Why TVET colleges are not attractive places of higher learning for South African high school learners?

Abstract

Annually, South African universities experience an overwhelming number of learners who are interested in enrolling with them because they are viewed as more appealing post-secondary school study options compared to technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges. Therefore, it is important to understand high school learners’ views of TVET colleges so that the issue of oversubscription at universities can be addressed and ensure TVET colleges are a favourable option for learners. In South Africa, most studies investigating TVET colleges as study options involve samples primarily of students already enrolled at TVET colleges. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate high school learners’ views on TVET colleges as a study option after high school. A qualitative study was conducted in which data was collected using a qualitative questionnaire from a sample of 42 high school learners from Grades 10, 11, and 12. Three themes were constructed from the data: the pull factors, the push factors, and the expectations of TVET colleges. Several misconceptions and expectations about TVETs were identified. As most studies used TVET students as study samples, the findings in this study have implications for TVET colleges as they provide insights into the perspectives of South African high school learners and how TVET colleges need to market themselves as viable study options.