1. Centres of Specialisation
SASCE WIL-AFRICA CONFERENCE 19 JULY 2018

2. Background: Centres of Specialisation (CoS) project
Contents
Background: Centres of Specialisation (CoS) project
2. What is a CoS?:
3. How were CoS sites determined
4. Process followed
5. What is different with CoS
6. Who are the funding partners
7. Roles and responsibilities of stakeholders
8. Critical areas to consider and progress thus far
9. Timeframes
10. Implementation and challenges

3. Background to the CoS Project
The DHET identified 13 priority trades, stemming from the National
SIPs programmes
Industry representative bodies were contracted
Workplaces for work integrated learning contracted in advance
Delivery will be based on Dual System including workplace learning
Short list of interested TVETs were complied
Delivery will be on the Occupational Qualification
Teams completed site visits to CoS campuses on two occasions.
Recommendations were made to DHET
26 CoS centres were identified and acknowledged by the past Minister of Higher Education and Training.

4. What is ‘CoS’? A national programme aimed at producing:
A skilled and capable workforce to support inclusive economic growth
A national programme aimed at producing:
Increased availability of intermediate technical skills
Increased delivery of qualified artisans in 13 priority trades
Increased capacity of public TVET colleges to train in skills

5. How was CoS determined?
Individual site visits to public TVET colleges were undertaken.
Colleges were evaluated against a predetermined criteria captured in a standard template
Areas included: Level of readiness to deliver, workshop appropriateness, staff capacity, management capacity, links with industry etc.

6. 1.Contracting of Industry Representative Bodies
PROCESS FOLLOWED
1.Contracting of Industry Representative Bodies
Formation of Occupational Teams
5 members per team
Team convener contracted to DHET
Industry representative
Member from a practical training and assessment centre
SETA representative
Theory representative TVET College

7. 2. Responsibilities of Occupational teams
Assist in short-listing possible TVETs for centres of Specialisation
Assisted in development of the site visit templates.
Conduct 5 site visits per trade
Reported back to DHET with recommendations
Conduct 2nd site visit
Assisted in forming and costing tools and equipment
Assist in securing workplaces for workplace learning
Work with SETAs for workplaces
Continued support for TVETs and DHET over next 4-years

8. 3. First site visit to short-listed TVETs
Purpose is to have a scientific and standardised evaluation instrument.
Kept teams same at all visits
Focus of instrument:
Governance and management
Staffing
Programme offering and results
Workshop status
Existing workplace partnerships
Willingness to participate
Rated colleges in all areas on 1-3 scale with an overall numeric average

9. 4. Second site visit to awarded TVETs
Instrument totally reviewed.
Kept areas of evaluation the same
Focus now on state of readiness of individual colleges.
Staff evaluation in detail with instruments to assess didactical as well as trade specific skills
Workshop status evaluated on tools and equipment according to latest lists from NAMB
Willingness to participate confirmed in declaration by principal and council chair
Internal structures established according to ToR and signed off (Workplace focus)
Rated colleges in all areas on GREEN, YELLOW and RED according to readiness

10. The Centres & their Trades
Sekhukhune – Carpenter and Joiner
The Centres & their Trades
Mopani – Diesel Mechanic & Pipe Fitter
Vuselela - Bricklayer
Gert Sibande - Millwright
Tshwane South – Mechanical Fitter & Fitter and Turner
Orbit – Electrician & Diesel Mechanic
Ekurhuleni East - Boilermaker
Northern Cape Urban – Carpenter and Joiner
Umfolozi – Millwright & Rigger
Flavius Mareka – Electrician & Plumber
Majuba - Boilermaker
Westcoast – Pipe Fitter
Port Elizabeth – Automotive Motor Mechanic
North Link – Fitter and Turner
False Bay – Rigger & Mechanical Fitter
East Cape Midlands - Welder
College of CT – Plumber & Auto Motor Mechanic
South Cape - Bricklayer
Boland - Welder

11. What’s new about CoS? New Currently
Each college specialises in limited number of programmes relevant to local industry
New qualifications reflect occupational competence
New, industry-designed curricula
Trade theory, simulated practice and work experience tightly interwoven
All students enrolled for new qualifications get practical training and work experience
Employers select and manage own apprentices
Close interaction between college and employers
Currently
All public TVET colleges offer all approved programmes
Qualifications not linked to occupational competence
Many curricula outdated
Trade theory front-loaded, with long intervals between theory and practice
Most college students (even in N courses) get no practical training or work experience
Most students selected by college without reference to employers
Few linkages between public colleges and industry

12. Who are co-funding this initiative?
DHET funds delivery of Knowledge and
Practical components of qualification at
TVETc.
DHET funds TVET facilitators involved
NSF funds infrastructure-, tools- and
equipment.
SETAS fund 780 apprentices over three years for wages and workplace delivery

13. WORKSTREAMS AND TEAMS 8 Work streams at DHET
Role
Responsibility
8 Work streams at
DHET
Develop policy and guidelines on the implementation of
COS
- National Occupation Curriculum Content Development
Lecturer/Facilitator profile for COS, Terms & Conditions of employment and professional development
Costing Model for New Occupational Programmes
Infrastructure, Equipment, tools and systems
Funding and Contracting &Monitoring and Evaluation
Occupational Team Conveners
Bring industry expertise at a trade level to the project
Bring employer partners to the party
Project Managers
Support the PMU

14. Incentivize Employers to contract learners
Role
Responsibility
SETAs
Incentivize Employers to contract learners
Support implementation plans
Employers
To provide expertise to NOCC development
To partner with TVET Colleges in implementing the NOCC through dual system
To contract apprentices
To provide workplaces for apprentices and mentor them
To support lecturer/facilitator development

15. Critical areas
All areas evaluated in template are important but the following are critical to the success of the project:
Internal readiness and establishment of inclusive decision-making CoS structures.
Workshop readiness w.r.t. tools and equipment to deliver on the Occupational Qualification.
3. College facilitators to deliver on Occupational Qualifications.
4. Industry partners, their involvement in the project and apprentices contracted.

16. PROGRESS THUS FAR Critical areas being addressed: Workplaces (uptake)
Grant allocations
Staff appointments
Tools and Equipment
Staff development
NOCC
Learning Material

17. 6. Timeframes Workplaces (uptake) End July 2018
Staff appointments End July 2018
NSF Grants End July 2018
NOCC completed August 2018
Grant allocations SETAs End August 2018
Tools and Equipment procured End Oct 2018
Staff development Oct 2018
Learning Material for year one Nov 2018
Contracting of apprentices Nov 2018
Learner intake January 2019

18. 6 CONCLUSION Best opportunity for TVET colleges yet.
Best chance of Industry partnerships ever
A model for WIL going forward.

19. THANK YOU
Questions