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It would be all too easy to criticise the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) right now, however, it is very clear from the wording of the documents issued by the department that the complexity of the skills development domain is not clearly understood. Firstly, there was the question of the Ministerial title – Minister of Higher Education – it appeared that skills development was forgotten. 

This is a copy of a letter sent to Thomas Lata, Chief Director at the QCTO as published on the ASDSA WhatsApp group and on LinkedIn. 

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lynel-farrell-83853411_another-training-provider-closes-down-and-activity-7235227720807309317-rNLq?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios

An Editorial comment will follow shortly.

"Dear Mr Lata,

Imagine your school child walking home from school - in the dark, along a notoriously dangerous, unlit road. An eleven year old school boy was left behind in Simonstown when the Golden Arrow bus driver refused to let him board with his two siblings. He could not find his card. His home is in Khayelitsha – 35 kilometres away

https://www.kaya959.co.za/news/golden-arrow-bus-services-suspends-driver-for-refusing-11-year-old-on-board/

PhDs are important for South Africa’s growth: more support for doctoral candidates who work full-time is key

Some PhD candidates also work full time and have other responsibilities.

South Africa has a joblessness crisis: fixing it will take fresh thinking to find a game-changer

https://www.freepik.com/free-ai-image/view-fantasy-pirate-ship_186024205.htm#fromView=image_sear

The NQF is the National Qualifications Framework, which contains 10 levels of qualifications, and is managed by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).  

There are three sub-frameworks of the NQF: 

There has been a lot in the news lately about the QCTO - the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations. 

The QCTO is a Quality Council that falls under the Department of Higher Education and Training. 

The QCTO is responsible for the quality assurance of qualifications that are registered on the Occupational Qualifications Sub-framework (OQSF) of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). That is qualifications that relate to the world of work - mainly occupations and trades, but also may be professional qualifications. 

There are three Quality Councils: 

• The HE QC - the Higher Education Quality Council, which falls under the responsibilities of the Council on Higher Education (CHE);
• UMALUSI - the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training; and
• The QCTO - the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations. 

Skills Development Providers and practitioners have now had the time to read and digest the content - and importantly the implications of the content - following publication of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) Directive setting out the process for the pre-2009 (legacy) qualification transition to occupational qualification format.