Skills Governance and the TVET Ecosystem: Pioneering Systemic Innovations for the Emerging Green Hydrogen Economy

This policy briefing examines the role of skills governance within South Africa's Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) ecosystem to support the emerging green hydrogen (GH2) economy. It advocates for a shift from a jobs-centric education model to one based on 'economic wellbeing,' which integrates paid work with caregiving, environmental stewardship, and state infrastructure. The document proposes systemic innovations, including the use of green economy skills incubator hubs, innovative financing like social impact bonds, and the implementation of a Universal Basic Dividend (UBD) to ensure the wealth generated from common resources in the GH2 transition is equitably distributed.

• The document proposes a shift in the TVET ecosystem from a focus on job attainment to a paradigm of 'economic wellbeing.' This holistic approach comprises four essential provisions: dignified paid labour, household caregiving, the maintenance of social-ecological commons, and state-provided infrastructural resources.
• Skills governance is defined as a multifaceted process involving the creation of institutional structures and operational processes to help stakeholders respond to changing skill demands. It differs from traditional skills planning by incorporating 'skills foresight' (anticipating future needs) and 'skills anticipation' (acting on foresight through experimentation and prototyping).
• To support the green hydrogen (GH2) economy, the authors recommend establishing green economy skills incubator hubs. These hubs would serve as neutral environments for GH2 startup experimentation and prototyping, allowing the TVET curriculum to evolve into a regenerative learning ecosystem.
• The briefing identifies a need for innovative TVET funding models that move beyond GDP or student throughput as measures of success. Suggested mechanisms include social impact bonds and development impact bonds, such as the Green Outcomes Fund (GOF), which has mobilised ZAR 488.1 million for South African green small, micro and medium-sized enterprises.
• The authors advocate for a Universal Basic Dividend (UBD) to address energy inequality and historical land ownership disparities in South Africa. Unlike a basic income, a UBD redistributes revenues generated from common resources—such as land and water used in GH2 projects—to all society members, regardless of employment status.
• The South African government has a target to train 30,000 artisans and technicians by 2030 to meet industrial demands and reduce youth unemployment.

APA

JENTEL, L., & CLOETE, D. (2024). Skills Governance and the TVET Ecosystem: Pioneering Systemic Innovations for the Emerging Green Hydrogen Economy. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/SAIIA_PB_293_SkillsGovernanceTVET-corrected.pdf

Chicago

JENTEL, LETITIA, and DEON CLOETE. Skills Governance and the TVET Ecosystem: Pioneering Systemic Innovations for the Emerging Green Hydrogen Economy. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2024. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/SAIIA_PB_293_SkillsGovernanceTVET-corrected.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=JENTEL |first1=LETITIA |last2=CLOETE |first2=DEON |title=Skills Governance and the TVET Ecosystem: Pioneering Systemic Innovations for the Emerging Green Hydrogen Economy |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=May 2024 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/SAIIA_PB_293_SkillsGovernanceTVET-corrected.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jentel2024skills, author = {JENTEL, LETITIA and CLOETE, DEON}, title = {{Skills Governance and the TVET Ecosystem: Pioneering Systemic Innovations for the Emerging Green Hydrogen Economy}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2024}, month = may, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/SAIIA_PB_293_SkillsGovernanceTVET-corrected.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }