TVET students are calling for funded workplace placements after completing their N4 to N6 studies, saying delays in accessing compulsory in-service training are preventing them from obtaining their National N Diplomas.
More than a month after TVET students warned that thousands of graduates were being left unable to obtain their diplomas because they could not access compulsory in-service training, the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has acknowledged the issue as a broader systemic challenge.
The department also revealed that around 30,000 students nationally are currently awaiting workplace placements.
In an article published in April, students described being left in limbo after completing their N4 to N6 studies but remaining unable to graduate because the required 18 months of workplace-based learning was not guaranteed or funded.
Students said many were being forced to wait years for placements, take unrelated work to survive, or consider unpaid opportunities simply to complete their qualifications. The petition calling for funded placements and intervention from government has since gathered more than 30,000 signatures.
