Mitigating Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on TVET

1. Strategies to continue TVET during Covid-19
Pandemic
Researchers:
Prof Hoosen Rasool
Mitigating Effects of COVID-
19 Pandemic onTVET in
Pakistan
Tuesday, 5th May 2020
10h30 (Pakistan time)

2. TVET in South Africa during pandemic
“We are constrained [in the fight against Covid-19] by
the very same challenges we seek to address: poverty,
inequality and unemployment. The very problems we
seek to solve are the obstacles standing on our way”.
Minister of Higher Education – Dr Blade Nzimande
(30 April 2020)

3. Critical TVET interventions in South Africa
▪ No campus-based activity until transition to lower risk phase
▪ Implement remote learning and physical delivery of learning materials
▪ Free access to data and connectivity for students
▪ Radio and TV broadcasts have begun in key subjects for 06 months
▪ Use of textbooks, e-Guides, past question papers, YouTube videos, bulk sms-
es and WhatsApp groups
▪ Broadcasts and resources available on Department website for anytime
▪ Prepare campuses with deep cleaning and biosafety protocols
▪ Screening, testing and quarantining when campus activity resumes
▪ Continue student funding for apprenticeship and learnerships
▪ Reset examination schedule

4. Impact of Covid-19 and TVET strategies
1
Full-time jobs will diminish
and Gig jobs will grow
▪ GIG work lowers TVET costs and increases
student access
▪ TVET lecturers cannot be guaranteed a
job-4-life
▪ Review organisational design – core +
peripheral staff + freelancers (experts)
▪ Prepare students for GIG jobs, work and
economy
▪ Learn skills to engage in GIG economy
2
Remote working will
become a norm
▪ Train / equip staff for remote working
▪ Unnecessary for students spend 100% time
on campus
▪ Develop a pedagogic strategy based on a
blended learning model
▪ Lower student fees
▪ Prepare students for off-site learning
▪ Campus time for practical work / exams
only
▪ Students take responsibility for their own
development
▪ Student must have access to data /
connectivity
College
Students

5. Impact of Covid-19 and TVET strategies
3
Employment relations will
become flexible
▪ Review of the TVET employer-employee
relationship
▪ Flexible employer relationship within the ambit
of decent work
▪ Protection of employee rights
▪ Prepare students for new employment
relationships
▪ Graduates will work in multiple jobs
▪ Multiple career moves over a life cycle
4
Employee accountability is
a pre-requisite
▪ Accountability throughout TVET system
▪ Focus on results-based management
▪ Staff responsible for their development
▪ Data-driven approach to performance
management
▪ Students must be accountable for their
own performance
▪ Students encouraged to be independent

6. Impact of Covid-19 and TVET strategies
5
Public service (servants) for
the 21st century
▪ Change mindset of public service and servants
▪ Public good must be underpinned by business
efficiency practices
▪ Return in public investments in TVET
▪ Impacts must be measured and evidence-
based
▪ Consequence management
6
Skilling will overtake
credentialing
▪ Recognition for all learning forms – formal,
informal, non-formal
▪ Apply Recognition of Prior Learning
▪ The workplace is a legitimate training
institution
▪ Focus is on “can you do the job?”
▪ Credentials are important, but not the only
source of skills recognition
▪ Short courses and online learning will gain
currency

7. Impact of Covid-19 and TVET strategies
7
New kinds of jobs
will be created
▪ There will be new and emerging jobs /
occupations with technological change
▪ Some jobs will decline and others will grow in
importance
▪ Labour market research needed on jobs,
occupations, work and industries to assess
demand nationally, regionally and locally
▪ TVET must respond to labour demand
▪ Colleges should review their offerings to
respond to demand
▪ Accreditation should be speedy process to
respond to market demands
8
Return of
manufacturing
▪ Manufacturing will return – food, national,
health, travel and environmental security
▪ Healthcare, food production, PPE, hygiene,
pharmaceuticals, logistics, IT, cybersecurity,
crypto currencies, health and safety will be
growth industries
▪ Small-scale manufacturers will re-emerge
▪ Small-scale job opportunities
▪ Advanced, quick-batch, JIT, flexible
manufacturing
▪ Skills intensive manufacturing instead of
low-skilled employment
▪ Capital-intensive
▪ How will the TVET system respond?

8. Impact of Covid-19 and TVET strategies
9
Graduates must be work-
ready
▪ Employer will demand the following from the
employees:
o Responsibility, accountability and honesty
o Value addition to maintain employment
o Meet performance targets
o Learn quickly
o Adapt to new situations
o Make judgments
o Work in teams
o Work by projects
10 Entrepreneurship will
grow
▪ Jobs and permanent employment will
become a scarcity
▪ Entrepreneurship will become a growing
option for millennials.
▪ The COVID-19 crisis will level the playing
fields as most companies have to reboot
▪ It will give new-comers with fresh ideas a
fighting chance to find niches in the
marketplace.
▪ TVET Colleges should prepare students for
entrepreneurship and self-employment

9. Final Quote
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives,
nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one
that is most adaptable to change”
Charles Darwin

10. Thank you
Prof Hoosen Rasool
+27 83 786 9329
+27 11 064 1600
hoosen@frresearch.co.za
www.frresearch.co.za