Students in GCE A/L Vocational Stream to be given priority at VTIs

The Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Education to make it mandatory for vocational training institutions operating under all ministries to provide vocational training to students studying Advanced Level Vocational Stream and to give priority to vocational stream students while admitting students to the courses of those institutions and provide necessary facilities for training.

Students are now provided with the opportunity to study GCE (A/L) professional stream irrespective of pass/fail in G.C.E. (O/L) Examination. At present, this subject stream is being implemented in 604 schools covering every educational division. General subjects that develop soft skills should be studied in 12th grade under that stream.

In Grade 13, students are given the opportunity to study a 6-month National Vocational Qualification Level 4 course and 6 months of on-the-job training. 17 Vocational training institutes operating under 7 ministries have entered into MoUs with the Ministry of Education to conduct NVQ Level 4 courses for those students. Currently 50000 students are registered to study the vocational stream.