GUC IMPASSE
GUC engineering courses not recognised by ERB
“We have registration criteria that every engineer should fulfill before being registered” – ERB
Students at the Mmopane Campus of Gaborone University College of Law and Professional Studies (GUC) have threatened to boycott the upcoming exams until they are given answers why the courses offered there are not recognised by ERB.
The students have been on strike since last week. GUC student representative Tshiamo Mothusi said students in Bachelor of Technology in Construction Engineering from GUC were not recognised by ERB, which is a pre-requisite for practising engineers.
“Students sitting for exams are expected to undergo internship training by early July but this has been difficult because engineering courses offered at GUC are not recognised by ERB.”
He said when the students discovered that the courses were not recognised by ERB and demanded answers, they were told that management was in talks with ERB but there has not been any progress on the matter.
It would be confusing as to how a ‘college of law’ could offer ‘engineering’ courses but the institution has maintained that it is of good standard and offers accredited syllabi.
Quality Assurance Director at GUC Mogotsa Kewagamang last week told the media that indeed GUC is yet to satisfy certain requirements and agreements with ERB and assured that it was a matter that would be “dealt with efficiently.”
Registration manager at ERB Mercy Kgosidialwa told this publication that the recognition of the programmes is on a courseby-course basis therefore it is possible that not all programmes are recognised by ERB.
She said currently, the local institutions whose engineering programmes are recognised by ERB are from Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), University of Botswana (including Botswana College of Engineering and Technology – BCET), New Era College, Limkokwing University, ABM University College and Botho University.
Some Diplomas awarded by NIIT as well as some technical colleges offering City and Guilds Level 4 and 5 Diplomas, and some brigades offering City and Guilds Level 4 and 5 Diplomas are also recognised.
Kgosidialwa said that ERB is not mandated to accredit any engineering programmes in Botswana. “We assess programmes for the eligibility of their graduates to register with the ERB, and if the programmes are eligible, it is then recognised by the Board.
“We register individual engineers and not Universities or Employers; therefore, each application made to the Board is assessed on its own merit, and then tested against the different standards that we have in place.
“Prospective registrants should therefore approach us in order to establish whether they are eligible for registration,” Kgosidialwa said.
She said for one to be registered with ERB, they must possess an engineering qualification recognised by the Board, and also possess the requisite academic knowledge and practical skills for the category that they are applying for. “The Board has a criterion for recognition of qualifications, and all new qualifications are subjected to this criterion before their graduates can be registered.
“The minimum number of years’ experience to be registered is zero, which means that even graduates who are fresh from university can be registered.”
Kgisidialwa said registration differs depending on the level of the qualification (diploma or degree) and the level of experience and competence, based on the three categories of registration which are: registered, professional and graduate.