Abstracts

61 suggests that such a system can help address both youth unemployment and the lack of a skilled workforce in South Africa. Adopting a Dual System in South Africa With the challenges of a rising youth unemployment rate; a huge skilled worker deficit, especially for certain OIHD; and a lack of a corresponding education curriculum with qualified faculty oriented toward the youth population, South Africa should consider adopting a more functional vocational and employment educational model such as the dual system. This new approach should be based on the German and other successful models from around the world. Moreover, because reforming the vocational education system is a complex process, it is critical to ensure that the new model incorporate the industry skills component into the TVET colleges. The following set of recommendations and guidelines addresses the implementation of a comprehensive dual system of vocational education in South Africa. The first step is to raise awareness of both South African government officials and industry leaders for the need to work together to address the issue of the unemployed youth generation through the implementation of a dual system of education and training. Existing projects, such as the VET partnership between Germany’s Steinfurt-Warendorf District Craft Trades Association and Umfolozi College in South Africa, operating since 2015, have shown improved training and cooperation between training programs and the private sector in South Africa (Wieland, 2015). Another project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, called Trainme (iMOVE, 2018), which is aimed at developing the training of vocational schoolteachers in South Africa, also has shown some success. Those projects can serve as foundational examples and as a starting point to demonstrate the value of a dual system. However, awareness of the benefits of implementing a dual system at a national scale still requires effort. Further promoting a dual system through conferences and forums to discuss the possible transformation of the currently inefficient TVET colleges is needed. Second, it is important to advocate the positive impact of implementing a dual system to both students and parents. The reformation of vocational education can be successful only if it is accepted by parents, students, and the broader society. Successful examples of adopting the dual system, such as the partnership of Schaeffler Romania and the German Kronstadt Vocational School, are the best cases to present to students. Kronstadt, opened in 2012, is the first vocational school in Romania to use the dual system, and the practical training takes place mainly within the automotive parts manufacturing company, Schaeffler Romania. Ivan and Albu (2014) conducted extensive interviews with both instructors and students of the program and concluded that the implementation of the dual system has room to improve but is “indeed an important step towards economic growth and social inclusion due to the multitude of benefits it brings in the society and in each individual’s life” (p. 81). One interviewee stated that students are willing to work at Schaeffler because they are accustomed to the environment and workmates. In addition, the practical training has helped them form a strict schedule and learn the true meaning of real work. They have learned to adapt to work more easily and smoothly and have the skills required to do the job. Due to the success of the Kronstadt model, many other counties in Romania have begun to adopt the program. Wieland (2015) pointed out that programs aimed at raising vocational training’s acceptance within society can be successful when they are able to show results that justify confidence in the VET system. Thus, the experiences gained from the Schaeffler example provide useful publicity to raise awareness of the value of a dual system in South Africa and are powerful in helping to change the main prejudice, that vocational education is only for students who cannot get into universities. It, therefore, is critical that accurate data be maintained and that results are publicized for the general public to understand how the dual model works in increasing employment and quality of life. Third, partnerships with companies require that the industry partners clearly