Forging partnerships geared towards student-centredness saw the coming together of DUT and 10 KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges at a formal signing collaboration agreement ceremony held at Coastlands Ridge Hotel, Durban, on 17 June 2015.
Simultaneously, DUT also launched the Institute of Retail and Consumer Management Sciences, at the event.
The TVET colleges, which have come on board with DUT in terms of assisting in capacity building, are Esayidi, Mnambithi, Majuba, Umfolozi, Thekwini, Coastal, Umgungundlovu, Elangeni and Mthashana TVET colleges. The event was organised by the Director of DUT’s Co-Operative Education Department, Shakeel Ori, and guests included DUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Ahmed Bawa; Acting Chief Director of KZN TVET Colleges, Frank Ingram; Acting Principal of Mtshana TVET College, Nhlanhla Dimba; Acting Head for DUT’s Retail and Consumer Management Sciences, Dr Hennie Zwarts; eThekwini Speaker, Cllr Logie Naidoo; Chairperson of the Employers’ Forum, Wendy Gardiner, DUT staff, principals of the various TVET colleges in KZN as well as representatives from Retail Brand.
Speaking of the newly formed collaboration between DUT and TVET colleges, Prof Bawa thanked everyone for playing an integral part in the culmination of both these projects. “The three major things happening in the world as far as DUT is concerned is the creation of the post school and training system. I don’t think we have quite cottoned on as to how important that development is for us yet. We had the big change that took place in 1995/96 in the National Commission of Higher Education but I think that we have to understand that what came out from that process, which was very important and substantial, was that we tried to create a system to satisfy everybody. We have good universities, have done well globally but there some questions that the process in 1995/1996 failed us. The first issue we have to look at is massification. This year (2015) we had at DUT 91 000 applications for 7000 places. There’s a storm coming at us, so we have to deal with the issue of massification and look at ways to create a system that begins to address this huge demand for post school education. The post school education system, which includes the SETAS, universities, TVETS and community colleges, provides us with an opportunity to begin to look at new ways to address this issue. Our economy is shrinking and the biggest challenge is to find what sectors to begin to work with. The huge challenge is to create a new generation of entrepreneurs, and the whole area of retail is at the centre of it. This year we’ve been through a new strategic process, looking at the way we (DUT) are,” he said.
Prof Bawa also reiterated that DUT has special students who are grossly under prepared by the school system. These students also come from very poor backgrounds and the institution has to do whatever it can to help them succeed.
Ingram said, “We are signing this document indicating our willingness to collaborate and grow our sector in tandem with DUT for the benefit of our students and the nation at large,” he said.
Naidoo said the municipality applauded the collaboration between DUT and the KZN TVET Colleges, together with the launch of the Institute for Retail and Consumer Management Sciences. “Both these programmes have great importance as initiatives which will have a meaningful and significant impact on our province in terms of skills development and the employability of our people,” he added.
Dr Hennie Zwarts said DUT hopes to develop future leaders through such collaborations, adding that the University intends to provide a bridge between public and private organisations.
Ori, who praised Prof Bawa as well as all the stakeholders for their invaluable support on the projects, said, “One of the biggest problems we have in education is lack of finances. Students drop out because they can’t afford to pay the fees”.
Going forward, Prof Bawa said he wants all SETAs, community colleges, TVETS as well as universities to address the issue of massification. “Let’s bring the SETAs, community colleges, TVETS, universities all into play. DUT needs to construct a new post-school education, one that really addresses the issue of massification and provides the opportunity for our students to succeed in developing themselves and getting into jobs. Employers worry about technical skills and what I would like for us to do when we embark on this programme is to try to understand how to ensure that it’s just not about the technical skills, but about general education,” he said.
-Waheeda Peters
Pictured from left to right: KZN TVET Colleges Acting Chief Director, Frank Ingram; eThekwini Speaker, Cllr Logie Naidoo; DUT Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Bawa and Acting Head for DUT’s Retail and Consumer Management Sciences, Dr Hennie Zwarts at the launch of the Institute of Retail and Consumer Management Sciences.
