Catholic Institute of Education

Centre support

The role of the CIE Thabiso Skills Institute is to capacitate the centres’ management and staff to work towards functioning as centres of excellence.

Centres are guided and supported by the CIE Thabiso Skills Institute in navigating the difficult terrain of the South African skills development system through:

  • Sourcing and/or designing skills programmes
  • Introducing quality management systems
  • Providing assistance in accreditation, certification and quality assurance
  • Monitoring, evaluating and reporting on centre delivery
  • Facilitating communication, networking and resource sharing
  • Coordinating and facilitating interventions for staff capacity building
  • Creating opportunities for workplace-based learning, job placements and entrepreneurial development
  • Assisting with accessing of funds
  • Providing up-to-date information around the changing and complex post-school education and training landscape, and by brokering strategic partnerships with Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), the Department of Higher Education and Training, other NPOs, and government departments and businesses

Workplace-based learning

Workplace-based learning is a compulsory component of all accredited skills programmes/qualifications. The CIE’s job services team collaborates with centre managers and life skills facilitators to source workplaces in the vicinity of skills centres so that learners can complete their part qualification/full qualification with the relevant SETA.

A tracking system is in place at all centres to follow up on whether learners who have completed their part qualification/full qualification have found employment, started their own business, or are continuing with their studies through apprenticeships or learnerships.