The delay in issuing TVET College certificates to graduates has been primarily due to system inefficiencies dating back to 1992. The Department of Higher Education presented progress on addressing this backlog during a recent Parliamentary Committee meeting.
This backlog specifically concerns candidate documentation that meets all certification requirements but hasn't resulted in the issuance of a certificate within 90 working days following the release of results.
The Department of Higher Education and Training has acknowledged the challenge of the backlog in TVET and CET Colleges certificates dating back to 1992. To address this, a Certification Task Team (CTT) comprising representatives from DHET, Umalusi, and SITA has been established to tackle the backlog reduction and elimination.
The TVET certification backlog is largely attributed to the outdated examination Information Technology (IT) system, which inadequately manages and reconciles candidates' achievement records across different examinations, as explained by the department.
The Department has reported that backlogs for GETC: ABET L4, NATED Business Studies, NATED Engineering Studies, and NC(V) certificates have been resolved.
The breakdown of the previously outstanding records, now cleared up, is as follows:
- GETC: ABET Level 4 - 65,890
- NATED Business Studies - 29,473
- NATED Engineering Studies - 21,628
- NC(V) - 410 first issue certificates and 7,866 full certificates
From the period between February 18, 2020, and January 3, 2023, the Department, SITA, and Umalusi have processed 125,277 out of 125,277 records, achieving a completion rate of 100.00%. There are currently no outstanding records.
To prevent future certificate backlogs, an e-query system has been implemented. This system enables stakeholders in the certification process to track queries related to outstanding examination results and certificate issuance. The Department is committed to monitoring and addressing all outstanding certificates on a bi-weekly basis.
Former TVET college students awaiting their results are encouraged to escalate their inquiries to the Department of Higher Education and lodge concerns via the e-GOV portal at www.eservices.gov.za.
