a guide to understanding · specific job and awarding this person either a qualification or credits...

CISCO VAN

DOORN

A Guide to understanding

Education & Training in South Africa





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Contents

Skills development ............................................................................................................................... 2

Outcomes-Based Education ............................................................................................................... 2

National Qualifications Framework (NQF) ........................................................................................ 3

Did you know that you can claim skills development grants? ....................................................... 4

Tax Incentives (SARS) ........................................................................................................................ 6

Responsibility of the SETA ................................................................................................................. 7

Tax rebates ........................................................................................................................................... 7

The Skills Development Facilitator .................................................................................................... 9

The Origin and history of Sector skills in South Africa ................................................................. 10

The SETA landscape in South Africa .............................................................................................. 11

Education in general in South Africa ............................................................................................... 11

Three bands of education ................................................................................................................. 12

Structure and responsibilities ........................................................................................................... 13

Basic education statistics .................................................................................................................. 14

Higher education and training .......................................................................................................... 15

Spending and challenges .................................................................................................................. 15

Glossary of training terminology and definitions ............................................................................ 17

By Cisco Van Doorn

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Skills development

Skills development is the training and development that the employer provides to his

employees in the workplace. It is often believed that only training that is provided by

an outside training provider falls within the definition of skills development however

the definition also includes on-the-job training provided internally.

It is becoming more and more viable for organisations to have a fully functional

internal training department. The ideal internal structure typically consists of

A. Training manager that also doubles as an SDF.

B. Training Coordinator

C. Internal facilitator.

This structure functions best if it forms part of Human Resources and can easily be

financially self-sustainable. To find out how, I suggest that you keep reading as I will

be explaining exactly what a SDF does.

The internal training department is primarily responsible for and can also retain a

tremendous amount of funds by presenting training associated with the following

internally.

A. Functional/ Operational Skills

B. Strategic Alignment

C. Legislative Compliance.

Outcomes-Based Education

In the late 80s, Government started researching a new training methodology -

Outcomes-Based Education (OBE).This method of training was adopted from the

then Commonwealth training method, which made provision for people qualifying not

only by formal education, but also by informal on-the-job training based largely on

their experience. The system made provision for what is now known as "recognition

of prior learning" – or (RPL) - which basically entails testing a person's ability to do a

specific job and awarding this person either a qualification or credits towards a

qualification, based on his current knowledge and ability to perform the required task.

In layman's terms this means that if a person has been working as a plumber for the

last 12 years this person may request a training institution to perform an RPL exam,

to assess his capability and award him with a qualification based on his experience.

It is therefore possible for him to receive a plumbing qualification based on his

experience, without having served a recognized apprenticeship or learnership. This

new training methodology also created what is now known as the NQF.

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National Qualifications Framework (NQF)

The NQF system, which allows educational levels from different industries to be

ranked in parallel on a single system.

In layman's terms this means that you will be able to draw a parallel between the

qualification of a secretary and a salesperson or a chartered accountant and a

medical doctor. The NQF system consists of eight different levels namely-

In 2008 the SAQA Act was replaced by the National Qualifications Framework Act, 2008. This statute had the effect of changing the NQF levels of previously registered qualifications as outlined in the table below. The structure of the NQF under the SAQA Act, 1995 and the new structure under the NQF Act, 2008 are outlined below: OLD NQF (under SAQA Act) SOURCE: Chartered Secretaries News letter.

• NQF level 1 - General Education and Training (GET) levels - primary training and

development up to grade 8 and 9 and ABET 4.

• NQF 2 to 4 - Further Education and Training (FET) level - secondary education

including certificates and qualifications up to grade 12 or N5

• NQF 5 to 10- Higher Education and Training (HET) levels - higher education such as

university degrees, doctorates and further research.

This framework allows education and training to take place within a formal structure

that can be monitored and controlled by Government. In terms of the Skills

Development Act of 1999, Government created 24 Sector Education and Training

Authorities (SETA). The act also divided all organisations into different industries

based on their core activities, and the Department of Labour and SARS were tasked

with allocating organisations into the different industries.

Comparison Between Old VS New

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Did you know that you can claim skills development grants?

Before you can embark on this process you should first understand how this works,

here is a summary of how the grants are currently allocated.

Does your company pay a comparison of 1% of its total salary bill over as a skills

levy?

If so then you are entitled to claim the following:

Mandatory Grants = 50% max of levies through submission of WSP and ATR

Discretionary Grants = 20% max from discretionary grant funds.

Mandatory grants

The Skills Development Levy is a equivalent to 1% of a company’s payroll and is

mandatory for all companies that pay PAYE or have an annual wage bill of R500 000

or more.

Up to 50% (amended to 30% in 2013) of the levy paid is refundable on the

appointment of a Skills Development Facilitator (SDF) if that SDF lodges a

Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) and Annual Training Report (ATR). The WSP is a

document which describes the skills needs of your staff and the training plans that

you wish to implement. (Percentages allocated not specific)

Discretionary grants

A further 20% - 30% can be claimed from discretionary grant funds if you train staff using SETA-specific training programmes or initiatives.

The aim of the Skills Development Act is to improve the working skills of Sector. The

Skills Development Act changes the old way of vocational training by introducing

learnerships and skills programmes.

Learnerships

Optional involvement.

Grants are linked to the actual cost of training and not linked to levy payments. It is

possible in most instances for employers to get back more in the form of these

grants than what has been paid in levies if the employer assists learners to complete

Learnerships.

A sliding scale has been introduced in the funding regulations as far as the grant

payments for the Annual Training Reports (ATR) are concerned. It slides

of the levy paid to 20% . This

benefit employers who are involved in Learnerships.

when you implement Learnerships in your company.

2012 Example:

Source: INSETA

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payments for the Annual Training Reports (ATR) are concerned. It slides

% . This allows for additional money to be made available to

benefit employers who are involved in Learnerships. Substantial tax allowances

when you implement Learnerships in your company.





payments for the Annual Training Reports (ATR) are concerned. It slides from 40%

allows for additional money to be made available to

Substantial tax allowances

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Tax Incentives (SARS)

Tax Incentives are deductions on your taxable income that you can claim for each

learnership candidate that you have in your employment, once at the start of the

learnership, and once again at its completion. These incentives are legislated in

section 12H of the Income Tax Act, 58 of 1962 and the amendments made in

January 2010.

There are only 2 levels:

1. R 30 000 commencement and completion allowances for learnerships and apprenticeships

2. R 50 000 commencement and completion allowances for learners with disabilities

The principle is straightforward.

a. For each year that a learner is registered for a learnership linked to the employer’s trade, the employer claims an allowance of R 30 000 for that learnership. This allowance is based on a 12 months periods, and full periods of a month, so if a learnership starts half way through the employer’s year of assessment, half of the allowance is claimed by the employer in the first year and half in the second.

b. If the learner leaves during the year, there is no recoupment. The R 30 000 is merely apportioned for the part of the year, so that if the learner leaves after 4 months, the employer only claims 4/12 of the allowance, i.e. R 10 000. These must be full months, so if the learner leaves after 3 and a half months, the allowance must be claimed for 3 months, i.e. 3/12 X R 30 000 = R 7 500.

c. Similarly, if a learnership spans 3 and half months in the first year of assessment and 8 and a half months in the second year of assessment of a single employer, the employer claims commencement allowance of R 7500 in the first year and R 20 000 in the second year.

d. When a learnership is successfully completed, the employer claims an allowance of R 30 000 for each completed 12 months of the learnership. So if it was a 2 year learnership, the employer claims an allowance of R 60 000. If the learnership was for 30 months, the employer’s allowance in the year of completion is also R 60 000, because two full periods of 12 months has been completed. No completion allowance is claimable until the learnership is successfully completed.

e. If the learner goes to another employer while he is still doing his learnership and the learnership is carried on, linked to that employer’s trade, the new employer claims the learnership for the rest of the year, i.e. 8/12 X R 30 000 = R 20 000. The new employer will also claim the full completion allowance, even if the learner was not employed by that employer in the earlier years or months of the learnership.

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f. If a learner fails his or her learnership and registers for a new learnership, section 12H will not apply to the new learnership if it contains the same education and training component of the learnership that the person failed

Responsibility of the SETA

It was the responsibility of the SETA to ensure that all training within that industry

were in-line with the requirements laid down by the industry leaders. During the next

5 years training institutions had to register and accredit all their formal training

courses and qualifications with the SETA and the South African Qualification

Authority – S.A.Q.A. Government also identified the need for accelerated

qualifications due to the brain-drain effect after 1994 and introduced the learnership

system, now people could qualify within 12 to 18 months using on-the-job training.

A learnership consist of two parts – the first part being the theoretical part delivered

by a learnership accredited training institution, and the second part being a practical

on the job practical training, where the student receive on-the-job training. The key

principle of a learnership is basically the same as an apprenticeship with the biggest

difference being the intensity of training and the tight control over the training

delivered on a learnership. There are several financial and other advantages to

having learnerships in the organisation.

Tax rebates

Tax rebates of up to R50,000, cash discretionary grants of up to R20.000 and even

grants to supply tools and equipment. It must be borne in mind that the cost of a

learnership will equal the benefits received from the SETA. The cost of training can

only be recouped once the training has been completed. The organisation needs to

financially carry the trainee for the duration of the training period which is usually 12

months. The organisation also needs to have mentors as well as the equipment

available for training and therefore it is best left to organisations with well-developed

infrastructures and deep pockets.

introduced the Skills Development Levies Act of 1999. In terms of the Skills

Development Levies Act all organisations in South Africa with a payroll exceeding

R500,000 per annum must pay a 1% Skills Development Tax on their payroll. This

tax is fully contributed by the employer as part of its general statutory taxes

calculated on the EMP 201 SARS form.

In terms of the act, organisations may claim back up to 50% of their paid Skills

Development Tax - in other words they may claim back 50 cents out of every

Rand. This can change from time to time.

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Organisations my only claim back their SDL tax if

a) They pay SDL tax

b) They provide approved training to employees in the organisation either internally

or externally.

In terms of the Skills Development Levies act, organisations not paying SDL tax may

not claim the grants, they may however offer learnership and claim learnership

grants. The actual claim that the organisation has to submit to activate the claim

procedure is called an annual training report and workplace skills plan (ATR & WSP).

This document consists of two parts. The first part is the annual training report. The

annual training report does exactly what it says; it basically tells the SETA what

training has taken place in the organisation in the previous 12 months, and which

employees received training.

It also contains information to the type, cost and delivery method of the training it

goes further to assess whether the training that the employees received is in line

with the planned training for the organisation, industry and critical skills indentified by

the SETA. The second part of the document is the workplace skills plan, This part of

the document tells the SETA what training the organisation will provide to the

employees in the next 12 months, based on the operational requirements of the

organisation, its industry and the critical skills identified by the SETA.

This document is thus a check and balance system to the SETA, allowing them to

gather valuable statistical information with regards to skills shortages, critical skills in

organisations and development requirements within the industry. It also allows

Government to project skills needs and to make this information available to training

institutions such as universities and technical training institutions. Without this

information the Government would not be able to plan learnership training courses

and provide for skills shortages.

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The Skills Development Facilitator

This mammoth task falls under the control of the Skills Development Facilitator

(SDF) of the organisation. To complete the required documentation. the organisation

will need to have a trained and accredited SDF, although this might seem like just

completing a form, the compilation of the information and the implementation is very

involved. In terms of the Skills Development Act and the rules and regulations of the

SETA the SDF is responsible for the following:

1. Facilitate the development of employees in the organisation and the strategies of the

organisation fairly and equally.

2. Acquire the resources to accredit and evaluate learnerships and skills programs in

the organisation.

3. Evaluate the skills development needs of the employees and organisation and

continually evaluate the implementation of identified needs.

4. Advise the employees and the employer on external and internal skills strategies as

well as the progress of the skills development of the organisation.

5. Be a training committed leader and lead the process of organisational skills

development and employee development.

6. Act as SDF administration and check all SETA documentation before submitting.

7. Set up a training committee.

8. Advise the organisation on the implementation of the WSP.

9. Advise the organisation on the quality assurance requirements of the relevant SETA.

10. Serve as contact person between the organisation and the external SDF and SETA.

11. Chair the skills development planning committee or training committee.

12. Bring the company policies in line with the regulations as laid down by the Skills

Development Act.

13. Create a skills performance system for the company where no skills performance

system exists.

14. Generate the key performance area for the skills performance system.

15. Complete an individual development pathway for all employees, as well as the skills

requirement and learning pathway.

16. Create a portfolio of evidence for all employees that will receive training in the

company.

17. Complete the WSP, ATR and submit it to the correct SETA, before the deadline.

18. Formalise the qualifications of employees through a baseline assessment.

19. Train employed staff in order to claim the skills development levy grant from the

SETA

20. Register Learnership Programs by training unemployed people.

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21. Claim their skills development levy grant from their SETA and claim the Tax rebates

as stipulated for Learnerships.

Before submitting the workplace skills plan and annual training report, the skills

development facilitator as the responsible person for the organisation, will sign the

document verifying that the information contained in the document is correct and

true. It must be noted that the information provided on the workplace skills plan and

annual training report must be 100% correct and true. Organisations providing untrue

or false information on these documents run the risk of receiving an extremely high

fine or even a one-year jail term.

The Origin and history of Sector skills in South Africa

Prior to 2000, there were 33 industry training boards in South Africa that covered various sectors in the country. While their responsibility was supposedly “education and training”, they focused mainly on apprenticeships. They certainly weren’t responsible for ensuring levels of quality when it came to college courses or anything like that.

Recognising the dire need to improve skills development, in 1998, the South African Parliament ratified the Skills Development Act which defined a new Sector Training and Education Authority (SETA) system. In essence, the plan was to develop a series of sector skills plans within a clearly defined framework of the National Skills Development Strategy.

In March 2000, the then Minister of Labour, Membathisi Mdladlana formerly established 23 SETAs, each with its own clearly defined sector and sub-sectors. Each of the sectors was made up of a variety of economic activities that were related and closely linked. So, one SETA would deal, for example, with banking, while another would deal with health and welfare. All the SETAs were to be responsible for both the private and public sectors within their own sector as a whole.

Unlike the old training boards, the SETAs were to be concerned with learnerships, internships, unit based skills programmes, and apprenticeships. The SETAs were also given much greater powers than the training boards had had, and far reaching responsibilities. Furthermore, they were established to ensure that every industry and occupation in South Africa was covered.

One of the primary objectives of the SETAs was to collect skills levies from employers within each sector, in terms of the Skills Development Levies Act and make the money available within the sector for education and training. This was to go to employers and training bodies, and to learners in the form of discretionary grants and bursaries.

When the SETAs had been operating for five years, in March 2005, Mr Mdladlana re-established them and recertified them. This recertification process was due to be repeated in March 2010, but the Government made a decision to change the SETA landscape. In so doing, the SETA licences were extended for an additional year, to March 2011.

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The SETA landscape in South Africa

In November 2009 Mr Thabo Mashongoane announced that his department, the Department of Higher Education and Training, would assume responsibility for skills development that had previously been controlled by the Department of Labour. In a statement, he acknowledged that:

• there were negative perceptions about the performance, management and governance of the SETAs,

• there was an inadequate alignment of industry needs relating to the provision of training and skills development, particularly in relating to artisans and technicians,

• when the industrial policy action plan was finalised, his department would align skills development efforts to support the implementation of the plan.

In April 2010 it was announced that the proposed new SETA landscape and a draft framework for a new National Skills Development Strategy to be implemented between March 2011 and March 2016. They also announced steps he planned to take to deal with what he termed “non-performing SETAs”.

In essence, the new SETA landscape will result in:

• Fifteen of the existing SETAs being recertified with minor changes. • Six new SETAs being formed as a result of the amalgamation of existing

SETAs or sub-sectors of existing SETAs. • A reduction in the total number of SETAs from 23 to 21.

Education in general in South Africa

All South Africans have the right to a basic education, including adult basic education and further education. According to the Bill of Rights of the country's Constitution, the state has an obligation, through reasonable measures, to progressively make this education available and accessible.

South Africa has one of the highest rates of public investment in education in the world. At about 7% of gross domestic product (GDP) and 20% of total state expenditure, the government spends more on education than on any other sector.

• Three bands of education • Structure and responsibilities • School statistics • Higher education and training • Spending and challenges • Action Plan to 2014

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Three bands of education

South Africa's National Qualifications Framework (NQF) recognises three broad bands of education: General Education and Training, Further Education and Training, and Higher Education and Training.

Under the South African Schools Act of 1996, education is compulsory for all South Africans from the age of seven (grade 1) to age 15, or the completion of grade 9.

General Education and Training also includes Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET), which is available to adults who want to finish their basic education.

LEVELS OF EDUCATION IN SOUTH AFRICA

BAND SCHOOL GRADE

NQF LEVEL

QUALIFICATIONS

HIGHER 8 Doctoral Degree 7 Masters Degree

Honours Degree Postgraduate Diploma

6 General first degree Professional first degree postgraduate

Bachelor's degree 5 First diploma

Higher certificate Certificate

FURTHER 12 4 Diploma 11 3 Certificate 10 2 Certificate

GENERAL 9 1 Grade 9 Adult Basic Education and Training

level 4 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 R

Source: Department of Education

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Further Education and Training takes place from grades 10 to 12, and also includes career-oriented education and training offered in other Further Education and Training institutions – technical colleges, community colleges and private colleges. Diplomas and certificates are qualifications recognised at this level.

The Matric pass rate, which was as low as 40% in the late 1990s, has improved considerably. A total of 496 090 candidates sat the matriculation exams in 2011, 70.2% of whom passed. Of those who wrote exams, 24.3% qualified for university study.

Structure and responsibilities

Since 2009, the national Department of Education has been split into two ministries: Basic Education, and Higher Education and Training. Each ministry is responsible for its level of education across the country as a whole, while each of the nine provinces has its own education department.

South African Communist Party secretary-general Blade Nzimande is the minister of Higher Education and Training, while former Gauteng Education MEC Angie Motshekga oversees the Ministry of Basic Education.

The Ministry of Basic Education focuses on primary and secondary education, as well as early childhood development centres.

The Ministry of Higher Education and Training is responsible for tertiary education up to doctorate level, technical and vocational training, as well as adult basic education and training.

It also oversees public and private FET colleges, which cater for out-of-school youth and adults. The government aims to have 1-million students enrolled at colleges by 2014.

The split also saw the sector education and training authorities (Setas) move from the Department of Labour to the Higher Education, aiming to foster a more co-operative approach to skills development.

The central government provides a national framework for school policy, but administrative responsibility lies with the provinces. Power is further devolved to grassroots level via elected school governing bodies, which have a significant say in the running of their schools.

Private schools and higher education institutions have a fair amount of autonomy, but are expected to fall in line with certain government non-negotiables – no child may be excluded from a school on grounds of his or her race or religion, for example.

The Umalusi Council, which is appointed by the minister of Higher Education, sets and monitors standards for general and further education and training, while the Council of Higher Education keeps an eye on higher education and training, including accreditation and quality assurance.

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Basic education statistics

South Africa relies on the matric pass rate as a significant marker of what's going on in its schools. The matric pass rate, which was as low as 40% in the late 1990s, has improved considerably. A total of 496 090 candidates sat the matriculation exams in 2011, 70.2% of whom passed. Of those who wrote exams, 24.3% qualified for university study.

The latest available statistics from the Department of Basic Education show that in 2010 South Africa had 12 644 208 pupils and students (also known as "learners"), enrolled in all sectors of the education system, attending 30 586 educational institutions and served by 439 394 teachers and lecturers (also known as “educators”).

The breakdown of schools includes 25 850 ordinary schools and 4 736 other education institutions – namely, early childhood development (ECD) centres and special schools.

Of the total enrolled learners, 11 810 224 (93.4%) were in public schools and 449 875 (3.6%) were in independent schools. Of the learners in other institutions, 279 476 (2.2%) were in ECD centres, and 104 633 (0.8%) were in special schools.

The total of 25 850 ordinary schools comprised:

• 14 456 primary schools, with 5 992 863 learners and 187 520 teachers;

6 231 secondary schools, with 3 831 937 learners and 142 181 teachers; and 5 163 combined and intermediate schools, with 2 445 473 learners and 88 408 teachers.

Other educational facilities include:

• 50 FET institutions with 263 campuses (with about 320 000 students), 4 800 ECD centres and 23 HE institutions;

• 16 250 early childhood centres (ECD), which catered for 719 194 children, of which more than 400 000 were subsidised by the government.

• 23 higher-education institutions.

In South Africa, the average ratio of learners to teachers is 29.3 to one, with public schools generally having larger classes, while independent schools’ average around 17.5 learners to one teacher.

• See the Department of Basic Education’s report on education statistics for 2010.

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Higher education and training

Higher Education and Training, or tertiary education, includes education for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, certificates and diplomas, up to the level of the doctoral degree.

A matric endorsement is required for the study of university degrees, with a minimum of three subjects passed at the higher, rather than standard, grade, although some universities set additional academic requirements. A standard school-leaving South African senior certificate is sufficient for technical qualifications and diplomas.

South Africa has a vibrant higher education sector, with 23 state-funded tertiary institutions: 11 universities, six universities of technology, and six comprehensive institutions. There are also new institutes of higher education, the Northern Cape National Institute for Higher Education, and the Mpumalanga National Institute for Higher Education.

According to figures from the Council of Higher Education, 892 936 students (726 882 undergraduates and 138 610 postgraduates) were enrolled in South Africa’s public higher-education institutions in 2010. Staff employed by these institutions numbered 127 969, with 46 579 of those academic staff.

In 2010, the public higher education institutions produced 153 741 qualifications at all levels, with 74 612 qualifications in the human and social sciences; 41 724 in business and commerce; and 37 405 qualifications in science and technology.

Higher education is also offered at private institutions, of which there are 88 registered and 27 provisionally registered with the Department of Higher Education to confer specific degrees and diplomas.

Many of South Africa's universities are world-class academic institutions, at the cutting edge of research in certain spheres. Although subsidised by the state, the universities are autonomous, reporting to their own councils rather than government.

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) was established in 1999 to make higher education possible for financially disadvantaged students through loans and concessions, such as not charging interest on student loans until 12 months after a student has graduated.

Spending and challenges

Compared with most other countries, education gets a very large slice of the public pie – around 20% of total state expenditure. It receives the largest share of government spending.

More money is always needed to address the huge backlogs left by 40 years of apartheid education. Under that system, white South African children received a quality schooling virtually for free, while their black counterparts had only "Bantu education", a keystone of the overall apartheid system.

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Although today's government is working to rectify the imbalances in education, the apartheid legacy remains. Illiteracy rates currently stand at around 18% of adults over 15 years old (about 9-million adults are not functionally literate), teachers in township schools are poorly trained.

Despite the challenges, much has been achieved since apartheid legislation was scrapped. For example, in 1993 nearly half of all students in higher education institutions were white, 40% were black, 6% were coloured, and 7% were Indian. By 2005, the portion of white students had fallen to 25% and the black share had grown to 61%.

South Africa’s student participation rate – that is, the proportion of 18- to 24-year olds in higher education is almost 20%.

But equity has yet to be achieved: almost 57% of whites and around 45% of Indians enter higher education. The rate for coloureds is 14.8%, while blacks are even lower at 13.3%. The reason for this is generally understood as poor quality primary and secondary schooling, which is a priority for the current government.

The greatest challenges for schooling lie in the poorer, rural provinces such as the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Schools are generally better resourced in the more affluent provinces such as Gauteng and the Western Cape. Source: http://www.southafrica.info/about/education/education.htm#ixzz1zB3hGskj

• See: South Africa's universities • See the National Student Financial Aid Scheme website.

Tasks that Cisco can assist with:

• Ensure that ALL available grants are claimed where possible to do so. • Assist and facilitate the development of your WSP (Workplace Skills Plan). • Facilitate the consultation process for the development of your WSP. • Ensure that WSP is drafted and submitted to INSETA by the required

deadline date and in the required format. • Ensure that the ATR (Annual Training Report) is completed and submitted to

INSETA by the required deadline date and that all possible refunds are received.

• Identify appropriate training providers.

Call Cisco 083 623 12 82

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Glossary of training terminology and definitions

"accreditation" means the certification, usually for a particular period of time, of a person, a body or an institution as having the capacity to fulfill a particular function in the quality assurance system set up by the South African Qualifications Authority in terms of the Act;

"Act" means the South African Qualifications Authority Act, 1995 (Act No. 58 of 1995);

"assessor" means the person who is registered by the relevant Education and Training Quality Assurance Body in accordance with criteria established for this purpose by a Standards Generating Body to measure the achievement of specified National Qualifications Framework standards or qualifications, and "constituent assessor" has a corresponding meaning;

"assessment" is the process of gathering and weighing evidence in order to determine whether learners have demonstrated outcomes specified in unit standards and/or qualifications registered on the NQF. The generic assessor standard registered by SAQA entitled 'Plan and conduct assessment of learning outcomes' outlines the process in detail. The management of assessment is the responsibility of providers.

"competence" what someone knows, understands and can do. The ability to apply knowledge and skill in a particular context.

"conditional registration" means the registration of a private higher education institution as specified in the Higher Education Act, 1997 (No. 101 of 1997);

"constituent" means belonging to the defined or delegated constituency of an organisation or body referred to in the SAQA ETQA Regulations. ETQAs have constituent providers, constituent learners and constituent assessors.

"credits" a credit is the value given to unit standards and qualifications. A credit value of a unit standard or qualification is based on the number of 'notional' hours it takes an average learner to achieve the outcomes of that unit standard. One credit is equal to 10 notional hours.

"Education and Training Quality Assurance Body" means a body accredited in terms of section 5(1)(a)(ii) of the Act, responsible for monitoring and auditing achievements in terms of national standards or qualifications, and to which specific functions relating to the monitoring and auditing of national standards or qualifications have been assigned in terms of section 5(1)(b)(i) of the Act;

"Employment Equity Act (EEA)" The Employment Equity Act (EEA) aims to promote equality in the workplace - to eliminate unfair discrimination and to ensure employment equity as a form of redress. The Act also aims to create a workforce which is truly representative of all South Africans through promoting greater and equitable representation of women, people with disabilities and black people at all

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occupational levels.

"evidence facilitation" is the process by which candidates are assisted to produce and organise evidence for the purpose of assessment. It is not an essential part of every assessment process, but is useful in many contexts, including RPL. The generic assessor standard ‘Facilitate the preparation and presentation of assessment evidence by candidates’ currently being generated by the SGB outlines this process in detail.

"experiential learning" knowledge and/or skills learned through experience, rather than through a formal course or class.

"Further Education Further Education and Training" - or FET - is that area of learning which in the past provided qualifications like Standards 8 to 10 (provided by schools and technical colleges ) and the National Technical Certificates (NTCs) 1 to 3 (usually provided by technical colleges). The FET band is now between levels 2 to 4 on the National Qualifications Framework.

"Further Education and Training Act" the aim of the Further Education and Training (FET) Act is to transform the education and training institutions that provide learning in this sector – both public and private institutions. In order to be registered and accredited as a FET institution, a provider will need to offer programmes which are based on nationally recognised qualifications and standards.

"learnerships" learnerships are learning programmes that combine structured learning with structured work experience, and which result in a qualification. The Skills Development Act (SDA) proposes and describes learnerships as one of the primary ways of implementing the skills development strategy.

"Learning programme" a learning programme is the plan which states what will be learnt and how the necessary learning experience will be provided. It clearly shows how the unit standards will be combined to make useful opportunities for the learner. The learning programme draws on the outcomes from the unit standards and specifies the content to meet these outcomes. A learning programme is often divided into modules.

"levels" there are eight levels on the NQF for registering qualifications and standards. Level 1, the General Education and Training Certificate (GETC) marks the end of successful schooling (Grade 9) or successful ABET. Level 8 is the highest level of learning.

"moderation" is the process of ensuring that assessments have been conducted in line with agreed practices, and are fair, reliable and valid. The generic assessor standard registered by SAQA entitled ‘Moderate assessment ’ outlines the process in detail. One moderator usually checks the work of several assessors to ensure consistency. The management of moderation is the responsibility of the provider.

"moderating body" means a body specifically appointed by the Authority for the

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purpose of moderation;

"National Qualifications Framework" the NQF is a framework for registering qualifications at specific levels and developing learning paths between them. It has eight levels which are divided into three bands: 1. the General Education and Training (GET) band, which includes ABET and compulsory schooling; 2. the Further Education and Training (FET) band, and 3. the Higher Education and Training (HET) band.

"National Standards Body" means a body registered in terms of section 5(1)(a) (ii) of the Act, responsible for establishing education and training standards or qualifications, and to which specific functions relating to the registration of national standards or qualifications have been assigned in terms of section 5(1)(b) (i) of the Act;

"outcomes" a learning outcome is what a person must know, understand and be able to do after successfully learning something. In other words, outcomes explain the skills, knowledge and values that will be assessed. All qualifications and standards will state what the outcomes of learning should be. The NQF recognises two types of outcomes - the specific outcomes which are linked to a learning field, and the critical cross-field outcomes which are broader than any specific learning field.

"primary focus" means that activity or objective within the sector upon which an organisation or body concentrates its efforts;

"professional body" means a statutory body registered as such in terms of the legislation applicable to such bodies, or a voluntary body performing the functions contemplated in the legislation for such bodies but not registered as such;

"provider" means a body which delivers learning programmes which culminate in specified National Qualifications Framework standards or qualifications and manages the assessment thereof;

"quality assurance" means the process of ensuring that the degree of excellence specified is achieved;

"quality audit" means the process of examining the indicators which show the degree of excellence achieved;

"quality management system" means the combination of processes used to ensure that the degree of excellence specified is achieved;

"registered constituent assessor and moderator" means a person who is registered by the relevant ETQA in accordance with criteria established for this purpose by SAQA to measure the achievement of specified National Qualifications Framework standards or qualifications. All ETQAs must have a register of assessors; they may also wish to have similar registers of moderators and verifiers.

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"registered constituent verifiers" means persons placed on an official register by the relevant ETQA after meeting agreed criteria. Constituent verifiers may be contracted by the ETQA to carry out verification activities on its behalf in relation to the achievement of specified National Qualifications Framework standards or qualifications.

"registered standards" means standards or qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework;

"RPL Advice and support services" are additional services needed for effective RPL which are not covered by the assessor standard or the evidence facilitator standard. These focus on assisting learners to make effective choices about available programmes, career and work related opportunities. Practitioners require a thorough knowledge of the relevant economic sector. They should be trained to identify skills, knowledge and other attributes developed outside formal knowledge systems, and to interact with cultural sensitivity.

"SAQA" the South African Qualifications Authority - is a stakeholder body the registers qualifications and standards on the National Qualifications Framework; and ensures that the education and training that is delivered enables learners to reach these qualifications and standards.

"SAQA Act" the SAQA Act is one of the main foundations of the new education and training system and sets up the structures and systems which start putting the new ideas to work. It: Establishes the South African Qualification Authority (SAQA) Provides for development and implementation of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Says that all qualifications and standards must be registered on the integrated framework of the NQF. Is responsible for establishing the structures and principles for assuring the quality of education and training.

"sector" means a defined portion of social, commercial or educational activities used to prescribe the boundaries of an Education and Training Quality Assurance Body;

"Skills Development Facilitator" the job of a Workplace Skills Development Facilitator (SDF) is to: Liaise with the SETA Help to draw up the Workplace Skills Plan Prepare an annual report about the implementation of the Plan The rules governing the appointment of a Skills Development Facilitator differ according to the size of the company and its yearly turnover.

"Skills Development Levy Act" sets up the rules for the collection of levies and the disbursement of grants from employers to fund the development of the workforce, in

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line with the Skills Development Act. It requires all organisations (who have a remuneration bill of more then R250 000 a year after tax) to pay a levy for skills development; allocates money to SETAs; and allows organisations to reclaim moneys, in the form of grants, under certain conditions.

"Skills Programme" a skills programme provides accredited learning, which develops skills an knowledge, and which con tributes towards a qualification. Learners will get a small number of credits (against unit standards) during these programmes, and these credits can go towards a qualification.

"skills-based grading system" a 'skills-based' grading system is one that would recognise the skills that workers already have as well as the additional skills they acquire.

"Standards Generating Body" means a body registered in terms of section 5(1)(a) (ii) of the Act, responsible for establishing education and training standards or qualifications, and to which specific functions relating to the establishing of national standards or qualifications have been assigned in terms of section 5(1)(b) (i) of the Act.

"support" support during an RPL process can include, ensuring that candidates are adequately prepared - which could include counselling if necessary; mediating the feedback from the assessments, if necessary; and assisting with appeals and disputes. Support may be needed by: Candidates; Assessors; Representatives on Joint Committees; Shop stewards; and Organisers. Individuals who could provide support are assessors, a representative from an assessment agency, mentors, trade unionists at local level peers, co-workers, a person from union structures, management personnel, and people on the Joint Committees who are managing the project.

"verification" is the process by which the recommendations from the provider about the award of credits or qualifications to learners are checked. The generic assessor standard ‘Verify moderation of assessment’ registered by SAQA outlines this process in detail. It is an ETQA function to verify the claims of providers that assessment has been properly conducted and moderated.

"workplaces skills plans" at each workplace, a Skills Plan must be developed and submitted to the relevant SETA. There are regulations which outline the format for this Plan. The Skills Development Facilitator helps the organisation to develop a Workplace Skills Plan that is in the interests of the company and the workforce. These plans identify learning that is strategic by linking the skills needed to the priorities of the organisation as well as the society more broadly.

Resources

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i. INSETA ii. SERVICE SETA iii. THE INTERNET iv. VARIOUS ACADEMIES’ v. ETD SETA vi. NATIONAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT ACT vii. THE RESEARCH ARTICLE COLLECTIONS viii. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ix. UNISA x. SOUTHAFRICA.INFO xi. COUNCIL OF HIGHER EDUCATION xii. SOUTH AFRICA'S UNIVERSITIES xiii. SEE THE NATIONAL STUDENT FINANCIAL AID SCHEME WEBSITE.

a guide to understanding · specific job and awarding this person either a qualification or credits...

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