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BL Premium reports that according to Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande, the sector is on track to achieve some of the crucial National Development Plan (NDP) targets, including increasing the number of university enrolments as well as graduates attaining doctorates or advanced qualifications.
But while the higher education sector may be on track to meet its targets, some graduates are struggling to find employment partly due to SA’s dismal economic growth and record unemployment rate. Responding to parliamentary questions last week, Nzimande said access to universities had grown substantially over the past 10 years, with just more than 1.3-million students enrolled at public and private universities. The country is on track to reach the NDP target of 1.6-million enrolments by 2030. This is in part due to the controversial government decision to phase in fully subsidised free higher education and training for poor and working-class students. The minister indicated, however, the NDP target of 2.5-million enrolments in technical and vocational education training colleges [TVETs] was not likely to be met, in part due to a lack of funding. The NDP, a long-term plan articulating the country’s vision to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality by 2030, was adopted by the cabinet in 2012. It broadly proposes creating 11-million jobs by 2030 and reducing unemployment. The tertiary education sector is envisaged to be a crucial part of the plan to reduce skills shortages that continue to stifle economic growth. However, SA has recorded abysmal growth rates for successive years, meaning that many of the key NDP targets are unlikely to be met.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Bekezela Phakathi at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
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