Reforming Skills Development, Transforming the Nation: South African Vocational Education and Training Reforms, 1994–2005

Abstract

In an era where vocational education and training (VET) reform is common, South Africa provides one of the most striking national case studies of the complex interplay between international discourses of both economic change and VET reform, and historical and contemporary forces at the national level. Moreover, the twin imperative of economic and social focus for VET is made particularly complex and challenging by the legacy of apartheid. In particular, the new, democratic South Africa has been faced with abnormally high levels of inequality and unemployment, and the pressing need to break down racial inequities in education, skills and work. In this chapter I will consider first some of the detail of the apartheid legacy in skills development before turning to a consideration of policy developments since 1994. I will finish with an analysis of key tensions that continue to play at the heart of South African VET policy.