Business
ADDRESSING INDUSTRY SKILLS SHORTAGES BY ENGAGING IN THE NEW QCTO FRAMEWORK
By Roland Innes , group CEO of Dyna Training , and , Leoni MacKenzie , QCTO subject matter expert in qualifications development .
According to the Centre for Disease Control ( CDC ), moulds can cause nasal stuffiness , throat irritation , coughing or wheezing , eye irritation , and in some cases skin irritation . This is applicable for both commercial and domestic settings .
In its global risk barometer for 2022 , international financial services provider Allianz surveyed 2 650 risk experts in 89 countries on the biggest perils facing industries in the coming year . Notably , skills shortages were identified as one of the top biggest risks in South Africa currently .
Our economic recovery and growth in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic will depend largely on our ability to address skills shortages in the labour market and the workplace . Companies and individuals should make the most of every opportunity to develop skills , and to align these skills with the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations ( QCTO ).
Responsible for the oversight of the accreditation , implementation , assessment , and certification of occupational qualifications , part-qualifications , and skills programs , the QCTO has a major role to play in tackling skills shortages , placing vocational certification by means of learnership and apprenticeship programs at the centre of South Africa ’ s skills creation system .
URGENT NEED FOR PRACTICAL SKILLS AND ARTISANS There has been an increased demand worldwide for artisans , engineers and technicians along with individuals skilled in sales and marketing . This highlights the fact that practical skills are urgently needed in the labour market and that there should be an increased focus on training artisans .
South Africa ’ s QCTO was established to manage the Occupational Qualifications Sub-Framework ( OQSF ) by setting and developing standards , while assuring the quality of national occupational qualifications . The purpose of the OQSF is to
Mikhail Nilov | Pexels facilitate the development and registration of quality-assured occupational and trade-related qualifications , part-qualifications and skills programmes from the National Qualifications Framework ( NQF ) Level 1 to 8 .
This is intended to meet the needs of existing and emerging sectors by ensuring that all learners , professionals , workers , unemployed and those classified as NEET ( Not in Employment , Education or Training ), are equipped with relevant and transferable competencies to enhance lifelong employability .
WIN-WIN FOR BUSINESSES AND LABOUR MARKET Ultimately the QCTO is intended to replace the Sector Education and Training Authority ( SETA ), while closing the gap whereby individuals in the labour market have the skills but lack the formal
The new framework has the immediate benefit of making an individual more employable .
www . refrigerationandaircon . co . za RACA Journal I November 2022 41