The United States Announces Expansion of Vocational and Technical Education Exchange with South Africa, Promotes Workforce Development and Youth Employability

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced today that it will expand its partnership with South Africa on vocational and technical education by supporting a second exchange for South African educators and administrators to travel to the United States on the Community College Administrator Program (CCAP). Recognizing the importance of equipping citizens, especially youth, with the education and job skills that support employment in the 21st Century, these exchanges are designed to increase understanding abroad of the U.S. community college model and build capacity in the technical and vocational education sector. The announcement comes during Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Lee Satterfield’s travel to South Africa; learn more here.

Approximately 20 South African college administrators and officials with higher education planning responsibilities will travel to the United States for an in-depth professional development seminar to examine and share perspectives on innovative programs at U.S. community colleges that address workforce development needs in 2024.  This is the second iteration of an international educational exchange with South Africa that previously hosted officials from the South African Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and senior administrators from South Africa’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Community Education and Training (CET) colleges.

CCAP aims to improve technical and vocational education at the post-secondary level by bringing high-level college administrators and officials from other countries to the United States to examine the key tenets of community college administration and workforce development strategies. This U.S. Department of State program is through a cooperative agreement implemented by Florida State University in partnership with Santa Fe College. CCAP is part of a broader effort by the Biden Administration to ensure that community colleges and technical and vocational schools are part of the U.S. strategy to strengthen workforce development and employability, both here at home and abroad.

For further information, contact [email protected]. Follow along on Twitter at @ECA_AS.