Joint standards for modern vocational education and training in South Africa
Germany and South Africa intensify their VET cooperation. In 2025, the focus was on lecturer and curricular development, establishing larger stakeholder networks, and adopting standardised competence profiles for TVET teaching staff.
A decisive factor for the quality of vocational education and training is the competence of those imparting the knowledge. Lecturer and curricular development are therefore also an important specialist focus of the bilateral cooperation in 2025. The Bilateral Expert Group, comprising Micheal Härtel (Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training, BIBB), Professor Michael Gessler (Institute Technology and Education, University of Bremen) and Professor Waldemar Bauer (University of Erfurt) are involved in this once again as an established mechanism in the implementation of cooperation work. GOVET is coordinating the expert group on the German side.
The first highlight of the year was a South African delegation’s study trip to Bremen and Hamburg from 30 March to 5 April 2025. It was a particular success, as for the first time it was possible to bring all relevant stakeholder groups together in one place for practice-oriented and work-based training: representatives of the responsible Ministries (Department of Higher Education and Training, DHET), the standardisation authority QCT, the TVET colleges, and teacher training institutions, sectoral training authorities (SETAs) and VET research.
The hosting Institute Technology and Education (ITB) presented different career pathways and a competence profile for vocational school teachers in a workshop. The principles of open learning content based on work processes was made tangible in practical units. Another workshop was dedicated to the future-oriented topic of AI competencies in VET. Visits to dual system learning locations made it possible to experience the local system in person.
In Hamburg, the Hamburg Institute for Vocational Education and Training (HIBB) provided insights into VET governance and the work of the Youth Employment Agency. Two vocational schools provided a practical link to the transformation of the world of work by presenting their current learning and teaching practices. The programme concluded with the presentation of innovative trial cooperation models at the Cooperative University of Applied Sciences Hamburg by Professor Henning Klaffke.
In closing, the DHET reinforced the intention to intensively continue the cooperation with all participating stakeholders. In the third and second quarter, GOVET organised multiple online networking events in order to continue developing the cooperation topics.
At a workshop in Irene near Johannesburg in November 2025, the cooperation achieved significant milestones. The key result of the workshop was the adoption of a “TVET Educator Profile”. It describes competence areas for the teaching staff at vocational institutions, offers teacher training institutions and students guidance on practice-oriented quality requirements, and is intended to increase society’s appreciation of VET staff. The competence profile was developed by South-African experts; technical requirements during the transformation of the world of work were particularly emphasised in the dialogue with German experts. Implementation issues in the introduction of new curricula – in particular the “Advanced Diploma in Technical Vocational Teaching” – at teacher training colleges and possible support offers by the bilateral expert group were also discussed. In the final block of the workshop, key contents of a continuing education offer for teacher training institutions and their staff were compiled that consist of online and in-person components and is to be implemented in the following year.
A cooperation agreement made in advance between BIBB and the Tshwane University of Technology created optimal conditions for professional dialogue, particularly in that it facilitated and regulated the provision of sensitive data and information.
The cooperation with South Africa shows how effective bilateral cooperation in VET can be when all relevant stakeholders are involved. It creates a joint basis for quality development in teacher training and gives participating institutions and their staff clear guidance.
Dr Ralf Hermann, Head of GOVET
With the adoption of the TVET Educator Profile, the agreed continuing education offers for teacher training institutions, and the growing network of all relevant stakeholders, the way has been paved for the continuation of the bilateral VET cooperation in 2026.
The German-South African Binational Commission (BNK) defines and decides on high-priority issues with regard to relations between the two countries. The joint working group on labour, social affairs and vocational training, in which a number of German government departments are involved, determines the cooperation priorities in these areas. Agreement had already been reached in 2020 to form bilateral expert groups and to define lecturer and curricular development as key focus areas of the cooperation.
GOVET plays a key role in shaping the vocational education and training cooperation of the Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMBFSFJ) and coordinates the expert group on the German side. At the end of June 2023, the joint declaration of intent of the German education ministry was extended with the South African training ministry. It forms the basis of GOVET's cooperation with South African partners.