8,000 Fás students face certificate delay

ALMOST 8,000 students who have completed Fás courses face delays getting their certificates because of questions raised over how their results were processed, Education Minister Mary Coughlan has revealed.

The Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC) announced last week it had put the issuing of Fás certificates on hold in early November until the causes of errors found in assessment and certification data are resolved.

Ms Coughlan told the Dáil that 10 of the 17 Fás centres involved have now been visited and FETAC expects to complete its visits to the other centres by the end of the year. “I understand that around 7,700 learners are experiencing delays of approximately three weeks in receiving their certificates. Every effort will be made to resolve any issues identified as quickly as possible so learners can receive their certificates with the minimum of further delay.”