The National Department of Education’s E3 Programme is a public-private partnership supporting South Africa’s education sector to develop the skills and competencies needed for a changing world. The purpose of the programme is to support the National Development goals towards reducing youth unemployment and poverty by 2035, at least by 90%. The acronym E3 refers to education, employability and entrepreneurship and the programme aims to have 90% of learners either in further education opportunities, employed or starting their own businesses. Preparing learners for the world of work and success after school will be very different from our own, and requires a combination of knowledge, competencies and attitudes that form the solutions seeking mindset.

E³ is a DBE innovation program of the Director General's Office activating the intention of the CAPS curriculum to unlock the potential and competencies of South African youth - in line with their mantra 'Every child is a national asset...'.Its vision is to "Create a new South Africa of engaged citizens who are prepared through the school system to build the economic engine of this country" by 2035. Its objective is to ensure that 100% of learners have developed the skills, competencies, knowledge, and self-reliant solution-orientated mindsets to complete school, study further, gain employment or start their own enterprises by 2030.
E3 achieves this by working with teachers to build the competencies of character, thinking, and connection in learners by using progressive teaching-for-learning approaches such as project-based learning. Teachers become architects or designers of learning environments that create opportunities for learners to practice and develop their solution-seeking mindset. Learners become engaged in their learning by being engaged in meaningful projects that mirror real-life issues or problems to be solved - in every grade and subject. The goal is for all of them to begin their life-long education journey at school enthusiastically, to leave school employable and or skilled and motivated to be entrepreneurs.