The Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA) has launched a Renewable Energy and Microgrid Training Centre at the Vhembe Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College's Makwarela Campus in Thohoyandou, Limpopo.

The centre is the first fully completed site of Phase 1 of a national initiative to increase collaboration among sector education and training authorities and industry partners to build a coordinated, demand-led skills system that supports South Africa’s long-term energy and economic goals.

In Phase 2, this renewable-energy training initiative will be expanded across all nine provinces.

Phase 1 also includes the roll out of renewable-energy infrastructure across four other TVET colleges in Limpopo, Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, as well as the training of 50 learners and lecturers in China.

The Vhembe facility has a fully equipped renewable energy training centre and an operational microgrid system that will serve as a sustainable energy source for the campus and as a live, hands-on training platform.

This enables learners to gain practical experience in solar PV systems, battery storage technologies and energy management systems, thereby effectively bridging the gap between theory and workplace readiness.

Early results indicate positive employment outcomes, which validate the programme’s focus on aligning skills provision with industry demand.

The launch strengthens South Africa’s renewable energy skills pipeline and supports the country’s transition to a low-carbon economy, EWSETA says.

The training centre was launched in partnership with the Chinese Culture and International Education Exchange Centre.

The initiative forms part of the broader South Africa–China Just Energy Transition TVET Infrastructure and Skills Development Programme, which is a EWSETA-led intervention that is designed to modernise the TVET system through infrastructure investment, industry-aligned training and international collaboration.

The programme directly addresses critical challenges in the skills ecosystem, including limited access to practical training facilities, gaps in lecturer capacity and misalignment between training and labour market demand, the training authority says.

“This programme is the first step in repositioning the TVET college system as a central driver of South Africa’s skills revolution. By investing in modern infrastructure, strengthening partnerships and aligning training to industry needs, we are building a scalable model that responds directly to the country’s just energy transition priorities while creating meaningful opportunities for young people,” says EWSETA accounting authority chairperson Morwesi Ramonyai Thonga.

The centre is a fully integrated skills development solution that links training, technology and industry, says EWSETA acting CEO Robyn Vilakazi.

“President Cyril Ramaphosa has consistently called for a skills revolution that fundamentally reshapes our economy. Initiatives such as this respond directly to that call by ensuring that skills development is rooted in real industry demand and technological advancement,” says Department of Higher Education and Training director-general Dr Nkosinathi Sishi.

“The end goal must be the development of local manufacturing capabilities within the renewable energy value chain to move from skills development to true economic transformation, and enable South Africans not only to participate in the economy, but to produce, innovate and industrialise,” he adds.

Meanwhile, TVET colleges require support beyond traditional funding models and require integrated interventions that transform the institutions into centres of excellence for future skills, says Vhembe TVET College principal Basani Hlekane.

Industry training authorities and partners must work with TVET colleges to build capacity, strengthen infrastructure and ensure the training authorities' colleges are fully equipped to deliver high-quality, industry-relevant training, she says.