Continuing Education and Training Act, 2006 (Act No. 16 of 2006)

Notices

National Policy on Students and Community Support Services for Community Education and Training Colleges

Community, Linkages and Exit Support
Purchase cart Previous page Return to chapter overview Next page

 

63. Community, linkages and exit support is critical to the evaluation of the success of CET college programmes, students and community support services as well as functional college-community systems. In line with the National Strategy on Partnerships within Community Education and Training, colleges must form collaborative initiatives with various community and state organs in order to be successful.

 

64. The capacity of colleges must be strengthened in order to enhance the support system that must be provided through CET colleges. The NPPSET indicates that CET colleges must serve as community information hubs and offer career advice, employment services, provide support for entry into self-employment initiatives and cooperatives through linkages and partnerships.

 

65. Colleges must therefore formalise partnerships with college stakeholders through Memorandum of Agreements (MOA) and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for apprenticeship, Workplace Based Learning (WPBL), job placement opportunities, articulation, wellness, disability support and small business development initiatives and cooperatives. Agreements must be based on available resources that are budgeted for by both parties.

 

66. In line with the Report of the Task Team on Community Education and Training Centres (2013), community colleges must promote and increase the levels of community involvement and participation in educational programmes. Students, as the important link with communities should be involved in the functioning of the college as key stakeholders and as community members. Reciprocally, colleges must also form linkages with communities through college planned community participation initiatives.

 

67. CET colleges in partnership with relevant stakeholders must carry out a variety of activities and programmes to promote success of CET students and community linkages, namely:
67.1. Create and maintain a database of college and community stakeholders;
67.2. Facilitate dialogues with communities to promote their participation in college programmes;
67.3. Provide college information to communities;
67.4. Provide information on community development initiatives to students;
67.5. Provide career guidance and articulation information to college communities;
67.6. Provide assistance with RPL;
67.7. Provide labour market information;
67.8. Facilitate work readiness workshops for students;
67.9.Assist community members to access a database of employers;
67.10.Link communities with job placement agencies and employer organisations;
67.11.Facilitate juvenile offender rehabilitation and community reintegration programmes (e.g., courses for ex-offenders and drug addicts) in partnership with the Department of Justice and Correctional Services;
67.12.Coordinate college-community outreach programmes for people with special learning needs;
67.13.Coordinate college open days, including for disabled people organisations and
67.14.Develop student tracking mechanisms and alumni database to keep track of students that have exited the college.

 

68. Students and community members must be given information on where, when, how and who will assist them to access such services as not all CET colleges may be equipped for the provision of some of the services on site and moreover some may not be able to provide services to the community throughout the day. Where a college may not be able to provide such services, then a referral system must be in place.