APPETD establishes further advisory committees in support of private training providers

The Association for Private Providers of Education, Training and Development (APPETD) initiated the following committees each with a clearly defined goal of being an effective instrument of change and to address the needs of the private providers.

APPETD as a not-for-profit employer’s association prioritised some of the immediate issues that concern the private educational institutions in South Africa by establishing working committees with well-defined objectives to bring about change to the private educational environment in South Africa.

In addition to the previously announced:

APPETD Skills Training Provider Committee (http://www.skills-universe.com/forum/topics/new-training-service-provider-committee-to-seek-legal-advice-on-q?xg_source=activity) and the

APPETD Legal Advisory Committee (http://www.skills-universe.com/forum/topics/appetd-press-release-legal-advisory-committee-initiated?xg_source=activity,

APPETD also established the following committees:

1. APPETD Higher Education Committee chaired by Prof. Paul Beard and assisted by Rick Edmonds and Theo Schoeman
2. APPETD Further Education and Training (FET) Committee chaired by Dr. Tholsia Naicker and assisted by Bajith Panday and Leon Sinclair.
3. APPETD General Education and Training (GET) & Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) chaired by Sharon Blignaut.

These three committees will address particular concerns surrounding conflicting legislation applicable to each specific sector; address complaints arising from the extensive bureaucratic structures created by the legislation; and most importantly, establish a working platform between public and private provider sectors.

APPETD also established a Research Committee which will be chaired by Dr. Ronel Blom and constitute knowledgeable expertise from within the educational sector. Dr. Blom will also be assisted by Rooksana Rajab, Gerda Magnus, Theo Schoeman and Master and PhD. Students.

APPETD is of the opinion that the immense impact and the context and the role of private providers are highly underestimated and undervalued in the total contribution to the empowerment of the nation and research based on empirical data is needed to ensure reliable evidence before decisions can be made affecting the private providers. Private Providers also suffer some undeservedly ignorant remarks from politicians and the media due to the lack of pertinent research regarding private providers.

 The following is a preliminary list of research issues that will be addressed:

• The context and contribution of the Private Providers of Education, Training and Development in SA.
• The number of private education role players within the different sectors (HE, FET and GET, ABET) and what are the measurable quality of this sector’s education.
• Identification of the different fields of study available to prospective learners of Private Providers for Education Training, and Development.
• The through-put within the different sectors – that is the number of students that register in comparison with the number of students that obtain their qualifications at the end of the study period.
• Employability of students after obtaining their qualification and certificates from the private providers.

The first meetings of these volunteer committees are scheduled for July 2012. Feedback from these meetings will be forwarded to Ms Cynthia Reynders and circulated to APPETD members.

Providers who need more information and want to join any of these committees, must please forward a request to:

Cynthia Reynders, CEO of APPETD • E-mail: ceo@appetd.org.za • Tel no: (011) 234-3104/5