Introduction

The Education, Training and Development Practices Sector Education and Training Authority (ETDP SETA), in collaboration with the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), cordially invites senior leaders and decision-makers in the sector to participate in a groundbreaking study aimed at building a resilient skills ecosystem in the wake of the pandemic and the advent of the 4IR (Fourth Industrial Revolution). This important initiative seeks to understand and harness the shifts in modes of working, learning, and teaching, ensuring the relevance and effectiveness of education, training, and skills development for years to come.

Why invest in workforce skilling?

There are compelling reasons for investing in workforce skilling, including that this is critical for unlocking economic opportunities, empowering citizens, driving competitiveness and growth in strategic industries, and aligning labour force capacity with the country’s social and economic development agenda. The government recognizes this through national policies aimed at education quality and greater technical/vocational training, and in providing financial and other support skills development initiatives in the private and public sector.

Which institutions belong in the ETD Sector?

The ETDP SETA covers 14 sectors:

• Early childhood development (ECD) centers
• Public and private schools
• Adult and community learning centers
• Public and private TVET colleges
• Public and private universities
• Registered trade unions and political parties
• Non-profit organizations
• Libraries and archival bodies
• Professional associations
• Statutory and regulatory bodies
• Science councils
• Research institutions

Aim of the study

The study is focused on deepening our understanding of the impact of Covid 19 and 4IR disruptions that the sector has experienced, and will explore the following issues:

• How your institution pivoted to remote work and online/ remote learning, and teaching
• How your institution adapted training methodologies and delivery
• What innovations and interventions were adopted and how are these being sustained?
• What measures were taken to mitigate disruptions?
• What challenges were experienced?

The study will be conducted informed by ethical protocols as approved by the HSRC Research Ethics Committee (REC)

Identifying Relevant Stakeholders for the Study

Primary data collection is based on having a defined population of interest who we are targeting. A challenge the HSRC has experienced is that POPIA ACT (protection of data) does not allow the ETDP SETA to provide us with lists of stakeholders in the sector with contact details.

The ETDP SETA thus requests your active support and participation, with their letter accessible here.  

Purpose of this call

This call is aimed at identifying prospective stakeholders who meet the criteria for participation in the study by asking them to register their interest in the study, as well as identifying the relevant stakeholders who should be targeted when the study is conducted during March and April 2024.

Who is this call targeted to?

The call is targeted to senior officials in any of the 14 sectors listed above who are knowledgeable about their organization’s response to recent disruptions caused by COVID-19 and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, as well as those aware of efforts towards building a resilient skills programme within the institution as we build back better from the disruptions experienced over the last few years.  

To indicate your institution’s interest in participating in the survey, and to identify specific persons who will be available to be interviewed, please click on the link below:

https://forms.gle/ghN9fg9RsKDMECUJ7

What’s the next step?

After you have submitted your response, you will be contacted by the research enumerators.

For information regarding the study, contact the Human Sciences Research Council’s representatives:

• Dr. Bongiwe Mncwango: Bmncwango@hsrc.ac.za
• Ms. Shirin Motala: smotala@hsrc.ac.za

For information regarding the work of the ETDP SETA, please contact:

Mr. Lucky Mkhonza: LuckyM@etdpseta.org.za

We hope you will accept this opportunity to have your voice heard and help guide the future of South Africa’s skills development system.