Further education and training colleges

Abstract

Public further education and training (FET) in South Africa is a sector in transition. It has undergone a process of institutional transformation but is stull challenged with becoming more responsive to market demand and a state-led development vision. This chapter documents the changes made in the sector since the publication of the first Human resources development review in 2003, drawing primarily on data adapted from a quantitative analysis of the sector carried out by the National Business Initiative (NBI) in 2002. and reviews progress made in the sector. Given the limitations of the data and the ongoing nature of the college transformation process, it is not surprising that there is limited evidence of successful outcomes of the changes under way in the FET sector. Nonetheless, the chapter shows that there are both signs of early progress and significant challenges still to be overcome.