This topic contains 16 replies, has 12 voices, and was last updated by 
Skills Universe 2 years ago.
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On 4 April 2012, President Zuma will be meeting with the heads FET colleges in Pretoria. The media advisory says that rhe President will be looking at the role FETs play in the country’s skills development strategy.
Our current shortage of specific skills, including civil engineering, mining technology and engineering, information technology and computer science, finance, economics, electrical infrastructure and construction and accounting, are all mentioned in the advisory as being critical to South Africa’s economic success.
The National Plan Vision 2030 recommended FET colleges be capacitated in order to meet the required for at least 30 000 artisans a year, and the Department of Higher Education and Training’s Green Paper for Post-School Education and Training addresses need for FET colleges to play a more strategic role.
As skills development practitioners, educators and human resource professionals, what would you say to President Zuma and the gathering of FET heads, and Ministers of Basic and Higher Education?
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ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WILL SAY:
Appoint efficient people to do a skills analysis at different workplaces. Provide colleges with funding to appoint a team to approach companies to do a skills analysis for their company. Start with the larger companies, companies that have the biggest influence on our economy. Put a law in place that companies must use the contribution that they make to the SDF to have the staff trained in the skills/ qualifications identified by the college-teams.
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I would be interested on his thoughts on the progression or career paths of students from F.E.T colleges to universities. Currently University do not take our NQF level 5 ECD students to do B.ed’s. What is said, is that Universities do not have agreements with the various ETA’s.
Clearly this is a power struggle, that’s clearly political and again hinders the further education and development of people.
When will we focus on the development that builds capabilities and interests of studying further, which will evolve mankind.
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I would say that the quality of capacity being hired at our colleges should be individuals who have academic and practical knowledge and skill. I have done partime studies at a college and the lecturers in accounting and business management had no idea of the real world of work and what happens on a day to day basis in our country. I had my certificates assessed to further my studies and was requested to RPL for all the subjects I did at the college. Time and money wasted!!!! although I queried the request, the institute refused to accept the certificates and I had to spend R5800 for RPL.
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For artisans to be produced as per set target , FET Colleges will need to be capacitated with experienced and better qualified artisans . At present , even the few artisans we have at FET Colleges are POACHED by industries through better salary packages . Such a set target will remain a WISH and never be realised unless FET Colleges have good salary packages and sustain this WISH to the future .
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Hi Sylvia,
My experience of the FETs is that they are not endowed with the high level of lecturer/trainer that they should be.
Overall the educational system in RSA is generating a lowest common denominator syndrome that is either discouraging or eliminating excellence from the areas where it is so essential, and this in particular is in the need for dedicated and excellent teachers. Remove the opportunity to let excellence thrive, and you have the basis of a loser nation.
If Zuma could shock the system by announcing that only the best applicants from secondary schools will qualify for acceptance at tertiary level. This would mean removing racial quotas as the selection process as is being promoted by UCT for example. But then pigs may fly.
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What a GREAT question!
i would say: You, FET Colleges, are really needed in our country, and they therefore need to strive to be centres of excellence. Employ highly-skilled MOTIVATED and inspiring staff, adopt interesting and practical systems for successful results, and remember that there are many private providers that are able and willing to work alongside Public Colleges for the benefit of the youth. I would say don’t deliberate, the time for meetings and discussion is over.
PLAN and go for it.
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I would advise them to ensure that the articulation from FET to higher education enables students to progress from FET colleges to Universities or Universities of Technology. This would ensure that the FET route is not a dead end for students and that therefore the stigma associated with studying at an FET college is removed.
This can be achieved through a thorough analysis of the FET curriculum against higher education first year curriculum to identify the gaps and therefore work towards closing those gaps. This way, articulation will not be dependent on partnerships between these type instutions, but will happen along set principles.
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Manda, to perhaps cross this problem is to ensure that all universities must have a bridging course for their Level 5 learners to get them ready to enter university. I know it would mean extra money to be paid by the student, but it is crucial that university entry requirements are not lowered. Rather have the bridging course to get the students up to the required level. We must look at the bigger picture and that is to ensure our students are world-class standard.
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Manda, to perhaps cross this problem is to ensure that all universities must have a bridging course for their Level 5 learners to get them ready to enter university. I know it would mean extra money to be paid by the student, but it is crucial that university entry requirements are not lowered. Rather have the bridging course to get the students up to the required level. We must look at the bigger picture and that is to ensure our students are world-class standard.
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Manda, to perhaps cross this problem is to ensure that all universities must have a bridging course for their Level 5 learners to get them ready to enter university. I know it would mean extra money to be paid by the student, but it is crucial that university entry requirements are not lowered. Rather have the bridging course to get the students up to the required level. We must look at the bigger picture and that is to ensure our students are world-class standard.
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Manda, up to the beginning of this year our students were allowed access with Level 5 Higher certificate in ECD to the BEd Degree in foundation phase that UNISA is offering and what we are offering in partnership with UNISA.
Now there are talks that it will be no longer allowed.
After completing the Level 5 the students have a good foundation and those students perform overall better in the BEd programme than those that go straight in to the BEd.
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Christine, in my field I have found that there are often too much emphasis on knowledge than skills in courses offered at the Universities and the Universities of Technology.
I myself studied at an university, but since I started lecturing in a FET college in my field, my skills have improved and I have learned so much about implementation while preparing and doing research for my lecturing.
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Excellence in Higher Education is a group of concerned citizens who believe strongly in the power of higher education to transform lives, build our economy and shape african’ future. We believe a great university is an incubator of knowledge and creativity. It fuels discovery, and marries research with enhanced classroom teaching, learning, and hands-on experience. It also serves as an economic engine bringing in millions in research and development dollars, new businesses and industries, creating jobs and economic opportunity throughout all the nations waal your president is doin gud.
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Right now I would say to the minister – why throw good money after bad by opening new colleges. Please get the existing ones soted out and properly equipped first. Many of the country’s problems can be fixed if we could just sort out existing problems before adding to them and wasting money.
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