Parliament, Thursday, 24 May 2018 – The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training has said it was happy with the progress the Department of Higher Education, Umalusi and the State Information Technology Agency (Sita) were making on the certificates backlogs.
“This is an indication that work is being done, good progress has been realised. When the committee insists on the issuing of certificates at TVET and CET colleges, we are considerate to the plight many students are confronted with. The certificate is everything in accessing economic opportunities,” Chairperson, Ms Connie September, said.
“It is a long-held view of the committee that producing a certificate should not take more than six months after examination results had been issued. We want to get South Africa working, and that simply means deserving students from colleges should be equipped with their certificates,” she said.
The committee heard this week that a lot of progress has been realised in eradicating the backlogs that dates back to 2007.
“We are excited that currently the department and its entities have committed themselves to issue the national vocational certificates within three months after the release of examination,” Ms September said.
She said this is one aspect the committee will also seek more information on, on its Russian visit in June. “The trip is mainly for learning good processes and how the sector is structured and how it functions elsewhere in the world,” she said.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING, MS CONNIE SEPTEMBER.
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