The National Examinations Council (NEC) was established in 1965 to oversee examinations, certification and related activities in respect to technical and vocational education and training at the sub-professional level.
NEC certifies 37 courses at Level I; 30 courses at Level II; 6 courses at Level III, and 2 courses at Pre-technician Level at secondary schools. Technical/vocational programmes provide a foundation to the world of work in the respective occupational fields. As such, the programmes are designed with a highly applied, hands-on orientation in order to prepare participants for functioning in the world of work. The academic/theoretical/technical knowledge aspects of the courses are intended to facilitate the development of practical competence, in that, they provide the theoretical/technical knowledge and the cognitive skills necessary for efficient performance in the occupational field.
Level I
Competency based assessment in areas of technical and vocational education and training. The emphasis is placed on practical performance.
Levels II & III
To satisfy the objective of preparation for the occupational field, the programmes of training are structured as full courses consisting of a selected combination of subjects, ranging in number from two for some courses to twelve for others. The great majority of courses comprises of four to seven subjects.
Technical/vocational courses, while purposely designed to prepare participants for the work environment, do succeed, to varying extents, in preparing beneficiaries for further education and training. NEC diplomas and certificates are accepted both locally and abroad as satisfying entry requirements to various programmes of further study.