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What is DHET?

The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) is a government organisation, responsible for planning, developing, monitoring, and maintaining national policies and systems, for post-schooling institutions. By doing so, the Department aims to develop South Africans who are well-educated, and capable of sustaining our economy.

What does DHET do?

The DHET controls and directs how all post-schooling institutions operate. By developing procedures for them to follow, the department aims to improve education within the country, and meet economic needs.

The DHET’s mission is to help South Africa move out of “developing country” status, by developing skilled and educated citizens. By improving the knowledge and skills of citizens, the Department hopes to combat the growing unemployment and poverty rates within the country.

What are the main programmes of DHET?

The DHET consists of the following main programmes and sub-programmes:

  • Universities: responsible for overseeing the development and transformation of universities.
  • Vocational Education: responsible for dealing with Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges.
  • Community Education: responsible for dealing with Community Education and Training (CET) colleges.
  • Skills Development: responsible for coordinating skills development initiatives across different sectors.
  • Planning, Policy & Strategy: responsible for providing strategic direction and support to the department.
  • Corporate Services: responsible for providing administrative and financial services to the department.

What is the role of DHET in the SETA environment?

The DHET is also responsible for overseeing the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), which are entities that facilitate skills development in various economic sectors. The role of DHET in the SETA environment includes:

  • Developing and maintaining a list of scarce and critical skills.
  • Developing and communicating regulations for skills planning.
  • Developing and implementing a plan for national skills development planning and support.
  • Maintaining and updating an accurate and accessible Organising Framework for Occupations list.
  • Managing annual Service Level Agreements between the department and the SETAs.
  • Developing and reviewing skills development legislation, regulations, policies, systems and guidelines.
  • Developing and aligning Sector Skills Plans to the National Skills Development Strategy.
  • Monitoring and promoting the effective implementation of transformative social inclusion and cohesion policies throughout the skills development sector.
  • Communicating transfers between SETAs.

How can I contact DHET?

You can contact DHET through the following channels: