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

The document proposes a shift in South Africa's Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) ecosystem from a jobs-centric approach to one based on 'economic wellbeing,' which includes dignified labour, household care, ecosystem provisioning, and state infrastructure. To support the green hydrogen (GH2) economy, it recommends establishing a skills governance working group, creating green economy skills incubator hubs for experimentation, and adopting innovative financing like social and development impact bonds. Additionally, it advocates for a Universal Basic Dividend (UBD) funded by GH2 project profits to redistribute wealth from common resources and ensure a just energy transition, addressing historical land ownership disparities.

• The document advocates for a paradigm shift in education from a focus on formal employment to 'economic wellbeing,' which comprises four essential provisions: dignified labour, household provisioning for caregiving, provisioning of the commons for social-ecological ecosystems, and state provisioning of essential infrastructure.
• To implement this shift, the author recommends that the Presidency, the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), and Business Unity SA/National Business Initiative (BUSA/NBI) create a skills governance working group to integrate these wellbeing principles into TVET curricula.
• The brief proposes the use of 'green economy skills incubator hubs' within TVET colleges to serve as environments for GH2 startup experimentation and prototyping, moving beyond traditional linear planning to 'skills anticipation.'
• Current TVET funding is deemed inadequate for National Development Plan targets; the document suggests moving toward innovative financing models, such as social impact bonds and development impact bonds, to align investment with social and environmental outcomes.
• The Green Outcomes Fund (GOF) is cited as a successful example of outcome-based financing in South Africa, having mobilised ZAR 488.1 million ($24.5 million) for green small, micro and medium-sized enterprises.
• The document proposes a Universal Basic Dividend (UBD) to address energy inequality and land ownership disparities in South Africa, where dividends from common resources used in GH2 projects would be redistributed to all citizens.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2024). Skills Governance and the TVET Ecosystem: Pioneering Systemic Innovations for the Emerging Green Hydrogen Economy. https://saiia.org.za/research/skills-governance-and-the-tvet-ecosystem-pioneering-systemic-innovations-for-the-emerging-green-hydrogen-economy/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Skills Governance and the TVET Ecosystem: Pioneering Systemic Innovations for the Emerging Green Hydrogen Economy. 2024. https://saiia.org.za/research/skills-governance-and-the-tvet-ecosystem-pioneering-systemic-innovations-for-the-emerging-green-hydrogen-economy/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Skills Governance and the TVET Ecosystem: Pioneering Systemic Innovations for the Emerging Green Hydrogen Economy |date=27 May 2024 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/skills-governance-and-the-tvet-ecosystem-pioneering-systemic-innovations-for-the-emerging-green-hydrogen-economy/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2024skills, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, 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/research/skills-governance-and-the-tvet-ecosystem-pioneering-systemic-innovations-for-the-emerging-green-hydrogen-economy/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }