Gwebinkundla Qonde, the acting Director-General for Higher Education and Training, declined to comment on the poor number of students who had completed the vocational qualification in 2009.
Instead, Qonde outlined his department's battle plan, saying they had embarked on a "very rigorous process" of analysing and studying the challenges confronting the FET sector.
"We had a round-table (discussion) and out of that we established task teams to look at a range of areas such as policy, legislation and a curriculum review with a view to strengthening the weaknesses in the system and consolidating areas of strength," he said.
Other issues that his department investigated included planning and budgeting; support within colleges; the issue of change management as well as a study on the supply and demand of lecturers.
He said problems in the FET sector were being addressed holistically and not on "a piecemeal basis".
On the curriculum he said: "That's one area we looked at with a view of consolidating and strengthening what is actually working and also trying to improve on areas of weaknesses."
Meanwhile, President Jacob Zuma has asked the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Blade Nzimande, to produce 10000 artisans by 2014 - and to provide a range of learning options for matrics who do not qualify for university.
The minister must also provide young people and adults with foundational learning qualifications and must come up with bridging programmes for those who do not have a matric certificate.
Nzimande must also ensure that the number of engineering graduates and animal and human health graduates grow to 15000 in four years.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 