3.1 Department of Higher Education and Training . Administration: The Department had serious challenges in filling vacant posts since the organorgram of the Department is yet to be finalised. Lack of provincial presence remained a serious challenge to the delivery of some key outputs. . University Education: The Northern Cape task team report has not yet been submitted to the Department. There were no clear timeframes for the finalisation of the process of building universities in Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape. The funding formula for previously disadvantaged universities remained a concern. The lack of articulation between higher education and the FET sector delayed progress for many students who wished to further their education. . Vocational and Continuing Education and Training: The curriculum of FET colleges required urgent review. The inadequate throughput rate of the NC(V) programme remained a challenge. The introduction of the N programmes to increase the number of artisans was welcomed by the Committee. The Department's target for the certification rate in FET colleges was modest. Pass rates at Trade Test Centres were too low. The delay in the finalisation of the constitutional amendment for the transfer of FET colleges to national level remained a serious challenge. . Skills Development: The Committee was extremely concerned with the delay in the implementation of the QCTO. Many students were struggling to obtain experiential learning in workplaces and the SETAs were not cooperating in this regard.