TVET Month is an annual campaign run by the South African Government’s Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) to promote and raise awareness about Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges.
There are 50 TVET Colleges across the country, each with multiple satellite campuses. Courses at TVET Colleges include the NCV - National Certificate Vocational and also the Nated courses.
TVET Colleges have courses suitable for those who have completed Matric, but can also cater for those who have only completed grade 10.
Reasons for TVET Month:
- Promote TVET Colleges – The main goal is to showcase the opportunities and programmes available at TVET colleges and to change negative perceptions about vocational education.
- Encourage Youth Participation – The campaign aims to encourage school leavers, unemployed youth, and those looking to upskill to consider TVET colleges as a practical and employable path to further education and training.
- Support Economic Development – TVET colleges are seen as crucial to addressing skills shortages and unemployment. TVET Month helps highlight the role of these institutions in producing job-ready graduates for the economy.
- Highlight Government Investment – The month is also used to showcase the government’s continued investment in the TVET sector through infrastructure upgrades, bursaries, partnerships, and curriculum development.
- Strengthen Industry Links – Events during the month often focus on building stronger relationships between TVET colleges and industry, to improve workplace-based learning and ensure qualifications are relevant to labour market needs.
TVET Month usually takes place in August and includes open days, career expos, skills demonstrations, student success stories, and employer engagement sessions across the country.
