Frequently Asked Questions

What is an FET College?

The 50 Public Further Education and Training (FET) colleges strive to provide high-quality education and training to help students equip themselves with the qualifications and skills needed to start a chosen career path. Invaluable life skills to meet the many challenges of the working world are gained which resluts in more than a mere qualification on paper, but that makes students job ready.
 
Public FET Colleges also work closely with key-stakeholders from various industries to help fulfill the great need that exists for trained, skilled and qualified employees through customized education and training programmes.

Why should someone consider studying at Boland College?

The education and training offered at Boland College is customised and responsive to the needs of students and industry and the careers we promote through training in various modes of structured learning are essential for the economic upliftment of the South African economy.
 
An FET vocational programme will equip you for a successful and rewarding career in an industry that has great need for your newly acquired practical skills, experience and knowledge and it will also provide you with access to higher education and lifelong learning. This means your earning potential may be unlimited.

How will I benefit from associating myself with Boland College?

Not only will you gain from being associated with Boland College as the leader in Further Education and Training on the surface, but you will directly or indirectly be contributing to bridging the South African skills gap.

As a Boland College student, you will gain integrated theoretical and practical experience, exposure to industry as well as a meaningful qualification as part of an affordable education - to which every South African has a right. This is true not only if you are just starting your career-focused education, but also if you are an adult of any age interested in additional training in the career you are following - or even interested in making a complete career change.

Businesses, local government and even international organisations have gained through the customized training that Boland College can offer their employees, be it as full time students or through customized in-house training.

What is a National Certificate Vocational (NCV)?

Since January 2007, The National Certificate (Vocational) replaced the NATED (N1-N3) at public FET Colleges. The National Certificate (Vocational) is the new curriculum that is being introduced to FET Colleges around the country.

It gives grade 9 students an alternative to an academic grade 10-12 but also gives students, who have already passed grades 10-12, the opportunity to obtain a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) level 2-4 industry related qualification.

These programmes were designed to incorporate both theory and practice. These qualifications are registered with Umalusi, which is also the primary ETQA of Boland College. 

How long are these courses and will a student be able to enter tertiary education?

The courses are offered at levels 2, 3 and 4 of which each is a year long.  A student is issued with a certificate on successful completion of each level of study.  After completing level 4 a student will be issued with a national diploma. 

On 26 November 2009 the Government Gazette No 32743 was published which stipulates the minimum admission requirements for Higher Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programmes requiring a National Certificate (Vocational) at level 4 of the National Qualifications Framework.

This clearly stipulates that while the NC(V) Level 4 makes the student eligible for admission to higher education, it does not guarantee a student admission to any programme of study. 

Within the context of this policy, the right of higher education institutions to set specific admission requirements to particular programmes is confirmed.