The Status of Innovation in the TVET Colleges 2021

In mid-2020, the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation requested the National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI) to provide an assessment of the state of innovation in technical vocational education and training (TVET) colleges. The object of the study was the set of 50 TVET colleges and their stakeholders. The associated investigation comprised deskwork, interviews and an online survey conducted over an eight-month period. 

In essence, the study reveals a tale of two discourses. On the one hand is the labour market and skills formation, capability and lifelong learning, with the individual at the centre. On the other hand, the study tells the tale of the economics of innovation, with a strong emphasis on the dominant macroeconomic paradigm, with framework conditions that enable private enterprises to flourish. The literature review reflects TVET as a ‘Cinderella’ sector that is not renowned for innovation capacity – let alone exercising the role of an innovation actor – and engaging
in a limited amount of innovation activity through industry partnerships. The TVET sector has been essentially considered, and is portrayed as a provider of entry- and
mid-level skills to respond to national social and economic development.