International Conference on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ICTVET2024)

Conference Theme

First hybrid international conference on technical and vocational education and training (ICTVET2024) hosted by Unisa in close partnership with the South African Public Colleges Organization (SAPCO – organization that represents 50 public TVET colleges in South Africa).

Advancing TVET for Digitalized World, Youth Skilling, Employability and Sustainable Development (National, Regional, Continental, and International).

Sub-themes

Specific sub-themes for delegates might want to consider include, but are not, limited to the following:

  • TVET promise – Youth skilling, pathways for employment, skills for business entrepreneurship; entrepreneurship education (EPE) and the use of information and communication technology (ICT).
  • Inclusive TVET – re-orientating current TVET policies towards inclusivity and excellence, expanding the skills pathways for migrants and disadvantaged youth and people with disabilities.
  • TVET for digitalized world – creation of policies that help TVET teachers and trainers to be equipped with relevant skills to facilitate teaching/training in a digitalized world; initiating ICT-related thematic programmes in areas related to Artificial Intelligence, Open Education Resources (OERs) and mobile learning.
  • TVET network - strengthening and enlarging network of national, regional, and international TVET stakeholders, promoting network and peer learning among TVET institutions, fostering collaboration.
  • TVET for climate action - understanding how TVET institutions are transitioning to renewable energy and mainstreaming climate change responses (advancing the Green TVET Agenda).
  • Energy Security and Transition - Along with climate change, countries must address energy security and transitions. Diversifying energy sources, generating renewable energy, increasing energy efficiency, preventing energy waste, and educating the public about environmental issues are proposed as several strategies.
  • Private sector engagement – understanding initiatives taken to aligning existing TVET programmes to industry demand.
  • TVET research and knowledge base - advancing TVET through knowledge exchange, research studies and research (national, regional and intranational).
  • Articulation - Advancing sustainable development through higher education requires proper planning, including the articulation and differentiation of the system. What are the supportive roles that other entities and stakeholders should play to advance articulation into and between qualifications in higher education.
  • Work-Integrated Learning (WIL): Work integrated learning (WIL) experiences such as placements, apprenticeships or internships offer great opportunities for students. They develop their relevant skills and knowledge, while providing experience in a real working environment. These opportunities may contribute to the solution to employability of young people. Universities, colleges, and educational institutions are increasingly offering these opportunities to students. However, WIL can be time and resource heavy considering their administrative requirements. Then how best the modern technology can be utilized to address the current practice of WIL.
  • Quality Assurance – mechanisms for quality assurance in TVET
  • Innovation, and sustainable leadership: elements vital in TVET in the 21st century, the transformational age.
  • Sustainable curriculum in TVET: sharing of ideas about the type of curriculum that can make TVET Colleges more relevant and thus contribute to the sustainable development of the country. Curriculum that equips learners with the knowledge, skills and understanding necessary to make decisions based upon their full environmental, social, cultural and economic implications.

Conference Streams

The conference abstracts/papers will be organized according to the following streams:

Steering Global Disruptions

  • Climate change
  • Digitalization
  • Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR)
  • Learning Management Systems
  • Demographic change
  • Migration, etc
  • Energy Security and Transition

Inclusion in Education (2024 marks 30 years since adoption of Salamanca Statement)

  • re-orientating current TVET policies for inclusivity
  • adapting teaching methods to accommodate vulnerable group of leaners
  • Training and support of TVET teaching staff/trainers to enable them to accommodate diverse needs of learners

Multi-stakeholder Collaboration to Achieve Education Goals

  • Private sector engagement
  • Sustainable curriculum
  • Digital transformation collaborative efforts
  • Partner commit to advance common projects
  • Articulation
  • Funding opportunities
  • UNEVOC network and TVET contributions to sustain their membership

Strengthening Mechanisms

  • Quality Assurance
  • Leadership and Accountability
  • Effective Governance
  • Assessments, etc
  • pathways for employment,
  • skills for business entrepreneurship

TVET Research and Knowledge Base

  • Research studies and Research in TVET