Workers College
Trade in Durban

At Workers College KZN we develop materials that challenge our students; we focus on topics and issues that have wide ranging implications – that will stretch our students to the fullest.

The College uses the struggle knowledge, experiences and skills of trade union and community activists to redress the historical imbalances in education and providing adult learners with opportunities for learning as well as deepen their understanding of the role of trade union and community struggles in the transformation of the broader society. One of the key tasks of the college is to develop worker and community leaders through providing educational opportunities for students selected from participating trade unions and community organisation. The College also plays a transformative role within the educations sphere by challenging the current dominant/formal educational practices that disregards indigenous knowledge and the prior knowledge individuals acquire outside formal learning Collaborate with other educational institutions who share the vision of the College. The Workers’ College is a Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) and Non Profit Organisation which has been serving the labour movement, and communities in South Africa and on the continent of Africa, since its inception in Its main focus has been to raise the levels of skills, capacities, understanding and the consciousness of trade union activists at a political, social, and economic level, so that they would be able to engage with the challenges that confront them, especially in the workplace, in their sectoral institutions (such as bargaining councils, SETAs, health and safety committees) and in the broader society. The Workers’ College is governed by a council elected for two years. A board of trustees oversee the governance of day to day issues at the College. The Organisation is subject to annual audits and a quality management framework assists in the effective and efficient implementation of main stream and project Activities. To advance social transformation, social justice, equality and worker rights through the provision of worker education that expands the agency, consciousness, activism, education and lifelong learning opportunities of workers as citizens and as producers. Locate worker education in the broader context of popular education and working class struggles, Develop popular education programmes and practices that sustain the participatory and critical learning processes of participants, Use worker education as a tool to develop worker leadership through providing intermediary and advanced political and ideological education, Assist with developing education capacity in constituent organisations, Develop a progressive and collaborative national, continental and global network of education initiatives and programmes with organisations that share our vision, Initiate and support transformation at existing public educational institutions, and critically engage in collaborative popular education programmes with such institutions. As participating organisations they take part in the governance structures of the Workers’ College. The College holds an annual graduation ceremony where Learners are rewarded for their studies during the year and special achievements acknowledged. worker and community leaders through providing educational opportunities. by challenging the current dominant/formal educational practices. and use prior learning, indigenous knowledge and struggle experiences.