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To: Minister of Higher Education and Training, Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET)

TVET Students Are Stuck Without Diplomas: Fund In-Service Training Now!

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Dear Honourable Minister,

I write this letter with a heavy heart, on behalf of thousands of TVET College students who have completed their N4–N6 (NATED) studies and are now trapped in a painful waiting period, unable to obtain our diplomas because we cannot access in-service training opportunities.

We respectfully ask:

  1. Why is the NATED programme not funded as a full 3-year qualification, including in-service training?
  2. Why are students who are waiting for placement not allowed to apply for NSFAS funding for the 18 months of in-service training?
  3. Why does the age limit continue to block capable and qualified students from opportunities, when time delays are caused by the system itself?

Why is this important?

National Accredited Technical Education (NATED) qualifications are offered at Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges. These programmes consist of N4, N5, and N6 levels and are designed to combine theory with practical workplace experience. After completing all theoretical subjects, as students, we are legally required to complete a compulsory 18 months of in-service training before we can be awarded a national diploma. Without this workplace exposure, the qualification remains incomplete, regardless of academic success.

Minister, we did what the system asked of us.


We registered, we studied, we passed, and we completed N4 to N6. Yet after all this hard work, many of us are left standing still year after year, not because we failed, but because there are no structured and funded in-service training opportunities available to us.

The requirement of 18 months of in-service training has become a wall instead of a bridge. Some students wait two, three, or even more years just to find placement. During this time, our qualifications remain incomplete, our hopes are delayed, and our lives are put on hold.

The pain is made worse by the lack of funding support. NSFAS funds the theoretical part of NATED programmes but abandons students when it comes to in-service training. We are expected to survive, travel, and sometimes work full-time for 18 months without pay or funding. This is not fair, and it is not realistic.

Many of us are told to “volunteer”. Honourable Minister, this advice does not consider our reality. Some of us are parents. Some are breadwinners. Some support siblings, children, or elderly family members. Eighteen months without income is not volunteering; it is suffering.

This situation is draining us emotionally, financially, and mentally. Each year that passes without placement pushes students further into poverty, frustration, and hopelessness. We watch university students complete their qualifications within the expected timeframe, while TVET students — especially in Public Management — remain stuck, forgotten, and left behind.

Honourable Minister, we are not asking for special treatment.

We are asking for fairness, dignity, and a clear path forward. We urgently plead with the Department to resolve this matter in 2026, before the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa, so that the nation can hear a clear plan on how TVET NATED students will finally be supported to complete their qualifications and obtain their diplomas.

TVET education was meant to open doors, not trap students in endless waiting. We still believe in the system, but belief alone cannot feed our families or build our futures.
We humbly request your urgent intervention and leadership.

Yours sincerely,
Norman Mathebula
TVET College Graduate (N4–N6)
On behalf of the affected TVET NATED students
South Africa

Category

Updates

2026-01-27 11:27:12 +0200

Lack of funding and in-service training for TVET students

2026-01-27 11:23:54 +0200

Thank you to everyone who has signed and shared this petition so far. Your support proves that TVET NATED students are not alone and that this issue affects thousands of people across the country.
The petition has now been submitted and clarified for approval, including an explanation of what NATED programmes are and why in-service training is compulsory for us to obtain our diplomas. This step was important to make sure the public and decision-makers fully understand our struggle.
We are building momentum, and every new signature strengthens our voice. Please continue to sign, share, and tell others — especially TVET students who completed N4–N6 and are still waiting for in-service training or funding.
Together, we are pushing for a fair solution: funded, structured in-service training and a clear pathway for TVET students to finally obtain their diplomas.
✊🏽 The fight continues — thank you for being part of this movement.