HIGHVELD – The Gert Sibande FET College held the first South African FET Information, Communication and Technology Conference from 9 to 11 April at Graceland Hotel, Casino and Country Club.
The aim of the conference was to develop awareness of the benefits and value of FET staff and the students society by enhancing the application of e Learning and correspondence as a mode of content delivery.
The conference was attended by college principals, administrators, deputy principals, e Learning and ICT managers, curriculum and academic managers and computer lecturers.
Mr Mduduzi Manana, deputy minister of the Department of Higher Education and Training, said it is up to education institutions to catch up and use these technologies to reach and communicate with the students they serve.
He said the world we live in is very technological advance and education institutions must prepare students for this world.
“The intention is to enable the placement of students in workplaces in order to realise the enormous benefits of workplace experience and the employability of new and first-time job seekers.
“This is the first step, we now need to strengthen and deepen the functionality and efficiency of these offices so that they are able to serve all the sub-sectors in our delivery system in colleges and Universities of Technology.
“To achieve the 2030 goal of having 2.5 million head-count enrolments in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, we have to not only make more places available, but make education affordable and relevant.
“In conclusion, the topic of this conference is key to TVET colleges and how you position yourselves to best support the country’s education and training trajectory.
“TVET colleges are indeed important in the building of a nation.
“It is therefore imperative that they transform themselves to adapt to the demands of an ever-changing environment.
“We have come a long way in integrating and advancing our TVET sector and I look forward to how we can further improve our delivery systems through our public institutions.”
Mr Nick Balkrishen, CEO and Principal of Gert Sibande College, said one of the main goals for the conference is to begin a dialogue that will result in a collaborative Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) aproach by all 50 TVET colleges on how they can synergistically harness the potential ICT to enhance the quality of teaching and learning.
