In general, access to and participation in TVET provides an opportunity for young people and adults to acquire employable skills for the world of work. Improving access to vocational skills acquisition for all age groups and categories of learners regardless of gender, physical disability or geographical location should therefore be a major priority for all governments. The participation of youth and other vulnerable groups in skills development programmes that lead to gainful employment is critical to the promotion of social cohesion and solidarity, poverty reduction, good democratic governance and responsible citizenship.
According to the EMIS data, there were only thirty functioning TVET centres in South Sudan in 2012, including secondary technical schools and VTCs under MoEST. Many of the TVET institutions run both morning (regular) courses and afternoon programmes. Although TVET still has low prestige in the country, it appears there are many more applicants than the training institutions can absorb. For example, at the Juba Technical Secondary School, only 240 out of about 400 applicants are admitted every year. Typically, only about 50 per cent of the candidates for admission to TVET programmes nationally are able to be admitted. The low capacity of the TVET centres is attributable to inadequate training facilities, inadequate number of qualified technical teachers and instructors, and funding constraints. Increasing access to TVET depends partly on the expansion of the system. However, the TVET system is not expanding fast enough to absorb the high number of primary school leavers, which has doubled over the past 10 years(World Bank, 2012). Investment in formal TVET institutions being costly and the number of VTCs rather limited, the formal TVET sector is unable to expand as quickly as it should to meet the enrolment demand. It is obvious, therefore, that access to TVET in the short term will be most probably through non-formal programmes offered by NGOs, community-based and faith-based organizations.
5.1 Perception and attractiveness of TVET
In South Sudan, as in many other African countries, TVET is considered as a second-best choice to general education by many people, especially young people, who prefer educational pathways that lead to white-collar jobs. Enrolment rates are therefore generally low. The reasons for the low attractiveness of TVET include the mentality which views the TVET route as reserved for the less academically skilled. This perception is fuelled by the comparatively low entrance requirements to VTCs. In addition, the opportunities offered for academic or professional progression are limited for graduates of the TVET system.
Paradoxically, many TVET centres indicated that they were unable to admit large numbers of applicants, many of whom were turned away because of the lack of capacity. It appears therefore that many young less-educated Sudanese see the vocational education and training track as a credible avenue for the acquisition of skills that will enhance their employment opportunities. The poor perception and unattractiveness of TVET in Sudanese society may just be changing, especially among the younger generation.
Nevertheless, some measures are being initiated or planned to enhance the attractiveness of TVET. These include a plan to establish four new polytechnics to train higher-level skilled workers for the economy. When established, the polytechnics will also offer a logical academic and professional progression avenue for capable students and learners from the VTCs and technical secondary schools. Some other initiatives aimed at propping up the image of TVET include advocacy, showcasing role models, and financial and non-financial support mechanisms, such as the provision of tools to successful trainees for start-up and self-employment.
5.2 Female participation
In general, female participation in TVET in South Sudan is low compared with male participation. Typically, female enrolments at the technical secondary school level and in the VTCs are low. At the Juba Technical Secondary
School, for example, only 83 girls were enrolled out of a total student population of 531.MoLPSHRD does not keep any centralized data on trainee enrolments or graduation rates from the VTCs under the Ministry or the ones affiliated to the Ministry for certification purposes. However, information gathered from one of the few good privately run VTCs, the St Vincent de Paul VTC on the outskirts of Juba, shows that 331 trainees, including 58 females (or 17 per cent of the cohort), graduated from the centre in 2013. This VTC is heavily dependent on foreign donor support, and runs 9-month (one academic year) regular programmes as well as short-duration vocational training courses in auto mechanics, carpentry, building and construction, general electricity and wiring, tailoring, and computer and secretarial studies.
The disciplines of secretarial studies, computer skills and tailoring have traditionally shown the highest concentration of women and girls. Very few girls enrol in engineering, technology and other traditionally male-dominated disciplines.
The low female participation in the male-dominated trade areas such as auto mechanics, carpentry, and building and construction may be explained by cultural attitudes and prejudices, the lack of girl-friendly training facilities in the schools, and the absence of female role models in engineering and technology-based professions. There is a need for training policies to take into account the specificities of women in TVET, especially in the rural areas.
5.3 Participation of ex-combatants in TVET
TVET in post-conflict countries or contexts such as South Sudan is particularly challenging. The TVET environment in post-conflict zones is often characterized by damaged or destroyed teaching, learning and training facilities, low delivery capacity and high demand for vocational training, inadequate and poorly qualified teachers, and a dearth of data and statistics on the TVET sector. PWDs and ex-combatants constitute a special group with critical skills needs to facilitate their reintegration into the society and enhance their ability to earn sustainable livelihoods.
In South Sudan, the agency charged with the responsibility of reintegrating ex-combatants into the society is the NDDRC. The NDDRC claims that it trained 292 ex-combatants in a pilot programme supported by UNESCO about a year ago, all of whom are now all gainfully employed with the support by the World Bank. The ex-combatants undertook a 12-week Integrated Literacy and Skills Development programme in literacy and numeracy, introductory vocational courses, vocational counselling, psychosocial support and life skills, including civic and peace education.
The vocational courses included plumbing, masonry, carpentry, welding, auto mechanics and agriculture (vegetable production and livestock rearing). On successful completion of the course, the ex-combatants were given a set of work tools and paid monthly stipends for one year as part of the reintegration package. According to an impact evaluation report of the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) project prepared for UNESCO by Forcier Consulting in October 2013, the project beneficiaries generally agreed that the training received was sufficient to prepare them for earning decent livelihoods in the world of work.
Drawing on the success of the pilot programme, a second phase, involving about 4,500 ex-combatants from the 8-year planned target of 150,000 ex-combatants, is planned for the very near future, depending on the return to peace in South Sudan. Given the large numbers of ex-combatants involved, there may be need to mainstream the project into the overall national skills development strategy for greater efficiency and effectiveness (see Box 4), as well as for the implementation of a successful nationwide security sector reform (SSR).
Box 4: Maximizing TVET Interventions in Post-conflict Countries
To maximize the impact of TVET interventions in post-conflict situations, the Commonwealth Association of Polytechnics in Africa (CAPA), at an international conference in Sierra Leone (May 2007), made the following recommendations:
– TVET in post-conflict countries should be seen as giving hope, confidence and economic empowerment to the youth and vulnerable of society, in particular, females, ex-combatants and survivors of war and conflict;
– Scholarship schemes should be instituted for survivors of war and conflict to enable them to acquire knowledge and skills for sustainable livelihoods and further education;
– TVET providers should emphasize short duration, job-specific and ready-to-use skills necessary for infrastructure and economic development;
– Training should be delivered close to the domicile of the learners at community skills-training centres or through the use of mobile training workshops or vans, where possible;
– Training programmes should include peace education, basic literacy and numeracy, and family life skills;
– Post-training support services, including micro-financing and mentoring, should be provided to successful trainees to facilitate their insertion into the world of work.
5.4 Conclusion
There is a need to develop a clear strategy to promote the participation of the most vulnerable groups in South Sudanese society, including girls and women, pastoralist communities, rural youth and ex-combatants, especially in the agricultural sector. The special skills needs of PWDs also deserve attention. Training should also include modules on life skills, entrepreneurship and financial literacy.