Technical college responsiveness: learner destinations and labour market environments in South Africa

Abstract

In South Africa the technical college sector has often been characterised by critics as performing poorly in terms of labour market placement of graduates. Three studies were commissioned by the Joint Education Trust (now JET Education Services) and the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) to address the issue of the responsiveness of technical colleges to labour market conditions. This book presents the findings of the three studies. Technical college responsiveness is gauged through a multiple focus on the perceptions of graduates, colleges and employers and local labour conditions. As well, the findings are set in a broader context of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) elsewhere in Africa, in the UK and in Australia.