Developing Lecturer Capacity through

Industry-based Workplace Exposure

Presentation by Ken Duncan

from the Swiss-South African Cooperation Initiative

at the DHET TVET Conference, December 2014

SSACI: A public-private partnership aimed at

improving the national skills training system by:

Linking TVET

colleges to

industry

Informing

policy

development Catalysing

government

initiatives

Implementing ‘proof

of concept’ projects

Effective TVET instruction is based on three pillars:

Technical

competence

Industry

experience

Pedagogical

skill

Industry experience for lecturers in the White Paper:

• “Since the main purpose of the TVET colleges is to prepare students for the workplace… arrangements could be made for college staff to get regular workplace experience so as to keep abreast of developments in their industries.”

• “Workplace experience required by lecturers will be prioritised to ensure that their training is up to date with workplace needs and to provide lecturers with a better understanding of the needs of employers in their field.“

The place of industry exposure in WIL

Work-Integrated

learning (WIL):

A purposefully designed learning programme that

integrates theoretical

knowledge with authentic

practice in the workplace

Industry-based exposure for

lecturers

Learning in and from real

workplaces through industry visits, placements

& other interactions

Dual role of WIL for TVET lecturers

• Professional qualifications

• Continuous professional development

WIL components of professional qualifications

• Classroom-based element

• Workplace or industry-based element

Professional TVET qualifications QUALIFICATIONS WIL REQUIREMENT

Diploma in Technical and Vocational Teaching (L6) (Dip (TVT))

Classroom-based • 9 weeks Workplace-based • 9 weeks – technical lecturers • 2 weeks – academic lecturers

B Ed in Technical and Vocational Teaching (L7) (B Ed (TVT))

Classroom-based • 16-20 weeks Workplace-based • 16-20 weeks – technical lecturers • 4 weeks – academic lecturers

Advanced Diploma in Tech & Voc Teaching TVT (L7) (Ad Dip (TVT))

Classroom-based • 8 weeks Workplace-based • 2 weeks

Advanced Certificate in TVET (L6) (Ad Cert (TVET))

WIL component = 8 credits (80 hours) classroom and industry

SSACI–ETDP SETA WIL for Lecturers Project

OVERALL AIM

• Improve teaching and learning in participating colleges through

systematic WIL for lecturers

OBJECTIVES

• Develop systematic approach and capacitate colleges to implement it

• Align programme with new professional qualifications

• Build capacity of ETDP SETA to support colleges’ implementation

• Provide technical advice to the DHET

PLAN

• 2012–13: Research and pilot phase – 10 colleges, 85 lecturers

• 2014–16: Implementation phase – 28 colleges, 280 lecturers

Some guiding principles:

• Lecturers’ industry engagements must produce benefits for lecturer, college & employer

• Lecturer is responsible for industry engagements as part of own professional development

• Nature & length of engagements should fit purpose

• Industry engagements must not disrupt teaching

• Lessons from industry engagements must be systematically integrated into teaching

Types of industry engagements:

Length Type & Purpose

½ - 1 day Type 1: Study trip

Exploratory or orientation-focused visit to workplace

2-5 days Type 2: Short placement

A few days in workplace to experience & understand what is done there

Weeks or months

Type 3: Lengthy placement

Extended period in workplace to develop skills & competence in that industry or type of work

College selection criteria:

• HRD plan that includes WIL for lecturers

• Budget & funding for lecturer WIL

• Functioning internal data-collection & QA system

• Allocation of senior staff member to co-ordinate project activities in the college

• Willingness of lecturers to visit industry during holidays

• Implemented WBE for students for at least two years

• Existing partnerships and linkages with industry

Two levels of support required:

• Training & support for colleges

• A guide for colleges

College’s relationships with

industry

• Training & support for lecturers

• A guide for lecturers

Lecturers’ engagements with industry

The WIL cycle

PHASE 2: ENGAGEMENT

Workplace exposure or experience

PHASE 3: REFLECTION

Post-engagement review of what

learned and how to incorporate in

teaching

PHASE 4: INTEGRATION

Change in teaching incorporate lessons

from WIL engagement

PHASE 1: PLANNING

Pre-engagement planning

CYCLE OF

WIL FOR

LECTURERS

What have we learned?

• Tailoring workplace exposure is complicated (e.g. differing needs of lecturers of fundamental subjects, technical subjects, artisan-trade subjects)

• Lecturers need to be motivated & supported

• Demands on college management are significant: – Finding workplaces (esp. in rural areas) – Setting priorities for campuses, programmes, levels & staff – Timing – Logistics – Communications (internal & external) – Budgeting

What else have we learned?

• Exposure to industry develops, motivates & energises lecturers: they learn, feel empowered & want to do more

• It’s often more about application & enhancement of existing skills than development of new skills

• Technical skills training remains a separate priority for some lecturers

• Putting lecturers into industry develops broader & deeper relationships between colleges and industry

• Industry exposure has ripple effect on lecturers

Lecturers integrate lessons from industry by: • Revising (old) lesson plans to incorporate real-life

examples & case studies

• Supplementing core curriculum with content not prescribed but relevant to industry

• Assigning students activities like those in industry

• Assessing performance by industry standards

• Simulating the workplace in the college, e.g. in layout of workshops; work processes to complete complex, multi-stage tasks; appropriate behaviour

• In-sourcing real work for students

• Sharing information & experience with colleagues

Don’t let the lecturers get

left behind!

Thank you!