Durban: Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Nomusa Dube-Ncube has called for research that goes beyond identifying challenges in South Africa's post-school education and training (PSET) system and instead helps dismantle the structural barriers preventing young people from participating meaningfully in the economy. Dube-Ncube made the call during an inaugural PSET Research Conference held at Coastlands Umhlanga in Durban on Friday, under the theme: 'Future-Ready Occupational Training and Transformative Skills for Entrepreneurship and Employability: Innovations Shaping South Africa's Workforce of Tomorrow.'
According to South African Government News Agency, the inaugural PSET Research Conference brought together local, regional and international academics, researchers, policymakers, industry experts, and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) practitioners to explore innovative approaches to occupational training that address unemployment, promote decent work, and strengthen a future-ready workforce. The conference provided a critical platform to interrogate the purpose of education and strengthen the link between education, training, and sustainable employment.
In her address, Dube-Ncube noted that the conference came at a critical time as the country grapples with the persistent challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality, stressing the need for research that does not simply count challenges, but 'interrogates causes.' She emphasised that research should help bridge the gap between data and the lived realities of communities, particularly young people who leave education with qualifications and skills but remain excluded from meaningful economic participation.
Dube-Ncube highlighted the need for the PSET sector to rethink how it prepares young people for the labour market, including strengthening occupational training, entrepreneurship, and partnerships with industry. She stressed the importance of institutions being proactive in responding to skills shortages and changing economic needs, rather than waiting for directives from government.
The Deputy Minister linked the conference theme to the department's 2026/27 Annual Performance Plan, anchored in a reform mandate from President Cyril Ramaphosa's declaration of a National Skills Revolution during the 2026 State of the Nation Address. This reform agenda focuses on priorities such as integrating the post-school education and training system, expanding equitable access, improving quality and learning outcomes, strengthening system responsiveness to the economy, and restoring governance and public confidence in institutions.
Dube-Ncube also called for a stronger focus on graduate enterprise, rather than solely measuring PSET success by employment rates. She identified Work Integrated Learning, artisan development, and the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) as crucial mechanisms for equipping young people with skills, confidence, and market knowledge needed for enterprise.
She urged the sector to draw lessons from international models, while developing solutions tailored to South Africa's context. Dube-Ncube cited examples like Germany's dual vocational training system, Singapore's SkillsFuture initiative, and Rwanda's Dual TVET model, all of which emphasize collaboration between industry and educational institutions.
The Deputy Minister concluded by stating that research from the conference should inform government policy and reforms, and she encouraged international delegates to partner with South Africa in developing continent-suited solutions, focusing on collaboration rather than imitation.
