Enhancing management structure at the TVET colleges: a case study of uMgungundlovu TVET College.

Abstract

Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges in South Africa are struggling with the implementation of an effective management, efficient performance and becoming institutions of first choice. The management structures of the fifty public TVET colleges across South Africa are faced with major challenges that are present throughout the sector. Some of these challenges are critical to overcome because the South African has tasked the TVET sector through its National Development Plan to have 2.5. million students enrolled in TVET colleges by 2030, and thereby become a major driver in addressing inequality, unemployment and poverty. To achieve the development goals and objectives of the South African government, the Department of Higher Educational and Training has devised legislation and policies for its public TVET colleges. Unfortunately, little by way of support is given to the management structure to implement these policies and legislative objectives. In addition, an ineffective and incompetent management and poor practice have also contributed to the current problems within the sector. The purpose of this present study is to evaluate the management structure of the uMgungundlovu TVET College in order to improve its efficiency through enhancing its management structure. The key objective was to determine how the uMgungundlovu TVET College can improve its management structure in order to overcome the massive challenges that presently hinder the sector. A qualitative research design was applied to conduct the investigation, which sought to engage with TVET staff and students who were perceived to have knowledge and understanding of the research problem. The data collection instruments identified to be more efficient for data collection and utilised in this study consisted of semi-structured interviews and a focus group. It is hoped that this study will enable not only the uMgungundlovu TVET College, but the entire TVET sector to improve its management functions. This can be achieved by implementing efficient tools and systems that are devised to ensure a proactive and proficient college management that can provide solutions to the current challenges present in the sector. There is a need to focus on improving management in TVET colleges as their poor performance directly impacts on the South African Government’s development goals and priorities of addressing unemployment, poverty and inequality.