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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.
This commentary refers particularly to Annexure A of the Directive, which is the meat of the transitional arrangements.
Please see Annexure A attached and the full Directive is attached to the previous posting in the Reading Room.
There are no queries:
- where replaced qualifications are to be terminated;
- there are no problems with dormant qualifications ending - with the proviso that they are in fact dormant, and not only apparently dormant because the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs)/South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) National Learner Records Database (NLRD) are not up to date or accurate;
- extending where qualifications are in progress; and understanding
- that the non-SETA qualifications are still to be confirmed.
What is apparently problematic are:
- the provider-based qualifications, where learners may currently be registered or are in process of being registered before 30 June, as this Directive states implementation date 1 June 2024 - effectively back-dated as the Government Gazette is dated 3 June 2024;
- the lack of a listing of qualifications not prioritised by SETAs, that list should be published, and made available to practitioners and providers - as there is a lack of confidence in the SETAs data passed to the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO); and
- most particularly the wording regarding current unit standards used for regulatory purposes under the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL).
"The QCTO will allow for the development of occupational skills programmes ..." (Number 8 in final box).
If the skills programmes will be required to meet the current standard of 8 credits, this will significantly add unnecessary time to the programmes, therefore adding cost to employers, potentially leading to non-compliance. The regulatory programmes are of vital important to areas of occupational health and safety and should be given priority as a specific classification of skills programme. This has apparently been considered - but again, requires widespread and transparent disclosure.
One of the main obstacles to this transition process has been the lack of/insufficient engagement by the DHET, QCTO, SETAs, and SAQA. Consequently, in order to move the transition forward, much greater transparency and improved communication are required.