South Africa’s skills revolution has found its think-tank. Academics, researchers, policymakers, industry experts and TVET practitioners from across the country, the region and the world gathered at Coastlands Umhlanga in Durban on Friday for the inaugural Post-School Education and Training (PSET) Research Conference — a first-of-its-kind platform dedicated to building the workforce of tomorrow.
Held under the theme “Future-Ready Occupational Training and Transformative Skills for Entrepreneurship and Employability: Innovations Shaping South Africa’s Workforce of Tomorrow”, the conference explored innovative approaches to occupational training that promote decent work and strengthen the link between education and sustainable employment.
From counting challenges to creating solutions
Opening the conference, Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Nomusa Dube-Ncube called for research with real-world impact — work that helps young people move from qualifications to meaningful participation in the economy.
The gathering, she said, is anchored in the department’s 2026/27 Annual Performance Plan and flows directly from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s declaration of a National Skills Revolution in the 2026 State of the Nation Address.
That reform agenda is built on five priorities: integrating post-school education and training into a single coordinated system; expanding equitable access for young people; improving quality and learning outcomes; strengthening the system’s responsiveness to the economy; and reinforcing governance and public confidence in institutions.
Graduates who create jobs, not just find them
One idea stood out above the rest: graduate enterprise.
“The more ambitious target is graduate enterprise — TVET and university graduates who go on to create jobs, not simply find them,” Dube-Ncube said.
She pointed to Work Integrated Learning, artisan development and the Sector Education and Training Authorities as key mechanisms for equipping young people with both technical skills and the confidence and market knowledge to build sustainable enterprises of their own.
Learning from the world, building for Mzansi
The Deputy Minister encouraged the sector to draw lessons from leading international models while crafting solutions suited to South African conditions. She highlighted Germany’s dual vocational training system, where apprentices split their time between classrooms and workplaces with industry helping shape the curriculum, alongside Singapore’s SkillsFuture initiative and Rwanda’s Dual TVET model as examples of powerful cooperation between government, employers and training institutions.
With its inaugural edition now in the books, the PSET Research Conference has planted a flag: South Africa’s education researchers, colleges and industry partners are pulling in the same direction — towards a future-ready generation of artisans, innovators and entrepreneurs.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
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