The National Education Department has conducted the benchmarking and validation workshop with institutions that include the University of Technology, Lae Polytechnic Institute, Higher Education Department, and the Labour and Industry Department.
Acting Assistant Secretary, TVET Curriculum Division, Wilson Garu said the pathway provides an avenue for Mechanical Engineering Diploma students in a polytechnic institution like Lae Polytechnic Institute to continue into the Bachelor’s degree in a university like the Papua New Guinea University of Technology.
And the TVET Curriculum Division has begun this process through the benchmarking and validation workshop.
“The pathway of the Papua New Guinea Qualification Framework, aims to align the diploma program of polytechnic institutions with higher levels of institutions like universities,”
“Students from a polytechnic institute, can continue straight into third year at the University,”
The delivery-training mode will be competency-based training of which it is internationally recognised from Certificate to Diploma and the Bachelors degree.
This includes other affiliations with regional qualifications.
Mr Garu said TVET Curriculum Division’s core function is to develop curriculum for all TVET institutions from vocational centres, technical and business colleges to polytechnic institutes.
“The Mechanical Engineering Diploma is the first diploma program is the first to be aligned and rolled out in the 2018 academic year,” Garu told EMTV News.
However Mr Garu outlined that there are many challenges of capacity like teacher training, infrastructure, and resource materials.
“We need to look for resources to boost the capacity. We want to deliver this program at the highest level,” Garu said.
Mr Garu thanked the National Education Department Secretary, Dr. Uke Kombra, for enabling the benchmarking and validation workshop which in a long run provide pathways and opportunities for Papua New Guineans.
