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The overall FET system does not do enough at present to help colleges in their transformation efforts. Although there has been a recent attempt to acknowledge failings, these attempts has also served to increase uncertainty in the sector, says Dr Simon McGrath, director of the Human Sciences Research Council's (HSRC) research programme on Human Resources Development. McGrath participated in a panel discussion on Opportunities and challenges for the FET college sector at the point of merger: Towards vibrant, flexible and responsive colleges at the Department of Education's FET Convention in Midrand on 14 October. He said that policy coherence between the Departments of Education (DoE) and Labour (DoL), the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) and Umalusi, the General and Further Education and Training Quality Assurance Council remains weak and curricular reform is seriously overdue. McGrath, who is the editor of a research report on FET colleges due for release this week, said the FET college sector has been evolving rapidly since the new Institutional Landscape of 2001. There are already a number of signs of emergent good practice. However, there is also a range of continuing challenges to college performance. These are not all of the colleges' own making but they will have to respond nonetheless. He said three questions are central to the future performance of the merged colleges and the FET system. First, are colleges responsive enough to what the labour market needs? Second, are colleges doing enough to provide quality learning? Third, is the overall FET system supporting colleges? There is a growing language of responsiveness at the college level but labour market outcomes need to improve significantly, given the very high levels of graduate unemployment from FET programmes, McGrath said. Crucially, the theory/practice relationship in college offerings still needs to be better balanced: “Colleges face the continuing challenge of negative perceptions from those who perceive them and their offerings as second best, when compared to more ‘academic” offerings. Many colleges did have strong linkages with employers historically, but the demise of apprenticeships has led to an urgent need to build new relations with employers.” McGrath pointed out that there is also a similarly pressing need for new curricula. Since 2001 there has been renewed effort to address the quality of provision in colleges. There are major processes of staff development, for example, around assessor training, although still far more is needed in terms of improved staff competences. Colleges also face new and growing challenges of learner support as they deal with new clienteles and new objectives. “Far more attention needs to be paid to supporting learners in the areas of language, mathematics and science. Colleges need to develop far better guidance and counselling systems for learners, including systematic approaches to dealing with HIV/AIDS awareness and support for HIV positive learners,” McGrath said.
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