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certifications or paperwork necessary to find employment or to maximise earning potential . While higher-level qualifications are essential , it is also necessary to address the immediate gap that stands between an individual coming out of school and becoming eligible to embark on the national qualification process .
To this end the QCTO has implemented skills programmes , effectively a shorter skills syllabus , at the end of which a learner can gain entry into a qualification or a part-time qualification . This also has the immediate benefit of making the individual more employable .
In addition to increasing and keeping their own skills inhouse , businesses can contribute to the career development of their people – which provides a greater level of motivation and incentive . Skills development training also assists with reducing absenteeism where workers feel that the training they ’ re getting is valuable to their personal growth , contributing to a more committed workforce .
Where companies offer skills development opportunities , it becomes possible to redirect budget spend previously used for recruitment into training , shifting the focus to retention instead of acquisition .
" This is a valuable opportunity for training providers to align their offerings to the QCTO accreditation standards ."
THE NITTY GRITTY OF THE QCTO – HOW DOES IT WORK ? As mentioned , the QCTO is responsible for the accreditation of Skills Development Providers ( SDPs ), authorising them to facilitate programmes and qualifications that fall under the OQSF . These include occupational qualifications including ‘ old ’ trades , N4-N6 Programmes , historically registered qualifications , and the shorter , bridging skills programmes .
Any SDP offering training or intending to offer training in any of these must seek accreditation from the QCTO , and must comply with the entity ’ s minimum criteria .
OUT WITH SETA , IN WITH QCTO From June 2023 , SETA accreditation will be subject to a teachout period , after which qualifications and skills programmes will need to be aligned with QCTO . This is a valuable opportunity for training providers to align their offerings to the QCTO accreditation standards , as that is the direction in which we are headed . It will be necessary to work hand-in-hand with industry leaders in developing learning material to ensure that the necessary knowledge is combined with practical experience , hands-on learning opportunities and assessments .
Additionally , a major focus of these skills development and training programmes will be ensuring that learners are placed at companies where they can gain experience and skills in the workplace , and ultimately take up employment after assessment and qualification . The output from SDPs will be assessed by Assessment Quality Partners ( AQPs ), and it is the responsibility of the Assessment Quality Partner to sign off on the provider issuing a statement of result to the learner which gives them entry to the integrated summative assessment for certification .
SMARTER APPROACH TO SKILLS DEVELOPMENT For companies to maximise this opportunity , both from a tax rebate and Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment ( B-BBEE ) scoring perspective , they will need to ensure that they coordinate training initiatives with SDPs that are accredited by the QCTO . SDPs will need to modernise their curriculum to be more learner-focused , while forming relationships with assessment quality partners .
In order to exit learners smoothly , organisations will need to prepare their workplaces so that they are compliant with QCTO requirements , developing the necessary mentoring infrastructure to enable those placements while giving learners the best possible support . In shifting the focus from generic skills training to inclusive learner development and facilitation through the QCTO framework , it becomes much easier to address South Africa ’ s skills shortage effectively and sustainably . RACA
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RACA Journal I November 2022 www . refrigerationandaircon . co . za