The South
African
Qualifications
Framework A Basic Framework
Historical Overview:
Pre-1922 Company specific apprenticeship contracts
1922 Apprenticeship Act
1930, 1944, 1950
Amendments -apprenticeships Apprenticeship Committees by trade / industry / area
1981 Manpower Training Act
Black workers could enter apprenticeship
Industry Training Boards – voluntary, with
voluntary levies
1995 South African Qualifications Authority Act - NQF
1998 Skills Development Act & 1999 Levies Act
Sector Education and Training Authorities
(SETAs) with focus on whole workforce (not only
artisans), mandatory skills levy
2008 Amendment
to SDA
Quality Council for Trades and Occupations
(national not sectoral standards for ‘trades and
occupations’
2
Pre-2008 ETQAs
on NQF – Source QCTO 2012
Pre-2009 NQF
CHE with HEQF
(Band ~ ‘Higher’)
Umalusi with school and
college qualifications
(Band ~ General and Further)
SETAs with learnerships incl.
‘structured learning’(?)
S
E
T
A
a
S
E
T
A
b
S
E
T
A
c
S
E
T
A
&
Pre-2008 NQF
3
De
pa
rtm
en
t o
f Ed
uc
atio
n
De
pa
rtme
nt o
f
Lab
ou
r
Post 2008
SAQA
CHE (NQF 5 – 10)
Umalusi (GETC &
FET NQF 2 - 4)
QCTO (NQF 1 –
10)
Quality Councils 3 Quality Council’s (standards setting
and QA of qualifications
Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) = NQF Levels 1 - 10
Umalusi - (GETC & FET NQF Levels – 2-4)
CHE - NQF Levels 5 - 10
SAQA to enhance ‘communication, co-ordination and collaboration’
5
QCTO mandate in
S26 h 3 , SDA, 2008
Establishing and maintaining occupational standards and qualifications;
The quality assurance of occupational standards and qualifications and learning in and for the workplace;
Designing and developing occupational standards and qualifications and submitting them to the SAQA for registration on the NQF;
Ensuring the quality of occupational standards and qualifications and learning in and for the workplace;
6
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
NQF
Level
8
Elementary
Occupations
7
Plant and
Machine
Operators
and
Assemblers
6
Skilled
Agricultural,
Forestry, Fishery,
Craft & Related
Trades Workers
5
Service
and Sales
Workers
4
Clerical
Support
Workers
3
Technicians and
Associate Professionals
2
Professionals
1
Managers
Occupational
qualifications
within the Major
Groups of the
OFO - mapped
against the NQF
levels – Source QCTO 2012
OFO and NQF
(NB All 10 levels)
7
7
Occupational
Qualification An occupational qualification:
Defines the learning required to be competent to
practice an occupation;
Or an occupational specialisation in a range of working contexts in both the formal and informal economy;
In the public and private sectors.
All occupational qualifications are linked to the
Organising Framework for Occupations (OFO) and
must:
Be ‘fit-for-purpose’,
Reflect workplace requirements, i.e. be demand or
opportunity led and not supply driven.
Occupational
Qualification
Expert Practitioners design occupational
qualifications.
Occupational qualification seeks to qualify a
learner to practice an occupation,
Reflected on the Organising Framework for
Occupations (OFO);
Or an occupational specialisation related to an
occupation that is reflected on the Organising
Framework for Occupations (OFO).
10
THE OCCUPATIONAL
QUALIFICATION
DEVELOPMENT
PROCESS
QUALIFICATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROCESS STEPS
RESULTS
Service Level
Agreement
(DQP & AQP)
Occupationa
l Profile
B
Learning Com-
ponent
Specifications
(& Internal
Assessment)
Occupational
Curriculum
(B+C)
Occupational
Qualification
(C+D)
Receive and
Process Application QCTO
Staff
Oversee Scoping
Meeting with
Constituency
Develop
Occupational
Profile
DQP with Expert
Practitioners and
AQP
Develop
Module and
Subject
Specifications
Develop
Assessment
Specifications
Submit
QDF with Expert Practi-
tioners, AQP &
Educationalists
1
Manage
Verification
Process
RESPONSIBLE
QCT
O
Staff
Manage Verifi-
cation Process DQP with Constituency Group
A C
DQP & QDF
2
4
5
6
8
QDF with Expert Practitioners,
AQP & Educationalists 7
Source: QCTO 2012
Qualification
Assessment
Specifications
(External)
D E
DQP with Expert
Practitioners &
AQP
3
Type of qualification
Two types:
National Occupational Qualification (more than 120 credits)
National Occupational Award (less than 120 and more than 25 credits)
Title of qualification: Linked to occupation on OFO and reflecting
occupational specialisation in brackets (where applicable)
Not reflecting learning field
Three types of standards
Knowledge / Theory (minimum 20%)
Practical Skills (minimum 20%)
Work Experience (minimum 20 %)
12
Type of qualification
Two types:
National Occupational Qualification (more than 120 credits)
National Occupational Award (less than 120 and more than 25 credits)
Title of qualification: Linked to occupation on OFO and reflecting
occupational specialisation in brackets (where applicable)
Not reflecting learning field
Three types of standards
Knowledge / Theory (minimum 20%)
Practical Skills (minimum 20%)
Work Experience (minimum 20 %)
13
Characteristics of occupational curricula – Different from an educational curriculum; Covers : Occupational profile - based on occupational
tasks; Specifications for 3 learning components
(subjects, practical skills & work experience): Internal assessment criteria per subject and
practical skills module and work experience record per work experience module;
Skills Development Provider accreditation requirements per subject and practical skills module and workplace approval requirement per work experience module;
Exemptions
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Occupational
Curriculum
Focus is on external summative assessment to determine occupational competence through the use of nationally standardised assessment processes and instruments. Assessment specifications will cover:
Purpose of the occupational qualification
External assessment model
Qualification outcomes to be assessed (in each Phase)
Assessment criteria for each outcome
Eligibility requirements to qualify for the external assessment
Criteria for registration of assessors (experts i.e spraypainter)
15
ASSESSMENT
SPECIFICATIONS
Occupation qualification
& curriculum – Source QCTO 2012
16
Knowledge /
theory
Practical Work experience
External, summative assessment
Occupational
Qualification
Occupational Purpose
National Occupational Pathways
Framework (NOPF)
i. Business Administration, Information Services, Human Resources and Teaching Related Occupations
ii. Finance, Insurance, Sales, Marketing, Retail and Logistics Related Occupations
iii. Accommodation, Food Preparation and Cleaning Services Related Occupations
iv. Farming, Forestry, Nature Conservation, Environment and Related Science Occupations
v. Medical, Social & Welfare, Sports and Personal Care Related Occupations
vi. Security and Law Related Occupations
vii. Visual Arts, Design, Installation, Maintenance, Extraction and Construction Related Occupations
viii. Production Related Occupations
ix. Transportation, Materials Moving and Mobile Plant Operating Related Occupations.
17
Schematic overview of the
Occupational Curriculum
Framework
18
19 Source
QCTO
2012
Thank you
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