Courses · Applications
⏳ Closing: 4 December 2026
Technical and Vocational College Admission 2027: NVQ Courses at 39 Colleges, Fees, Age Limit and How to Apply
The Department of Technical Education and Training has called applications for the 2027 intake into National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) courses at 39 technical colleges and technical (vocational) colleges. The Gazette lists 215 course entries, from NVQ Level 3 and 4 certificates to NVQ Level 5 and 6 diplomas, across fields such as construction, motor vehicles, electrical work, ICT, hotels and tourism, and health. Applicants must have completed 16 years of age on 4 December 2026, and the application route depends on the course level. This guide explains the rules, fees, benefits and steps in the notice, and where to find your course.
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Key Facts
Intake: 2027 academic year
Colleges: 39 (9 technical colleges and 30 technical (vocational) colleges)
Courses: 215 entries: 142 at NVQ Level 3 and 4, and 73 at NVQ Level 5 and 6
Closing date: 4 December 2026
Minimum age: 16 years completed on 4 December 2026
Registration fee: Rs. 1,500 (NVQ 3 and 4) or Rs. 2,500 (NVQ 5 and 6, and language courses)
Medium: NVQ 3 and 4: Sinhala or Tamil. NVQ 5 and 6: English
Information line: 011 234 8893 / 071 199 7111
How to Apply, Step by Step
- Choose your course and college from the course document attached to the Gazette, and check its entry qualifications, medium and duration. The details are also on www.dtet.gov.lk.
- Apply online through www.dtet.gov.lk or mis.dtet.gov.lk. This is the only route for NVQ Level 5 and 6 courses.
- For other courses you may instead complete the model application on A4 paper and send it by registered post to the Director or Principal of the relevant technical or vocational college, so that it reaches the college on or before 4 December 2026. You can also hand it in at the college's career guidance unit.
- Send a separate application for each course. Write the course name and course code (for example, National Certificate in Engineering Craft Practice, Industrial Plumber, ECC 82) on the top left of the envelope.
- Do not address the application to any named officer or personal address of the Department.
- Do not send certificates or copies. Bring the documents you need to the interview.
- Pay the registration fee through GOVPAY.
Applications that arrive after the closing date are considered only if the course still has vacancies. Interviews are held at all colleges within the same period.
Who Can Apply and How Students Are Selected
- Age: You must have completed 16 years on 4 December 2026. Some courses give priority to older applicants, for example the part-time Child Care Giver course gives priority to students over 20 on that date.
- Qualifications: Each course lists its entry qualification, such as a stated number of O/L passes, an NVQ certificate in the same field, or A/L passes. "Passed three subjects at the A/L" means passing all three main subjects of the relevant subject stream.
- Selection: By your subject knowledge, your ability to communicate in the course medium, and an interview. If a college receives many applications, it may hold a written examination.
- Documents: You are fully responsible for the truth of the documents you bring. Forged or altered documents lead to rejection.
Fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Registration, NVQ Level 3 and 4 courses | Rs. 1,500 |
| Registration, NVQ Level 5 and 6 courses and language courses | Rs. 2,500 |
| Part-time diploma courses organised by semester | Rs. 25,000 per semester |
| Part-time courses of up to one year | Rs. 30,000 in total |
| Part-time six-month courses | Rs. 20,000 in total |
| Part-time courses shorter than six months | Rs. 15,000 in total |
| Repeat or re-correction of a final exam subject | Rs. 200 per subject (NVQ 3 and 4), Rs. 300 per subject (NVQ 5 and 6). First attempts are free |
The part-time course fees can be paid in two instalments: half at registration and the rest within six months of the course starting. The full fee must be paid before the final exam or assessment. All payments go through GOVPAY. The notice lists these course fees for part-time courses, and for full-time courses it states that training materials and equipment are provided free by the government.
Benefits for Full-Time Students
- Students from low-income families can receive an attendance allowance of up to Rs. 7,500 a month under the "Nipunatha Sisu Savi" programme.
- Students in full-time courses can get concessionary bus and train season tickets as needed.
- Training materials and equipment are provided free by the government as required.
Rules You Should Know Before Applying
- Industrial training: It is compulsory in all full-time NVQ Level 4, 5 and 6 courses, under the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission's circular NVQ Circular 05/2022.
- Medium of instruction: All diploma-level (NVQ Level 5 and 6) courses are conducted in English only. NVQ Level 3 and 4 courses, except language courses, are in Sinhala or Tamil.
- Part-time courses: Applicants must show a service certificate proving they work in the field. If the course does not require employment, the TVEC circular says you must have 6 months of work training in the field before the final exam.
- Attendance: At least 75% attendance in lectures and practicals is needed to sit the final exam and assessments, and you must reach the pass level in continuous assessments.
- Final exams: For courses with the codes BSC, ECC, ETC, ESC and MCC, the Department holds the final exam and issues a departmental certificate. For NVQ Level 5 and 6 diplomas, semester exams are held, and those who pass go to the NVQ final assessments.
- Mergers: If a college has too few students for a course year, it can be merged with the nearest college offering it or the students referred there.
- The Department decides whether to run all or some of the listed courses in 2027. Colleges may also start short fee-paying courses, and the college's career guidance unit has the details.
What the Course List Covers
The Gazette's course document lists, for each course, its code, name and nature (full-time or part-time, duration), the entry qualification, the NVQ level and medium, and the colleges that run it. It is grouped into these fields:
- Agriculture, plantation and livestock
- Motor vehicle repair and maintenance
- Leather goods and footwear
- Building construction
- Electrical, electronics and telecommunication
- Information, communication and multimedia technology
- Gems and jewellery
- Finance, banking and management
- Metal and light engineering
- Carpentry
- Hotels and tourism
- Office management
- Refrigeration and air-conditioning
- Mechatronics
- Textile and garment
- Food technology
- Medical and health
- Education
- Language (not assessed under the NVQ system)
A few examples from the list
| Course | Level and format | Entry qualification (as printed) |
|---|---|---|
| Plant Nursery Development Assistant (agriculture) | NVQ 4, full-time, 6 months plus 6 months of industrial training | Educated up to the O/L, or NVQ 3 in the field. Sinhala medium at Hasalaka, Medagama, Kegalle, Warakapola, Ampara, Aanamaduwa and Ratmalana. Tamil medium at Batticaloa, Sammanthurai and Vavuniya |
| Child Care Giver (education) | NVQ 4, part-time, 1 year, at Ampara | A pass in six O/L subjects at no more than two sittings. Priority for those who passed English and Science, and for students over 20 on 4 December 2026. You must work in the field or have 6 months of training |
| Early Childhood Care and Development Teacher (education) | NVQ 4, part-time, 1 year, Tamil medium, at Jaffna and Sammanthurai | A pass in six O/L subjects at no more than two sittings, and employment in the field or 6 months of training |
| Telecommunication Technology | NVQ 5/6 diploma level, English medium | NVQ Level 4 in the field. NVQ 5 and 6 courses are applied for online only |
Course requirements vary a great deal, so read your course's own entry in the Gazette. Level 5 and 6 diplomas usually need the lower NVQ level in the same field, and some accept A/L passes.
The 39 Colleges
Main telephone number as printed in the Gazette, which also gives each college's address.
| No. | College | District | Telephone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Ampara Hardy Technical College | Ampara | 063 222 3485 |
| 02 | Anuradhapura Technical College | Anuradhapura | 025 222 2690 |
| 03 | Badulla Technical College | Badulla | 055 222 2413 |
| 04 | Galle Technical College | Galle | 091 223 4051 |
| 05 | Jaffna Technical College | Jaffna | 021 222 0028 |
| 06 | Kandy Technical College | Kandy | 081 222 4063 |
| 07 | Kurunegala Technical College | Kurunegala | 037 222 3264 |
| 08 | Sri Lanka Technical College, Maradana | Colombo | 011 244 0352 |
| 09 | Ratnapura Technical College | Ratnapura | 045 223 2390 |
| 10 | Akkaraipattu Technical (Vocational) College | Ampara | 067 227 9326 |
| 11 | Aanamaduwa Technical (Vocational) College | Puttalam | 032 226 3299 |
| 12 | Balapitiya | Galle | 091 225 8096 |
| 13 | Bandarawela | Badulla | 057 222 2753 |
| 14 | Batticaloa | Batticaloa | 065 224 6557 |
| 15 | Beliatta | Hambantota | 047 224 3229 |
| 16 | Dambulla | Matale | 066 228 4713 |
| 17 | Dehiattakandiya | Ampara | 027 225 0117 |
| 18 | Embilipitiya | Ratnapura | 047 226 1037 |
| 19 | Gampaha | Gampaha | 033 222 9711 |
| 20 | Hasalaka | Kandy | 055 225 7129 |
| 21 | Homagama | Colombo | 011 285 5315 |
| 22 | Kalutara | Kalutara | 034 222 7804 |
| 23 | Kegalle | Kegalle | 035 222 2441 |
| 24 | Kuliyapitiya | Kurunegala | 037 228 1181 |
| 25 | Mannar | Mannar | 023 323 8532 |
| 26 | Matale | Matale | 066 222 4196 |
| 27 | Matara | Matara | 041 222 2565 |
| 28 | Medagama | Monaragala | 055 226 6113 |
| 29 | Monaragala | Monaragala | 055 227 6167 |
| 30 | Nuwara Eliya | Nuwara Eliya | 052 222 2658 |
| 31 | Pathadumbara | Kandy | 081 249 9782 |
| 32 | Polonnaruwa | Polonnaruwa | 027 222 4429 |
| 33 | Ratmalana | Colombo | 011 263 2778 |
| 34 | Sammanthurai | Ampara | 067 226 0933 |
| 35 | Trincomalee | Trincomalee | 026 222 3034 |
| 36 | Vavuniya | Vavuniya | 024 222 3664 |
| 37 | Warakapola | Kegalle | 035 226 7651 |
| 38 | Variyapola | Kurunegala | 037 226 7256 |
| 39 | Weeravila | Hambantota | 047 223 7064 |
Entries 10 to 39 are technical (vocational) colleges, named here by their towns. College names are transliterated from the Sinhala list in the Gazette.
Applicant Guide
From the notice
- Applications close on 4 December 2026. Later applications are considered only if vacancies remain.
- You must be 16 on 4 December 2026, and you are chosen by subject knowledge, communication in the course medium and an interview.
- NVQ Level 5 and 6 applications are online only. Other courses can be applied for online, by registered post to the college or by hand at its career guidance unit.
- One application per course, with the course name and code on the envelope. Do not send certificates with the application.
- Registration fees are Rs. 1,500 (NVQ 3 and 4) and Rs. 2,500 (NVQ 5 and 6 and language courses), paid through GOVPAY.
- If the Sinhala, English and Tamil Gazettes differ, the Sinhala Gazette applies.
Editor's guidance (general advice, not part of the notice)
The points below are general guidance by GovInfo.lk, not part of the official notice.
- Start with the course, not the college. Find a course whose entry qualification you meet, then see which colleges run it in your medium. One course may be in only a few colleges.
- Check the exact level you need. Many courses need an NVQ certificate in the same field, so an O/L pass alone may not be enough for an NVQ 5 or 6 diploma.
- Plan for the industrial training that is compulsory in full-time NVQ 4, 5 and 6 courses, and for the English medium if you apply for a diploma.
- Part-time applicants: get your employer's service certificate ready, because you must prove you work in the field or have six months of training.
- Apply early and online if you can. A postal application must arrive by 4 December, and the notice says anything sent to an officer's name or personal address is not the proper route.
- Prepare for the interview: bring your O/L or A/L certificates, NVQ certificates, identity documents and any proof the course asks for, and be ready to speak in the course's language.
- Pay only through GOVPAY. Do not pay anyone who promises a place for money, and check any link against www.dtet.gov.lk.
Before you apply: this post summarises the Gazette notice of 30 October 2026, which we read in Sinhala. Read the notice and your course's entry in the course document, and call the career guidance unit on 011 234 8893 or 071 199 7111 if anything is unclear.
🇱🇰 සිංහල සාරාංශය
- කාර්මික අධ්යාපන හා පුහුණු කිරීමේ දෙපාර්තමේන්තුව 2027 වර්ෂය සඳහා තාක්ෂණ/කාර්මික විද්යාල 39 ක පැවැත්වෙන NVQ පාඨමාලා සඳහා සිසුන් බඳවා ගනී.
- 2026.12.04 දිනට වයස අවුරුදු 16 සම්පූර්ණ වී තිබිය යුතුය.
- අයදුම්පත් www.dtet.gov.lk හෝ mis.dtet.gov.lk හරහා ඔන්ලයින් ඉදිරිපත් කළ හැක. නැතහොත් ආදර්ශ අයදුම්පත ලියාපදිංචි තැපෑලෙන් අදාළ විද්යාලයේ අධ්යක්ෂ/විදුහල්පති වෙත 2026.12.04 දිනට හෝ ඊට පෙර ලැබිය යුතුය. NVQ 5 සහ 6 සඳහා ඔන්ලයින් පමණි.
- ලියාපදිංචි ගාස්තුව NVQ 3 හා 4 සඳහා රු. 1,500 ක් සහ NVQ 5 හා 6 සහ භාෂා පාඨමාලා සඳහා රු. 2,500 ක් වේ.
- පූර්ණ කාලීන පාඨමාලා සඳහා පුහුණු ද්රව්ය රජය නොමිලේ සපයයි. අඩු ආදායම්ලාභී පවුල්වල සිසුන්ට නිපුණතා සිසු සවිය යටතේ රු. 7,500 දක්වා මාසික දීමනාවක් හිමි වේ.
🇱🇰 தமிழ் சுருக்கம்
- தொழில்நுட்பக் கல்வி மற்றும் பயிற்சித் திணைக்களம் 2027 ஆம் ஆண்டுக்கு 39 தொழில்நுட்ப/தொழிற் கல்லூரிகளில் நடைபெறும் NVQ கற்கைநெறிகளுக்கு மாணவர்களை இணைத்துக்கொள்கிறது.
- 2026.12.04 அன்று 16 வயது பூர்த்தியாகியிருக்க வேண்டும்.
- விண்ணப்பங்களை www.dtet.gov.lk அல்லது mis.dtet.gov.lk ஊடாக நிகழ்நிலையில் சமர்ப்பிக்கலாம். அல்லது மாதிரி விண்ணப்பத்தைப் பதிவுத் தபாலில் தொடர்புடைய கல்லூரியின் பணிப்பாளர்/அதிபருக்கு 2026.12.04 அன்று அல்லது அதற்கு முன் கிடைக்கக்கூடியதாக அனுப்பலாம். NVQ 5 மற்றும் 6 க்கு நிகழ்நிலையில் மட்டும்.
- பதிவுக் கட்டணம் NVQ 3 மற்றும் 4 க்கு ரூ. 1,500; NVQ 5 மற்றும் 6 மற்றும் மொழிக் கற்கைநெறிகளுக்கு ரூ. 2,500.
- முழுநேரக் கற்கைநெறிகளுக்குப் பயிற்சிப் பொருட்களை அரசு இலவசமாக வழங்கும். குறைந்த வருமானக் குடும்ப மாணவர்களுக்கு நிபுணத்துவ சிசு சவிய திட்டத்தின் கீழ் மாதம் ரூ. 7,500 வரை கொடுப்பனவு கிடைக்கும்.
Official Links
[EDITOR: add the link to the official Gazette of 30 October 2026 (Part I, Section (IIA)) from documents.gov.lk as a .gi-btn button with rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer". Do not link the Teachmore-watermarked copy.]
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the closing date for the 2027 technical college applications?
4 December 2026. Postal applications must reach the college on or before that date.
What is the minimum age?
You must have completed 16 years on 4 December 2026.
How do I apply for an NVQ Level 5 or 6 diploma?
Online only, through www.dtet.gov.lk or mis.dtet.gov.lk. These courses are conducted in English.
How much is the registration fee?
Rs. 1,500 for NVQ Level 3 and 4 courses and Rs. 2,500 for NVQ Level 5 and 6 courses and language courses, paid through GOVPAY.
Do I send my certificates with the application?
No. The notice says not to send certificates or copies. Bring the documents you need to the interview.
Is there any financial help for full-time students?
Students from low-income families can receive up to Rs. 7,500 a month under the Nipunatha Sisu Savi programme, and concessionary bus and train season tickets are available. Training materials and equipment are provided free.
Who do I call for course information?
The vocational guidance unit on 011 234 8893 or 071 199 7111, or the college's own number from the table above.
Source and Updates
Source: Department of Technical Education and Training, "Admission of students to courses at technical colleges and technical (vocational) colleges – 2027", Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka of 30 October 2026, Part I, Section (IIA), with the attached course document (Sinhala edition). [EDITOR: add the official Gazette link and the date checked]
Prepared by: GovInfo.lk Editorial Team
Last reviewed: [EDITOR: add date]
Found an error or a change in the original notice? Contact us through the Contact page and we will review and correct this post.
GovInfo.lk is an independent information website and is not an official website of the Government of Sri Lanka. Readers should verify important information with the relevant official authority or original government document.
