Question NW542 to the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
28 March 2024 - NW542
Siwisa, Ms AM to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
Whether he has been informed that the Motheo Technical Vocational Education and Training College, which offers workshop classes for welding and upholstery and other handy work-related courses, is not officially registered; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) how was the specified college allowed to proceed with offering such courses without proper procedure being approved, (b) what measures of intervention will his department implement to ensure that the college refunds parents for tuition that has already been paid and (c) what action will his department take against the institution for operating without being registered?
Reply:
(a) Motheo TVET college has been offering these programmes as skills programmes since 2001. The current administration of the college inherited these programmes, which were offered as unaccredited skills programmes registered by the former Industry Boards as Competency Based Modular Training (CBMT) Programmes were registered as shorter skills training programmes. Upon realising that these programmes were not accredited, the management of the college took a decision to accredit these programmes through the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) since 2019. For ease of reference the accreditation letters of these programmes is attached, as well as other programmes as received from the QCTO. The college has always marketed these programmes as skills programmes, and not as accredited programmes. (b) The colleges stands to be guided otherwise in terms of reimbursing students/parents for tuition that has been paid as these are legacy programmes registered with old industry boards as far back as technical colleges and manpower centres. (c) The occupational programmes in questioned are accredited with QCTO and the details are as follows:
- Upholstery is now OC: Furniture Upholstery
- And welding is now OC: Welder
This course has their workplace component included in the curriculum. The college is working with industry partners to place all students successfully with employers. Attached find the accreditation certificates for all these occupational programmes.