Structure and Functions
While
VTE has been formally provided in the country since 1970, and Continuing Education since
1958, the Department of Technical Education (DTE) itself has been operating as a separate
department only since 1993. Recently it conducted an internal review of its operations in
order to identify areas which need strengthening so that it will be better equipped to
carry out its mission. One of the outcomes of the internal review is a new structure
(See Figure 1). At present, DTE is divided into three
divisions namely, Professional Services Division, Education and Training Division and
Programme and Research Division. Its staff strength is 57 as of year 1999. These
sections and their respective areas of responsibility are shown in Table 1.
In 1999, 2,434 VTE students, of whom 1,107 (46%) were
female, were enrolled in all the VTE institutions. The Continuing Education Section
under DTE attracts more than 2,800 students annually for the courses offered.
