Vocational education
Vocational education refers to the preparedness an individual receives before embarking on a technical career that involves the use of skills. This paper aims to develop the contextual meanings of vocational teaching and what a career as a TVET educator involves. Concepts to be involved within the paper include the purposes, craftsman skills necessitated in the sector, and the influence of the WHO (World Health Organization). The paper is centered on the experience of TVET educators and their influence in the vocational education sector. The roles played by TVET educators will be explicitly explained and the benefits vocational education has on the community elaborated.
As a TVET educator, I aim to be a positive influence in teaching the young adult population of South Africa, irrespective of race. The young adults of both genders are limited to those old enough to work but have yet to get meaningful employment but have a desire to be involved in learning crafts to better themselves. My major concern will, however, be centered on the underprivileged youth in the country. Most of these youth have little to no education but have a hunger within them that instills a desire to learn more. They often have hopes of creating better futures for their families but without a capable standing ground. I have a background in economics having completed a degree in the field. The driving force to become a TVET educator manifested in the need to assist young adults from low-income families better themselves individually. I intend to use the knowledge gained from economics in helping shape the students understand the country’s economy better and how they can sustain themselves through self-employment. Vocational education involves technical skills that an individual can practice solely through self-employment. Enabling students to understand how they can sustain a business and the work involved in making a business successful will be part of what I’ll use from my background as an economist to further their education.
The World Health Organization is dedicated to ensuring students in South Africa can receive an adequate education. Apart from its mandated role in eradicating diseases from some areas within the country, it offers scholarships to needy but hardworking individuals. These scholarships are for those who have already received a basic education and intend to further their studies. Besides, they offer research grants to individuals in the medical careers waiting to accomplish innovations (WHO, 2020). These grants are beneficial especially to those who cannot get enough funding from corporations or family and friends. Scholarships are most helpful to those who cannot afford postgraduate studies or aspire to further education with limited capital.
One of the purposes of vocational training is to provide low-cost education that can be easily accessible to a majority of South African residents (Taylor & Francis, 2020). Most of the courses are low priced as compared to those offered in universities. The low costs are aimed at ensuring that individuals, even those from low-income earning areas can comfortably access education. The added benefit of the low prices is that most of these courses resemble those offered in universities but come at prices suitable to the majority. The vocational training also offers technical skills that endears the students to the market (Taylor & Francis, 2020). Most of the courses offered are craft artisan works that require constant workshop training which indulges students in a one to one interactions. These skills are handy in that individuals can sustain themselves through self-employment without necessarily having to look for employment. Craftwork such as mechanics, carpentry, and tailoring are the few that sustain individual employment. The training also enabled people to upgrade skills in a particular career. Some individuals may graduate from universities lacking in the basic skills that their chosen fields have. They thus join vocational training centers where they can hone their skills before joining the workforce.
The vocational training thus aims in providing work-ready individuals who can handle the requirements work centers require (Taylor & Francis, 2020). Through involving the students in hands-on learning, they come out with prior knowledge of how the industry operates. Such measures enable people to have smooth transitioning into the area of employment. Which gives employees an easier time handling the new workforce into their work areas. Vocational training in my opinion fosters in ensuring the greater population of South Africa receives adequate education therefor increasing the workforce in the country. Having a supportive skilled faction of the country is beneficial especially since most of the revenue comes from the work done by small business enterprises (Berry et al. 2002). The increased number of vocational training enables reduce poverty levels by indulging more of the youth from slum areas educated in basic economical skills. Incorporation of more residents in earning furthers the literacy levels of the country which is beneficial in fostering economic growth.
The youth unemployment rate in South Africa stands at 53.18% (Plecher, 2020). Most of the youth remain unemployed with the majority lacking in the basic skills needed to survive in the job market. Despite the statistics showing that South Africans at a percentage of 59% have received upper secondary education, the larger majority of the youth remain unemployed (Plecher, 2020). The youth lack basic skills that the current job market seeks to find in potential employees. Therefore, as a TVET educator, I aim to grant efforts in enhancing the moderation of skills impacted to prepare job-ready individuals. Especially since most of these youth come from underprivileged backgrounds impacting them with basic skills enhances their capability in withstanding the job competition levels in the market. The youth are concerned as being the biggest hold of an economy as they provide the desired workforce in the economy. They are also the pre-determined future of any country. Ensuring that they receive adequate education regardless of their gender, age, and race ensures the stable progress of the country economically. The female population employment rate of South Africa stands at 11.4% (Demoutiez & Mugge, 2020). Thus, ensuring that both genders receive an education will be in one way fostering the employment of more skilled women. Using the background attained from economics, I aim to prepare the students to embrace the specifics that the country’s economy provides. Vocational training offers technical skills but infusing the technical skills with basic economic knowledge creates an all-round individual armed with the basic specifics to survive.
Vocational education makes up for one of the education centers in a country but one that does not usually receive the credit it deserves. Most regard these centers as those who failed in the secondary level of education, which is a pure misjudgment. The vocational training institutions offer education to all regardless of education areas which are sustainable to the majority of residents. They are also the backbone of providing skilled individuals, a dire requirement in the progressing economy that has more need of technical skills. Small business enterprises can often attribute their success through education garnered from these training areas. Vocational should thus be embraced nationally and encouragement is given to more students to pursue this level of education. Lack of information on the benefits these centers offer has facilitated the disapproval the institutions face from a majority of learners. They should thus be embraced and promoted in any possible way.