Reskilling, upskilling + training
The value of TVET colleges S outh Africa’s Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority – EWSETA – recognises the value of the country’s TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) col- leges as the places where a future-fit energy and water sector work- force can be built. With the energy transition accelerating, the growing digitalisation of industries, and new industries emerging in hydrogen and water resilience, the next few years will determine how well the country equips its people to participate in this changing working world. EWSETA believes the country’s TVET colleges need to be repositioned and recognised as pathways to opportunity, capable of producing the skills that will power the transition to clean energy and secure the nation’s water systems. Skills for a new economy In its 2025 to 2030 strategic plan EWSETA sets out its key priorities. Over the next five years, these include: - Accelerating artisan training, particularly in renewable energy - Integrating digital and artificial intelligence skills into curricula - Expanding national and international partnerships - Widening access to learning programmes - Embedding new green technologies into TVET pro- grammes. “We want young people to see TVET colleges as institutions of first choice. By choosing a TVET college for their studies, they are join- ing an education and training system that EWSETA is deliberately strengthening to become industry-relevant high-performing and future-focused. It is a system designed to equip students with the skills to thrive in the energy and water sectors and to drive essential change,” says EWSETA Acting CEO, Robyn Vilakazi. This repositioning is deliberate. For too long, TVETs have been seen as a secondary option. EWSETA aims to revise this perspective by demonstrating that TVET colleges stand alongside universities as credible, competitive institutions producing job-ready graduates. This is being done by capacitating TVET colleges with infrastruc- ture support, lecturer development and curriculum innovation that respond directly to the demands of the energy and water sectors. The objective is already being realised through EWSETA-led flag- ship initiatives. For example. Power Up is building a new generation of profes- sionals to meet the country’s renewable energy demand, directly linking PSET (Post-school Education and Training) institutions to in- dustries in the sector. PoVE, Africa’s first Platform of Vocational Excellence, is connecting South African TVET colleges with global partners and industry lead- ers, embedding international standards in local training and posi- tioning colleges as drivers of innovation. Renewable Energy Training Centres and Re-Skilling Labs driven in collaboration with international partners like RES4Africa and the Chinese Culture International Exchange Centre, are equipping TVET colleges with new technologies to ensure global best practice and industry-aligned practical training for learners. At Vhembe TVET, the Renewable Energy Training Centre and Microgrid will supply clean power to the campus and give students practical exposure to renewable technologies. It is a model of how public colleges can combine infrastructure upgrades with applied
learning to prepare graduates for growth industries. These actions make it clear that TVET colleges are central to South Africa’s growth ambitions, aligned with the National Development Plan 2030, the In- tegrated Resource Plan 2025 and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. C hanging lives Between 2020 and 2025, EWSETA invested R454 million to strengthen the TVET and CET (Community Education and Training) system. This included: - R107 million for artisan development with nearly ten thousand learners enrolled in occupations in high demand, surpassing targets by 42% - R32.6 million for workplace learning, supporting more than nine thousand workers - R25.2 million for infrastructure upgrades, including renewable energy labs and ICT equipment. The outcomes are visible in individual journeys too. Nthabiseng Makoto, supported through the UniVenda biogas programme, now runs vegetable gardens, poultry and piggery projects that provide food security and employ- ment in her community. “Before this opportunity, I struggled to see a future. Today I provide food and jobs for others, and I know these skills will carry me and my family forward,” she says. Building resilience into the system These results illustrate how EWSETA is strengthening public colleges. “We have never been about quick wins. Every rand we invest is about building ca- pacity in the system so that TVET colleges stand strong as premier institutions for technical training and career opportunities,” says Vilakazi. “By equipping lecturers, upgrading infrastructure and creating global ex- posure opportunities, we are embedding resilience into the post-school ed- ucation system. This is what the Just Energy Transition requires, a workforce pipeline that is technically skilled, adaptable and future-ready.” Scaling up the response EWSETA has shown that Sector Education and Training Authorities can be engines of transformation. The next step is scale. Companies need to invest in training pipelines, open workplaces for experiential learning and collaborate on curriculum design. For government, the task is to treat skills development as essential infrastructure, sustain policy certainty and support innovation in the college system. “South Africa’s young people are ready. They want to learn, they want to innovate, and they want to lead in new industries. Our job is to make sure the pathways are there, and we need all stakeholders, international and national, public and private, to walk this journey with us,” Vilakzi says. EWSETA is championing TVET colleges to train an employable workforce – delivering the skills the country needs.
For more information visit: www.ewseta.org.za
DEC 2025 - JAN 2026 Electricity + Control
31
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker