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Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Innovation
2015-06-23Staff Report 2 Query: Minister of Higher Education, come help us. We are a group of students who paid N$18 000 for a diploma course in logistics supply chain at Polytechnic of Namibia. However, since we completed the course in 2014, we never received our diplomas but got our exam results that we passed. When are we going to get our diplomas, or did we pay N$18 000 for result statements only? We need feedback from the coordinator of the centre for logistics as well. Response: The Namibian-German Centre for Logistics (NGCL), an institute of the Polytechnic of Namibia, is an accredited training provider for the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) International Division. The CILT International Diploma in Logistics and Transport offered through the NGCL registered 195 students in 2014. The examinations were written in November 2014 and the marks were released in January 2015 due to moderation requirements by the CILT International Office. This allowed supplementary examinations to be planned for February and March 2015. Of the 195 students registered, 112 students sat for supplementary examinations at the end of February 2015. The final results were released during March/April 2015. Delays were caused in the release of marks for some students as fees were outstanding, and thus proof of payment needed to be re-submitted by many students. Results were only released after the full payment of N$17 040 per student had been received. The CILT International Office requires the bulk registration of students so that all diplomas can be printed simultaneously. Due to the majority of students owing on their fees, the bulk printing of diplomas was further delayed and only 104 students were registered to have their diplomas printed in May 2015. The outstanding diplomas are expected from the International Office by the end of June 2015. In addition, due to numerous complaints from the International Diploma students on the accreditation of the qualifications, the NGCL has concluded a partnership with the CILT UK professional body to offer the Namibian industry-regulated logistics and transport qualifications. These qualifications are currently running in Windhoek, Walvis Bay and Tsumeb. The centre is in the process of introducing a mechanism to bridge the international diploma students to the regulated CILT qualifications. This transition has required the NGCL to review its processes and prepare for a centre evaluation that was completed recently. Thus, the centre signed the agreement with the CILT UK in May 2015, and the Namibian Qualifications Authority (NQA) has endorsed the transition. Students are further encouraged to forward their queries to: Logan Fransman - Tell: +264 61 207 2909, E-mail: lfransman@polytechnic.edu.na Query: Minister of Higher Education, please change the vocational centres to vocational training colleges. It will carry more weight. Response: The NTA is currently conducting a pre-feasibility study to identify opportunities for the expansion of vocational education and training programmes, especially at the vocational training centres (VTCs), to offer programmes at levels higher than what they currently offer (up to NQF Level 5). Query: Ministry of Higher Education, can you please visit Windhoek Vocational Training Centre. We pay to be educated but for the whole year our instructors, especially for engineering science, only taught us two chapters and when the exam comes it is us the students who suffer the consequences. For what are these people being paid every month? The Windhoek VTC refutes this claim. Only three of the nine modules under the Engineering Science course and textbook content are still to be covered. Trainees are encouraged to channel all training-related and service delivery concerns through their class representatives and the Trainee Representative Council. - Helena Udjombala, Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Innovation: Public Relations Officer. 2015-06-23Staff Report 2
