FUTURES OF TVET SKILLS: A SOUTH AFRICAN GREEN HYDROGEN STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK

The research paper outlines a strategic framework to align South Africa's TVET system with the needs of a future green hydrogen economy. Using foresight tools like the Three Horizons Framework and scenario planning, it identifies systemic failures in the current TVET model—such as misalignment with industry needs and funding deficits—and proposes a shift toward 'economic wellbeing' rather than just job placement. The framework suggests sustained innovations, such as scaling Centres of Specialisation (CoS), and disruptive innovations, including nano/micro-credentialing and the use of AR/VR toolkits, to ensure a just labour transition by 2050.

• The current TVET system (H1) is characterized by a significant misalignment with industry needs, resulting in poor labour absorption, a lack of qualified teachers, and a disconnect between vocational skills development and economic strategies.
• The framework advocates for a shift from a narrow focus on 'jobs' toward a holistic concept of 'economic wellbeing,' which encompasses paid work, household provisioning, provisioning of the commons, and state infrastructural support.
• To achieve a just transition, the document identifies several high-impact uncertainties, the most critical being the level of political will and policy certainty, and the ability to create demand-led educational outcomes.
• The 'Economic wellbeing ecosystems' desirable future scenario envisions a transformed TVET system utilizing 'nano and micro educational outcomes' to allow for customizable, stackable qualifications and the use of AR/VR 'education metaverse' tools to remove geographical and language barriers.
• The document warns of several 'Possible Futures' if the transition is mismanaged, including 'Survival of the greenest,' where 'greenwashed' education fails to meet actual sustainability needs, and 'All sebenza, no pay,' where effective policy exists but training outcomes remain poorly designed, leading to an unjust labour transition.
• The strategic framework proposes 'sustained innovations' to optimize existing systems, such as scaling Centres of Specialisation (CoS) and creating a green hydrogen industry body, alongside 'disruptive innovations' like implementing industrial policy measures to stimulate the domestic green hydrogen market.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (n.d.). FUTURES OF TVET SKILLS: A SOUTH AFRICAN GREEN HYDROGEN STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Workstream-7-Futures-of-TVET-Skills-A-Green-Hydrogen-Strategic-Framework.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. FUTURES OF TVET SKILLS: A SOUTH AFRICAN GREEN HYDROGEN STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK. n.d. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Workstream-7-Futures-of-TVET-Skills-A-Green-Hydrogen-Strategic-Framework.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=FUTURES OF TVET SKILLS: A SOUTH AFRICAN GREEN HYDROGEN STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Workstream-7-Futures-of-TVET-Skills-A-Green-Hydrogen-Strategic-Framework.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairsndfutures, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{FUTURES OF TVET SKILLS: A SOUTH AFRICAN GREEN HYDROGEN STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Workstream-7-Futures-of-TVET-Skills-A-Green-Hydrogen-Strategic-Framework.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }