Click here and read the section on “what are skills programmes”
Click here for information on qualifications offered by universities of technology. Click here for information on qualifications offered by universities and other higher education institutions
Click here for information on learning opportunities at TVET colleges. Click here for information on qualifications and programmes offered by TVET colleges.
Click here for information on career opportunities and here for examples of occupations for which learnerships are offered.
Click here (then click on the website address provided to view the list of trades.)
Click here for information on private institutions in the TVET sector. Click here for information on private institutions in the higher education sector.
Dropping out of any formal programme should not be the end of your learning journey as you prepare for your ideal job or career. The Post-School Access Map describes many valuable learning opportunities to prepare you for employment or self-employment.
- Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges across the country provide programmes in practical skills such as catering, engineering, farming, hairdressing, IT, tourism. The minimum entry requirements for programmes differ, but generally range from Grade 7 to Grade 12, but even adults and students who failed to complete university programmes can enrol at TVET colleges. Most of the programmes offered include practical skills development.
- The section on Work-Integrated Occupational Programmes describes various types of programmes for young people from 16 years with our without Grade 12. Unemployed and employed persons can enter programmes that combine some formal training with practical experience in a workplace.
- If you cannot find a suitable formal programme, there are many informal opportunities to develop skills under the section on Informal Skill Acquisition, e.g. through volunteering, government works programmes, informal and free internet courses, as well as programmes designed specifically for adult learners.
- Finally, if you have acquired knowledge and skills through formal training, work experience or informal learning but you didn’t receive a qualification, you could try to get Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Through RPL you could get formal recognition for your previous learning, which you could use to enrol for a programme of your choice, or even to find employment.
Unfortunately, the drop-out rate of students is very high from Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges and universities (including universities of technology). The low pass rates are indicated in the table below that contains the findings of a 2012 study by the Department of Higher Education (DHET).
| Students enrolled in programmes at institutions |
Pass rate |
| Students enrolled in TVET colleges in National Certificate (Vocational) and NATED N3 and N6 |
36.7% |
| Undergraduate students in public higher education institutions (universities and universities of technology): (i.e. studying towards their first degrees, e.g. B.A. or B.Sc.) |
21% |
| Diploma students at public higher education institutions |
15% |
There are many reasons for the low pass rates, but some of them are:
- The false belief that a university qualification is the only and best route for everyone to succeed in the workplace, which is clearly a misconception as about 80% of these students don’t complete their first degrees;
- Students enrolled in the wrong institutions, especially the high number of students who choose universities, while they would have achieved greater success at TVET colleges or in work-based programmes;
- Students who choose courses that they think will get them into an office job but end up unemployed, while their fellow students studied technical courses that developed the skills that are urgently needed in the workplace; and
- The attitude of students who go to college or university so that they can get a job, rather than using learning opportunities to prepare for self-employment in their own business or other entrepreneurial venture.
Click here for Strategies for Success in which we provide guidelines to assist you to select the right programme at the right institution and to prepare yourself so that you gain the most benefit from the programmes you enrol for.
This website does not specifically provide career advice as there are many websites and institutions that specialise in this area. The examples below indicate the kind of information and guidelines for selecting a career that is available on the internet.
Sci-Bono Career Centre
Sci-Bono is a world-class science centre in Newtown in Johannesburg that supports maths, science and technology education. It offers innovative, dynamic learning experiences that contribute to building South Africa’s science, engineering and technology capacity. The Centre’s programmes are guided by the strategic objectives of the Gauteng Department of Education, in particular the goal to “enable young people to make the transition from school to further education and/or work that provides further training opportunities”. To receive career information from Sci-Bono, send an email request to careers@sci-bono.co.za.
Some of the services of the Sci-Bono Career Centre that assist learners to make career choices are:
- Career Assessment, Career Guidance and Counselling;
- Life skills development and Career Education Workshops for school grades from Grade 7 to Grade12; and
- The Careers Portal provides life skills information and tools, developmental advice, labour market information as well as a wide range of career profiles which assist in understanding the variety of careers that are available. You can download information to support critical transitional points at various stages of your journey.
More information is available on http://www.sci-bono.co.za/career-centre.html, or you can ask for help by emailing myfuture@sci-bono.co.za or calling 011 639 8476.
Khetha National Career Development Services
The Khetha Career Development Services of the Department of Higher Education and Training provides a wide range of information and advice that you can use to make career choices while still at school and during your post-school learning journey. The Career Development Services also has fully qualified Career Advisors who can provide career information, guidance and advice. Some of the resources on this website (http://www.careerhelp.org.za) are:
- TVET Basic Career Guide,
- KHETHA Post-School Career Guide,
- Information on Post-School Options and Careers,
- Making a Career Choice,
- Financing your studies, and
- Subject Choice to assist Grade 9 learners to make the right subject choices for Grade 10 that will enable them to pursue their chosen career path after school.
These services can be accessed through various means:
- You can send an SMS or “please call me” to 072 204 5056; call 0860 35 66 35 during office hours; send an e-mail to careerhelp@dhet.gov.za or through facebook.com/careerhelp, http://www.twitter.com/sacareerhelp, or via cell phone: http://mobi.careerhelp.org.za.
- You can also visit the Khetha Walk-in Centre at the Department of Higher Education and Training, 123 Francis Baard Street in Pretoria.
The following are other websites with valuable information and guidelines for selecting a career.
- Careerjet: http://careerjet.co.za,
- Career Planet: http://www.careerplanet.co.za,
- Careers Portal: http://careersportal.co.za,
- Careers Unlimited: http://www.careersunlimited.co.za,
- Mindmuzik Consulting: www.careers.co.za,
- Department of Labour (DoL) has a network of more than 100 centres that provide career advice: labour.gov.za,
- Gostudy: http://www.gostudy.mobi/careers,
- The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) that can be contacted through phoning 0800 52 52 52, by e-mail: info@nyda.gov.za, or via the website: http://www.nyda.gov.za,
- School guide: https://www.schoolguide.co.za/schools/technical-schools.html or https://www.schoolguide.co.za/universities.html,
- South African Institute of Electrical Engineers provides information for people interested in careers in engineering: http://www.saiee.org.za,
- Stoogle, which is a resource for post school and university study and funding: http://stoogle.co.za, and
- The website that enables you to search for information on specific careers: http://be-a.co.za/, for example: http://be-a.co.za/teacher/, http://be-a.co.za/?s=chef or http://be-a.co.za/?s=Financial+Advisor.
In addition to the above, there are many private providers that specialise in career counselling and advice for learners interested in studying at post-school institutions.
