Exploring the role of a TVET hybrid CoS for the GHE

This research paper examines the potential for establishing a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) hybrid Centre of Specialisation (CoS) to support South Africa's Green Hydrogen Economy (GHE). It analyzes systemic failures in the current vocational skills development system—including declining enrolments, poor throughput rates, and a disconnect between curricula and industry needs—and evaluates the existing CoS model and pilot programs (Bambili and NBI) to provide recommendations for a demand-led, flexible skills strategy for the green transition.

• South Africa's TVET college system has failed to meet growth targets, with 673,490 enrolments in 2019 against a 2030 target of 1,500,000. Enrolments have declined by 4.5% between 2016 and 2019, driven largely by a drop in the three-year NC(V) qualification and a shift in student age profiles, with those aged 15-19 falling from 25% of enrolments in 2013 to 11.5% in 2019.
• The NC(V) programme suffers from severe inefficiency, with a throughput rate of only 9.2% for students moving from Level 2 in 2016 to completing Level 4 in 2018. This is attributed to high drop-out rates at Level 2, poor student support, and a lack of prerequisite maths and science skills among learners.
• Artisan development is hampered by systemic inefficiencies, with 57.8% of apprentices failing to complete their training within five years. The cost of this non-completion and delay is estimated at R3.6 billion.
• The Centres of Specialisation (CoS) programme aims to address artisan shortages in 13 priority trades using a dual-system apprenticeship model. Success depends heavily on college executive buy-in and the role of Occupational Team Convenors (OTCs) in securing employer participation, as SETAs have had a limited role in this area.
• The Bambili GH Pilot demonstrated that a short-term (6-week) proof-of-concept course for fuel cell (FC) systems could successfully prepare candidates with N4 qualifications in Electrical or Chemical engineering for the hydrogen economy, provided it includes soft skills and digital training to improve employability.
• The NBI Plumbing Hand / Solar Water Heating programme successfully used a 'lead employer' model (with NBI acting as the lead) to remove administrative burdens from SMEs, creating a scalable pathway for youth to enter the plumbing trade at a lower cost than full apprenticeships.
• Defining green skills for the Green Hydrogen Economy is difficult because the sector is in early development and the Organising Framework for Occupations (OFO) is static. The paper argues for a 'capabilities approach' focusing on job families rather than narrow competencies to prevent worker redundancy as technology evolves.
• The demand for Green Hydrogen skills is expected to be spatially concentrated. The paper recommends locating future CoS sites along the 'Hydrogen Valley', specifically targeting hubs in Mogalakwena (Limpopo), Johannesburg, Durban, and Richards Bay.
• To be viable, a Green Hydrogen CoS should not be a stand-alone entity but an add-on to an existing CoS in a complementary field, such as Electrical or Mechanical Engineering, ensuring the college has a proven track record in dual-system delivery.
• Funding for the CoS model is currently fragmented across fiscus funding, skills levies, and tax incentives. The paper recommends integrating CoS programmes into college funding norms and standardizing SETA stipends regardless of the employer's specific SETA.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (n.d.). Exploring the role of a TVET hybrid CoS for the GHE. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Workstream-5-TVET-hybrid-Centre-of-Specialisation_Bambili_SAIIA_NBI.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Exploring the role of a TVET hybrid CoS for the GHE. n.d. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Workstream-5-TVET-hybrid-Centre-of-Specialisation_Bambili_SAIIA_NBI.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Exploring the role of a TVET hybrid CoS for the GHE |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Workstream-5-TVET-hybrid-Centre-of-Specialisation_Bambili_SAIIA_NBI.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairsndexploring, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Exploring the role of a TVET hybrid CoS for the GHE}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Workstream-5-TVET-hybrid-Centre-of-Specialisation_Bambili_SAIIA_NBI.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }