Handbook of Vocational Education and Training

Abstract

Human development in various forms is central to addressing South Africa’s socioeconomic challenges and building an inclusive society. In the earlier phases ofthe democratic era in South Africa, TVETand skills development policies have been shaped by a reliance on human capital theory assumptions which present the relationship ofeducation, skills, and the labor market in a linear way. This was in the context of macroeconomic policies that were geared toward prioritizing the interests of global capital in addressing developmental goals. Skills develop- ment and TVET policies are still largely geared toward driving competitiveness, growing the economy, and meeting the skills needs of capitalist employers. What we see is a growing paradox in the whole skills issue, whereby a so-called surplus labor of unemployed people exists, many of whom have different kinds of skills but are regularly told that they are “unemployable” as their skills cannot be deployed within the current economic configuration. Developmental objectives such as reducing unemployment and increasing access to the labor market have also not made the desired impact. The chapter shows that the capabilities per- spective can enrich the discourse ofskills development and TVET in South Africa by inserting an approach of human freedom and social justice, which is often S.