NSC or NCV?

NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK

Grade 9… The end of an era.. …Or at least the end of a NQF band Completing Grade 9 means that you have completed the first Educational and training band on the NQF – the General Education and Training Band (GET) What next?

After GET comes FET Further Education and Training There are two routes you can go in order to continue your education and complete the FET Band National Senior Certificate (NSC) National Certificate Vocational (NCV)

NSC Provides a more general academic education A three year qualification Grade 10, 11 and 12 Offered at schools

What’s next? What will I be qualified to do after the three NSC years? A: It depends on what sort of pass you receive for your NSC. There are three different types of passes and each one allows you to apply for different higher education opportunities. These range from: TVET colleges Trade schools Colleges Universities of Technology Universities

NCV A vocational education with a focus on a particular vocational area e.g. marketing, hospitality, health and beauty, electrician etc. Three one year qualifications Offered by TVET colleges

What’s next? What will I be qualified to do after the three NCV years? A: Students essentially have the following options: Access work opportunities in a work environment or a sector relevant to your vocational specialisation – for example, in a bank or insurance company after completing the Financial, Economics and Accounting programme. Access the workplace with the occupational specialisation you might have opted for through the fourth subject (such as Motor Mechanics after opting for Automotive repair and Maintenance). Decide to progress into higher education Pursue further training at a horizontal level Go into self-employment

Is a NSC Bachelor Certificate the same as the NVC National Diploma? Although these qualifications are registered on the same NQF level it does not mean they are equivalent to each other. The NQF level indicates the complexity of learning in a qualification but not the content. The purpose and content of each qualification differs and therefore cannot be equated.

Should everyone go to university? This is a difficult, and often very sensitive topic. Why? There is the (incorrect) assumption that a university education is the only way to succeed. During Apartheid so many people were denied the opportunity to study and to access universities. Many parents therefore want for their children what they were unable to have. Today there is still an issue around who gets to access university studies. #FeesMustFall is a result of this. For many it is still seen as an opportunity only provided to the privileged.

Should everyone go to university? No! University is a particular type of learning environment that is relevant to certain careers and learning styles. It does not provide the right education for all career options and is not the right kind of environment for all types of people. A university education is focused on theory and academia. It requires a student to excel in the written word and in critical thinking. Not everyone has these strengths and not all jobs require this kind of education. And this is ok!