Tertiary education opportunities in SL

Emeritus Professor Dayantha WIJEYESEKERA

There are about 165,000 GCE ‘O-level’ students who are happy to be able to gain admission to the GCE ‘A-level’ class. While there would be in about two years time 25, 000 students from among them who will be happier to be able to enter a Conventional State University in Sri Lanka, resulting in about 140,000 students left in the lurch as it may be! While congratulating those who succeeded the first hurdle at the GCE ‘O-level’ they have to be wished well for the second hurdle at the GCE ‘A-level’ and moreover guide them on other opportunities available before it is too late! Undoubtedly the youth would be the happiest once they are employed eventually as highly skilled personnel in various occupations or become well qualified professionals needed both for the local market and also the international market.

It is quite well known that many parents and school authorities may not be aware of the opportunities available for Tertiary Education in Sri Lanka irrespective of the Z – Score achieved at the GCE A- level, and / or GCE O-level performances.

Many parents, grandparents, guardians and others of our youth are unaware of these opportunities and concentrate only on the 15 conventional universities in the country and get disappointed when their off spring fail to get admission to these universities.

Another purpose of this article would be for those who aspire overseas education or for those already in 'greener pastures' to encourage and motivate those here in Sri Lanka on the opportunities, which are quite common in the countries they currently dwell.

Vocational training

Of course an indirect purpose would be for them and those in Sri Lanka not to over-react to offer and accept costly overseas tertiary education leading to financial hardships when such opportunities are available locally unless overseas education at under graduate level is sought for some other valid reason.

Some Post Secondary school students who sought Sri Lanka University Education having sat for the G.C.E. Advanced level examinations in August 2011 would be rejoicing having secured a Z score for their desired field of study and the desired university while some others would be quite disappointed at varying levels for not having secured the required Z score rating or having doubts on the results.

Also there may be some who have the required entry requirements, but nevertheless would wish to pursue other alternate avenues of Tertiary and Vocational Education.

Furthermore, there may be those who did not even attempt the G.C.E. Advanced Level examination, since they prefer alternate routes of Tertiary Education as some of us did in following Technical Courses soon after G.C.E.(O-level).

This message is not for a category of 'Dropouts' as I do not believe there is such a category, but to encourage and motivate the 96 percent (approx) of the age cohort who seek alternate routes for their career development through Tertiary Education of which university education through UGC at the Conventional Universities and their Institutes is just one of the avenues in Sri Lanka, catering only to about 4 percent of the age cohort.

For those who seek 'University' education in Sri Lanka, they should be reminded that within the UGC, there is the Open University of Sri Lanka and also in addition there are other Universities outside the UGC established under separate Acts of Parliament such as, the University of Vocational Technology, Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka, Buddhasravaka Bhiksu University, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University.

In addition there are Local Degree Awarding Institutes recognized by the UGC and the Ministry of Higher Education.

These are as listed below and their respective websites would give details of the programmes of study being offered leading to recognised accredited degrees:-

• Institute of Technological Studies
• Institute of Surveying and Mapping
• Aquinas College of Higher Studies
• National Institute of Social Development
• National Institute of Business Management
• National Institute of Fisheries and Nautical Engineering
• Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology

Diploma level Programmes of Study are offered under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development and also under Ministry Higher Education.

These are programmes leading to National Diplomas and Higher National Diplomas with career development pathways subsequently available to degree level.

Well recognized Professional Courses are also available through Member Associations of the Organization of Professional Associations (OPA). The Member Associations of the OPA which offer such courses are as listed below;

• Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka
• Sri Lanka Institute of Architects
• Sri Lanka Library Association
• Institute of Supply and Materials Management
• Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
• Pharmaceutical Society of Sri Lanka
• Institute of Chemistry, Ceylon
• Gemmologists Association of Sri Lanka
• Institute of Personnel Management, Sri Lanka
• Computer Society of Sri Lanka
• Institute of Valuers of Sri Lanka
• The Textile Institute Sri Lanka Section
• Institute Chartered Shipbrokers, Sri Lanka
• Institute of Quantity Surveyors, Sri Lanka
• Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing
• Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka
• Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrator

Of course, there are also many Private Higher Education institutes conducting relevant training programmes through Certificate, Diploma and Advanced Diplomas etc of International Qualification Awarding bodies and degrees of Overseas Universities.

The Academic Credibility and the Registration of such non - degree level Tertiary Education Institutes should be ascertained from the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission (TVEC) the details could be obtained by visiting its website www.tvec.gov.lk.

Undoubtedly, obtaining such qualifications through programmes of study while being partly of fully in Sri Lanka would be of a lesser financial burden than proceeding overseas, to obtain the same qualifications.

In addition to all the above, the trend in the development of Tertiary Education and Vocational Training world over is the rapid progress and recognition of Vocational Education. In some developed countries, fields such as Law, Medicine, IT and Engineering are now categorized as Vocations.

It has to be clearly understood by Post secondary School leavers, their parents, teachers and school authorities, that while graduating to obtain a degree is prestigious there are many other avenues of obtaining Professional, Technological and Vocational Qualifications which can be equally or more prestigious rather than being an 'unemployed graduate' with a degree or being a frustrated secondary school student repeatedly trying to secure a place in a conventional university.

There are currently about 800 Tertiary level educational institutes maintaining the TVEC registration, with TVEC Accredited courses. The Tertiary and Vocation Education and Training opportunities through TVEC Registered and Accredited courses could be verified by visiting the TVEC website www.tvec.gov.lk through the link 'Registration and Accreditation'.

Fields of study in the following areas;

• Agriculture Plantation and Livestock
• Art Design and Media (Visual and Performing)
• Automobile Repair and Maintenance
• Aviation and Aeronautics
• Building and Construction
• Electrical, Electronics and Telecommunication
• Finance Banking and Management
• Fisheries and Aquaculture
• Food Technology
• Gem and Jewellery
• Hotel and Tourism
• Human Recourses Management
• Information Communication and Multimedia Technology
• Languages
• Leather and Footwear
• Marine and Nautical Science
• Mechatronics Technology
• Medical and Health Science
• Metal and Light Engineering
• Office Management
• Personal and Community Development
• Printing and Packaging
• Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
• Textile and Garments
• Trainer Training
• Wood Related

Most of these courses of study are now aligned to the National Vocational Qualifications framework (NVQF) which ranges from NVQ levels one to seven, where level seven is at degree level for some selected fields at the University of Vocational Technology at Ratmalana.

The TVET GUIDE 2012 presents Fields of Study, available in the Provinces of Sri Lanka in the various districts. For Human Resource Development and to be gainfully employed with career prospects for further academic advancement even upto degree level, these avenues should be explored and pursued rather than focusing only on the traditional routes some of which may be now outdated.

This is a comprehensive guide on the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Opportunities available at the Public sector and Private sector accredited training institutions also a TVEC Registered list of Private and Public Training institutes. Students can find out what Technical and Vocational Education and Training sector provides for their future career.

This Guide has three indexes which support easy access to fields of study, educational qualifications required and the institute names. The information could be searched on a provincial basis and the details could be obtained by visiting its website www.tvec.gov.lk. And linking with the TVET GUIDE.

The writer is Chancellor University of Vocational Technology and chairman, Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission, former Vice Chancellor University of Moratuwa and Open University of Sri Lanka.