Recognition of Prior Learning for Promoting Educator Development and Lifelong Learning: The Case of TVET Colleges

While the level of skills and the size of the workforce required to participate in the ever-changing working environment is increasingly debated within TVET colleges, the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) has been neglected in these institutions. TVET colleges play a crucial role in the higher education sector to prepare students for twenty-first century skills. Of more concern is that the sector has been overwhelmed and shaped by persistent racialised inequalities and imbalances inherited from the Bantu Education system under apartheid. It is disturbing that educational qualifications and prior work experience of TVET educators are frequently ignored when they pursue postgraduate degrees in their fields of specialization. Preliminary research revealed that little has been done about interventions and mechanisms to guarantee that RPL benefits those who need it the most. To address this, a Systematic Literature Review that critically analyzes the trends of RPL adoption over the past 10 years was carried out using the PRISMA approach. Existing literature from emerging and developed contexts like the USA, Australia, Europe and Asia, where there have been success stories, is used as a benchmark. Africa, which has substantial RPL implementation, is also referenced. The study suggests how RPL can assist to address the imbalances of the previous educational system, bridge the unfair educational assessment system and address equity in the provision of learning across the sector. RPL can contribute to the development of TVET educators in a way that assures continual progress and also enhances the skills base in the sector.