karen deller

Hi – three of our 26 accredited qualifications expire this year in June 2021. And one expired last year in June 2020 (50333 – I know why that one will not be renewed). Of the three expiring this year two have no QCTO replacements yet (Banking 5, Contact Centre 3). Both have many learners. Both fill a need. BANKSETA is trying to reregister…[Read more]

I have a key concern about the role of an ‘occupation’ in the changing workplace. We have all read articles about the changing face of occupations and how many jobs that exist now will simply not exist in a few years tie. And how many jobs that will be available to school leavers in 10 years time have not even been conceptualised yet. Yet her…[Read more]

Oh, i just remembered something that delayed us getting the OSH certificate… e needed proof that we had paid COID in terms of the COID Act…. thats with DoL and as much as we tried we really battled to get registered…

Hi … Well we stayed registered with DHET during the “private providers no longer need to be registered” stage.  But we were unable to make any changes or updates to our name (which changed), our qualification offering (which grew) and our registered site (we moved).  So now we will submit an amendment form (there is such a thing) and hope the D…[Read more]

Where are the voices of the youth?  I would like to hear from them:
What do they think wish they knew about the working world?  
Why do they enter the work place with attitudes employers see?  
What do they think the working world could do differently to accommodate them?

what do they find strange and alien about the working world?
 Maybe the 5 d…[Read more]

HI – I agree that the PoE is better off with the learner.  They can refer to it, use it to supplement their CV, etc.  But we have been told by both BANKSETA and SSETA that we have to keep them in storage for a number of years (three in BANKSETA’s case and five in SSETA case).  This is a huge expense as the storage required is colossal (with BA…[Read more]

HI Tessa, yes there are SETAs that have embraced on-line learning (BANKSETA, FASSET, MICT for example).  SERVICES SETA does not understand it and claim not to have te expertise to evaluate it so therefore providers may not do it.  I am in a discussion with the DHET (Dr Shirley Lloyd), QCTO (Mr Vijayen Naidoo) and SAQA (Mr Jody Cedras) on the S…[Read more]

HI Hannes, we do quite a lot of e-learning and on-line lecturing and most of the students who chose this mode of delivery love it because it saves them time and travel and fits in with their life styles. student support is clearly the biggest issue and the provider needs a mechanism for identifying at-risk and non-engaged students (which we have).…[Read more]

hi Hannes, thought provoking for a Monday morning! We subscribe to the social Constructivism approach (particularly in our HET development). this, coupled with situated learning theory (and its links to WIL, etc.) help us define our curricula, materials development etc. Of course, it is not so easy to integrate with the predominately behaviourist…[Read more]

Hi Celeste – Good point.  Under the new curriculum structure you will not be able to collect credits as you go.  You either do the full qualification or do nothing.  Not good for lifelong learning, nor those paying for themselves and needing to go as they can afford it.  The whole new system is aimed at the unemployed it would seem.
and RPL is not…[Read more]

Good summary Hannes.  To add:
Legacy qualifications (not learnerships, but the actual qualification) can be achieved currently without a work placement.  QCTO curriculum qualifications have a workplace unit built in, so it is impossible to achieve the QCTO qualification unless the learner spends time in an approved workplace and is signed of by a…[Read more]

HI Suzanne and Hannes – I have had similar experiences.  So, anyone who asks questions or offers recommendations is ‘cut off’ from future engagement.  I wrote a paper on the difficulties of RPL under the QCTO system which was submitted to them.  RPL is going to be almost impossible under this system.  Very sad.  And with SETAs misu…[Read more]