Embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution: Risk-based perspectives of the South African TVET college sector

Abstract

A country's skills levels define the extent of innovation and abilities. Accordingly, Technical and Vocational Education and Training Colleges (TVET) are significant establishments in provisioning post-school education and training to fulfil the skills expansion in South Africa. These colleges are plagued by student protest actions and pass rates, that impact on the vision and mission of the educational sector. Amidst these challenges, the Fourth Industrial Revolution as a contemporary phenomenon provides new forecasts for consideration where Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are underpinning functions to strategically align objectives in the TVET college landscape. With a case study focused on secondary literature and policy structures of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), this article explores the state of readiness of ICT innovation in supporting education provisioning in the TVET sector by examining current and potential risk perspectives. Through a bibliographic analysis, challenges of risk management, regulation and risk governance are foregrounded within the college sector, and arguably point towards innovative and creative ICT functions supported by an effective risk-based approach, positioning the TVET sector as an enabler of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.