Contributor biographies

Abstract

Dr George Afeti
George Afeti is a mechanical engineer and skills development expert. He is a former university teacher, polytechnic principal and secretary-general of the Association of Technical Universities and Polytechnics in Africa. He recently served as a skills development advisor to the African Union Development Agency. 

Mr Steven Bainbridge
From 1996 to 2024, Steven Bainbridge served as an expert at CEDEFOP (Europe’s vocational education and training (VET) agency) writing and contributing to reports and briefing notes on European VET policy, skill supply and demand, statistical indicators for VET systems, and opinion surveys on adult learning. He now works independently on skill shortages. 

Prof. Penelope Engel-Hills
Penelope Engel-Hills is an adjunct professor in the Professional Education Research Institute at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and serves on the council of a technical and vocational education and training college. She is an active researcher and supervisor with international, national and regional collaborations in which she contributes research skills and experiences gleaned from a wide range of environments.

Dr Tamaryn Jean Friderichs
Tamaryn Friderichs is a senior lecturer at Rhodes University. She specialises in research on human capital, education, labour markets and inequality in South Africa. With expertise in quantitative data analysis, she has conducted research for government and non-governmental and international organisations, publishing widely on skills, training and labour market dynamics.

Dr James Keevy
James Keevy is an experienced policy researcher in South Africa, Africa and internationally. His specific areas of expertise include qualifications, the recognition of learning, digitalisation, and the professionalisation and migration of teachers. At present, his principal expertise lies in the ability to oversee extensive multinational research and large evaluation teams with a view to implementing programmes. 

Dr Mixue Li
Mixue Li is currently a research fellow at Tsinghua University, China. She earned her PhD at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom. Her research focuses on skills formation, vocational education and training, comparative and international education, and arts and crafts. 

Mr Zihao Liu
Zihao Liu is a PhD researcher in education at the University of Nottingham. His PhD research focuses on higher vocational education and training students’ post-college transition in China and the United Kingdom. He has extensive experience in work and research in relation to vocational education and training, in particular post-college transition, academic support and the post-COVID-19 field. 

Dr Monica Mawoyo
Monica Mawoyo is a research associate at the University of the Western Cape’s Institute for Post-School Studies. Her research interests are initial teacher education, foundational mathematics and language, educational technology, open educational resources, student funding, innovative financing, quality teaching and learning, and measurement in technical and vocational education and training and national human resource development strategies. 

Dr Seamus Needham
Seamus Needham, the director of the Institute for Post-School Studies at the University of the Western Cape, specialises in TVET (technical and vocational education and training) research, project management and academic planning. He led a five-year TVET research programme and conducted the largest graduate destination study of TVET graduates. 

Ms Tuletu Njengele
Tuletu Njengele is the deputy principal in charge of registration services at the Lovedale Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College in the Eastern Cape. In her previous position at the Buffalo City TVET College, she was the deputy principal overseeing partnerships. She is currently engaged in doctoral studies in the field of business administration with a focus on TVET college and industry partnerships.

Prof. Joy Papier
Joy Papier holds the South African National Research Foundation Chair in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) at the Institute for Post-School Studies (of which she was the former director) of the University of the Western Cape. The Institute for Post-School Studies offers training and development in TVET, adult education and higher education studies and conducts extensive research and policy analysis. She is a founder member and current editor-in-chief of the Journal of Vocational, Adult and Continuing Education and Training (JOVACET) established in 2017 and has been active in post-school education, policy and development since 1996. Her current research interests include TVET teacher education, TVET policy and development, vocational curricula policy, workplace and institutional cultures, youth unemployment, and education opportunities for youths and adults.

Dr Andrew Paterson
Andrew Paterson is a research associate with JET Education Services. His research includes skills development, skills accreditation and the development of pathways into employment for marginalised people on the African continent such as international migrants, refugees and unemployed youths.

Prof. Michael Rogan
Michael Rogan, an associate professor based at the Neil Aggett Labour Studies Unit at Rhodes University, has over a decade of experience in post-secondary tracer studies and labour market research. He has led national research teams, published widely and consulted for large organisations in the education, skills and training sector.

Dr Jo-Anna Russon
Jo-Anna Russon is a senior research fellow at the School of Education, University of Nottingham. Her research resides within the field of business and development studies, focusing on the private sector and United Kingdom development aid in sub-Saharan Africa, with an interlinked research portfolio on technical and vocational education and training and community-led skills development.

Ms Zaahedah Vally
Zaahedah Vally is a qualitative researcher with JET Education Services. Her areas of research include innovative financing in education, lecturer professionalisation relating to technical and vocational education and training, credentialing, and the post-school sector more broadly in South Africa and Africa. She is currently completing her master’s degree in management, specialising in development and economics.