.
IOL News
23-04-2025
- General
- IOL News
Umalusi raises alarm over declining quality of TVET exams
Inside one of the TVET colleges in the country. Concerns have been raised by Umalusi over the quality of examinations in Tvet Colleges Umalusi has sounded the alarm on the declining quality of TVET examinations, revealing that nearly a third of the question papers used in the November 2024 exam cycle were marred by grammatical errors. The quality assurance body also reported a significant drop in the number of papers meeting acceptable standards, with only 77% passing initial moderation, a sharp decline from 87% the previous year. The report, which covers the National Certificate (Vocational) [NC(V)] and NATED Report 190/191 Engineering Studies qualifications, found that 46 question papers contained grammar and language issues. These included 'confusing and awkward phrasing,' 'incorrect use of terminology,' and instances where 'instructions to candidates were incomplete, unclear, or not in accordance with DHET specifications.' Umalusi also raised concern over misalignment between question difficulty, time allocation, and mark distribution. In some cases, candidates were unable to complete papers within the allocated time, while others finished too early due to underdeveloped content. Adding to these concerns, the report highlights widespread problems with Internal Continuous Assessment (ICASS) tasks. A total of 43% of sampled lecturer portfolios were missing one or more required components, including lesson plans, task memoranda, or learner feedback records. At King Hintsa TVET College, no assessment documentation was submitted at all. 'This level of non-compliance compromises the credibility of the assessment process,' the report notes. 'The failure to meet the minimum requirements of the ICASS guidelines reflects poor planning and oversight at institutional level.' In the practical assessment component (ISAT and PAT), resource constraints continued to cripple performance. Umalusi reported that in one case, a lecturer had to use his personal vehicle as a training tool due to the absence of proper equipment, and that some workshops operated without electricity. 'These persistent challenges raise serious questions about the readiness of some colleges to offer credible vocational training,' the report stated. Meanwhile, marking processes also showed signs of strain. The DHET submitted 20 requests for marking concessions, more than in 2023, but Umalusi rejected nine of them. The report indicated that several concession applications failed to meet basic criteria, citing concerns over the experience and qualifications of proposed markers. Private colleges were again highlighted as repeat offenders in examination irregularities. Umalusi noted unresolved cases from previous cycles, with some private sites showing 'no significant improvement.' The body has instructed the DHET to block results for implicated centres and candidates pending investigation. THE MERCURY
