The Innovation Lab presented a good opportunity for all participants to bring VET issues pertinent to them to the fore for broader reflection and discussion, presenting an opportunity for joint solution seeking.
Some of the suggested activities are more relevant to transfer to the HRDC Skill Summit process in May 2020 than others. The following initiatives will be included in recommendations for addressing during the HRDC Skills Summit process:
The skills recognition milieu could be motivated to contribute to and enable greater inclusion of youth in employment opportunities, but this would require more creative thinking, e.g. facilitation of more flexible SETA funding mechanisms, providing incentives (BEE credits) for business that provide work integrated learning opportunities for youth, enabling professional bodies to recognise job designations/competitions rather than an exclusives focus on qualifications. All these were suggestions presented for further discussion and exploration in the lead up to the HRDC May 2020 Skills Summit.
In addition to the recommendations pertinent to the HRDC Skills Summit process, the other innovation lab topics raised issues relevant for alignment to other key country processes, both government and / or private sector initiatives, while others could be championed directly by persons who championed and hosted the discussions. Examples of such processes include the initiatives of the Alan Gray Orbis Foundation to build the entrepreneurial capacities of VET apprentices involved in occupational programmes, the efforts of the Sasol Foundation in Work Integrated Learning by College Lecturers, the efforts of the YES program and broader job summit initiatives aimed at link young people to training and skills development aligned to employment opportunities, etc.
What is imperative is that stakeholders understand the value of connecting to existing processes and projects wherever possible, instead of having several parallel, but unconnected VET activities.