Editorials

National Strategy

Skills development is often interpreted as the remedy for scarce skills – supplying skilled people for the labour market. Skills that are in short supply and considered critical to the economy are identified, providing evidence in support of Critical Skills Work Visas enabling foreign nationals to obtain visas to work in the country. https://www.dha.gov.za/index.php/immigration-services/scarce-skills-work-permits

Tuesday the 5th November 2024 - Guy Fawkes day and expecting evening fireworks displays, but the morning commenced with multiple media houses reporting that Dr Raymond Patel had been arrested on Saturday in connection with alleged fraudulent activity with the University of Fort Hare.

Last edited on 6th November 2024.

SAQA statement on transition from pre-2009 "Legacy" qualifications

The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) has issued a statement on the relevance for lifelong learning of the current transition from the pre-2009 qualifications, and the role of stakeholders in the transition.

Our condolences to the family, friends, colleagues, and comrades of Membathisi Mdladlana. A very sad loss of the initiator of the skills development concept and landscape. Known as Shepherd, with years of leadership in teacher associations and the Democratic Teachers Union, as Minister of Labour, he shepherded in the skills development revolution. 

Reading any of the original publications of the then Department of Labour, and the concept of social justice and redress of past exclusion is clearly apparent in the words and graphic illustrations.  

It would be all too easy to criticise the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) right now, however, it is very clear from the wording of the documents issued by the department that the complexity of the skills development domain is not clearly understood. Firstly, there was the question of the Ministerial title – Minister of Higher Education – it appeared that skills development was forgotten. 

Imagine your school child walking home from school - in the dark, along a notoriously dangerous, unlit road. An eleven year old school boy was left behind in Simonstown when the Golden Arrow bus driver refused to let him board with his two siblings. He could not find his card. His home is in Khayelitsha – 35 kilometres away

https://www.kaya959.co.za/news/golden-arrow-bus-services-suspends-driver-for-refusing-11-year-old-on-board/

https://www.freepik.com/free-ai-image/view-fantasy-pirate-ship_186024205.htm#fromView=image_sear

During the week leading up to the Easter long weekend, education and training practitioners and local media were abuzz as news circulated that 4 colleges of the Educor Group, namely: Damelin, Intec, CityVarsity, and Lyceum had been de-registered by the Department of Higher Education & Training (DHET).