Capacity training for master craftspersons should be introduced

Master craftspersons constitute a critical mass of professionals whose potential can be harnessed to enhance the quality of TVET training. There are inconsistencies in training arrangements from one trainer to another, with varied teaching methods. It is recommended that the issue of standardisation be given greater attention, and the training capacity of master craftspersons developed so that they can provide quality training with relevant curricula and improved pedagogy. This would serve to improve the marketability of skills and enhance comparability between trainees. A supporting structure would need to be put in place to ensure that trainers are able to gain access to the required information and knowledge in the long term, as well as ongoing support. There is also a need for further research into good practice in terms of developing a training system for informal trainers, to identify what has worked in different locations. Primarily this research needs to identify approaches which have been able to integrate master craftspersons into a more formalised system of learning with structured improvements in pedagogical ability, whilst also retaining the current benefits of the informal system.