Students enrolled at the Motheo Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College for artisan and entrepreneurship programmes stand to benefit greatly from a bilateral vocational training partnership programme with an international training agency.
The partnership, which will run over six years, is with a German-based public corporation and training provider, the Kreishandwerkerschaft (KH) Steinfurt-Warendorf.
The parties signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday (09/02) after they had reached an agreement on the objective of the partnership to provide experiential learning to graduates.
The success of the KH agency in Germany is measured with its contribution to the lowest unemployment rate among young people aged 16 to 24 years.
According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for 2022, the South African unemployment rate stands at 63,9% for those aged 15 to 24 years, and 42,1% for those aged 25 to 34 years, while the current official national rate stands at 34,5%.
The German-based agency’s experiential learning combines practical training in a workplace in addition to the theoretical complement of a vocational school.
Lame Morubane, spokesperson for the Motheo College, said the international partnership would equip graduates with much-needed experience and get them ready for the job market, thereby increasing their employment prospects or success in entrepreneurial pursuits.
The German agency facilitated a workshop over two days at the Hillside View campus in Bloemfontein.
“The purpose is to support the college towards the enhancement of demand-oriented training with a focus on the artisan trades to provide graduates with improved employment and self-employment prospects,” said Morubane.
“There are plans to develop the curriculum to match the public and private market. Focus will be on enhancing employability, unlocking entrepreneurship potential, and developing relevant training pathways and delivering exciting training approaches.”
Morubane said Prof. Dipiloane Phutsisi, principal of Motheo College, had stressed the importance of sustaining the partnership, sharing common values, and understanding the partnership.
