A literature review in which we explore an opportunity for systemic change in South Africa’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges from a perspective that seems largely under researched in SA as well as internationally. We focus on student, lecturer and employer values, specifically on values related to working and workplaces. Drawing on the available literature and a few available examples of African and international interventions in this area, we argue that the findings can be used to design a values approach to work-based learning in SA TVET colleges. This approach, and the interventions that can follow from it, requires the development of a conceptual framework that positions the proposed work in relation to the relevant social science field and in relation to how it can contribute to curriculum development that offers enhanced employment chances.