STANDARDIZED ENTRY REQUIREMENTS FOR TVET

Higher education can significantly boost students’ earning power. However, entering a college entails that students meet a number of requirements, including high school academic performance and other evaluation criteria. While entrance requirements for TVET colleges vary, some of them have the same or similar selection criteria.
 

Fundamentally, the quality of a profession cannot be maintained and improved if the students who enter TVET institutions are not prepared to meet the necessary standards. All TVET institutions should try to attract the best quality individuals to the study of TVET courses. Ultimately, the quality of the profession depends on the quality of the candidates colleges can attract.
 

Entry Requirements are the first step in this process. Higher entry requirements may allow professional education and practical experience requirements to be met in a shorter period of time.
 

MQA branch is aiming to have standard entry requirements for all TVET institutions offering National Certificate (NC), Technical Training Certificate (TTC), and Diploma courses.
 

Admission into TVET Colleges, Polytechnic and Vocational centres is competitive because there are usually more applicants than the available positions. Students particularly apply in large numbers to colleges which have a reputation of excellent academic performance.
 

Entry requirements vary from one college to another and are also program specific. There are, however, some basic requirements set by colleges  of different categories.
 

The recent concluded workshop on ‘Standard Entry Requirements for TVET Institutions organized by MQA branch which was held at Aku Lodge, Port Moresby on 13th –14th May 2013 was completed successfully. Ms. Monica Maluan—Assistant Secretary, Operations and Management Division officially opened  the workshop.
 

The aim of this workshop is to establish a standard entry requirement and to ensure that students hoping to become Trades men and women, professional technical skilled men and women have an educational background that enables them to have a reasonable possibility of achieving success in their studies.

 

The said workshop was attended by the representatives of TVET colleges. Mr. Joselito Marcos—Deputy Director Academic, NPI - Lae, Mr. Johnson Luhuvae  - Deputy Principal, GTC, Mr. Markus Wemaia—Deputy Principal, HTC, Mrs. Celestine Ponau—Deputy Principal, KBC, Mrs. Jeannette Lee—Deputy Principal, MTC, Mr. Jagath Nanayakarra—Deputy Principal Academic, PMBC, Mr. Mario Laganao—Deputy Principal Academic, PMTC, and Mr. Philip Colada—Principal, WNBTC.
 

Other participants from TVET, Mrs. Rossa Apelis—Superintendent, Curriculum Branch, Mr. Rufino Rivera—Manager, MQA Branch, Mrs. Violet Gerega—Asst. Manager, FOL Branch, Mr. Thomas Aiye—Manager, FOL, and Mrs. Agatha Simango—Asst. Manager, MQA.
 

Preparing a policy document for submission and endorsement is the next step MQA tasked to do considering those who will be directly affected by the new or revised polices.