richardw@workforce.co.za

Skills development is one of the major requirements of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) scorecard, and learnerships make up a significant part of skills development. However, not all businesses have the capacity to take on sufficient learners to meet their obligations. Such was the case with a client of Training Force, who had the funding but no available roles. Training Force then partnered with LESCO, a manufacturer and distributor of a wide range of innovative electrical products and accessories for the South African domestic market, who could take on learners, but not the funding. This created a mutually beneficial three-way arrangement that gave the learners valuable work experience while earning an income, and at the same time delivered B-BBEE points for both LESCO and the client.

 

The requirement

 

A client approached Training Force to assist with finding a host site for learners to complete their learnership, which itself is not an unusual situation. However, as this was a technical learnership there was also a specific requirement for the host site to meet the criteria stipulated by the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority (merSETA), the sector education and training authority encompassing manufacturing, engineering, and related services. This meant that the host needed to not only be in the right industry but also have the appropriate accreditations to take on the learners.

 

“merSETA has stringent requirements, which made this placement quite a challenge. LESCO went above and beyond the call of duty to comply, navigating all the obstacles, hurdles and red tape required for their certification. Throughout the process, they were willing to adjust and amend to provide for the learners, including several disabled learners who needed specific accommodations. They went out of their way to make this work and took on a big task in embracing the true spirit of B-BBEE,” says Yogini Sigamoney, Project Manager for Learnerships at Training Force.

 

The process and the benefits

 

Training Force began the recruitment process after LESCO was briefed on their requirements, and potential candidates were interviewed by both parties to ensure the correct fit.

 

“One of LESCO’s goals is to empower previously disadvantaged people, and learnerships provide a good access point to offer the youth an opportunity to be exposed to the manufacturing environment. Training Force is a reputable company, and we were happy to work with them on this project. They assisted us in sourcing learners to meet our specifications, namely persons living with disabilities, aged between 20 and 29 years and living within a 5km radius of our factory,” explains Teboho Moloi, Cost & Procurement Manager at LESCO.

 

The partnership with Training Force and its client ensured that LESCO had the learners they needed, while Training Force took on the task of implementing, monitoring, and closing off the programme, as well as providing feedback to both parties. At the end of the year-long learnership, participants received a National Qualification Framework (NQF) Level 1 in manufacturing and engineering, as well as invaluable work experience and skills and fixed-term contracts of employment at LESCO.

 

Lessons learned

 

“The project involved a great deal of coordination between LESCO and Training Force, including onboarding, training, managing attendance, leave and incentivising performance. We had a few teething problems at the start but worked these out to implement better ways of management and communication. We also introduced several different motivational factors to help learners reach targets,” says Moloi.

 

“LESCO’s willingness to adapt and change was instrumental to the success of this programme, and their door was always open. This was a learning experience for us, and it has helped tremendously in facilitating this kind of arrangement going forward,” Sigamoney concludes.

Cheeba Cannabis Training, the leading Cannabis and hemp educator in Africa, has partnered with Training Force, a top training provider focused on delivering job-specific skills assessments and training, to expand hemp training opportunities across the continent. This collaboration will provide learners with access to over 45 Training Force sites throughout the country and the seven official Cheeba Cannabis & Hemp Training Centres. The goal is to advance the industry by offering high-quality training programs that educate individuals on the uses, practicalities, benefits, and regulations surrounding hemp and Cannabis and create employment opportunities.

 

The partnership was celebrated with an event held at the Cheeba Cannabis Training Centre in Midrand on the 10^th of May, where guest speakers discussed the pressing need for regulatory reform and the establishment of a commercial framework for the cannabis industry.

 

Among the distinguished speakers was Mayanda Bam, a renowned consultant from BCubed Consulting Friends of Hemp, and an ardent activist for cannabis reform. With his expertise and passion, Bam delivered an inspiring talk emphasising the significance of creating a robust regulatory system that ensures the responsible and safe cultivation, distribution, and consumption of cannabis.

 

The event served as a catalyst for fostering dialogue and collaboration among industry professionals, policymakers, and advocates, paving the way for a progressive future in the cannabis sector.

 

Daniel Orelowitz, Managing Director of Training Force, added, “This partnership represents a significant step forward for the hemp industry in Africa. Through this collaboration, we aim to empower individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in this exciting and rapidly growing industry which will play a significant role in job creation.”

 

Hemp is a versatile crop with numerous applications, including food, fuel, and fibre, and contains cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive compound with a range of health benefits. Despite the prospects, the industry is still in its early stages, particularly in Africa, where knowledge and training opportunities are limited.

 

The industry is a burgeoning one and according to Polaris Market Research, the global industrial hemp market size was valued at USD 4.26 billion in 2021 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 16.9% by 2030. Africa, with approximately 200 million hectares of uncultivated land, is poised to become a leading player in hemp cultivation and processing.

 

“The collaboration with Training Force will allow us to broaden our reach and provide access to hemp education for individuals across the continent to support job creation and SMME development. We look forward to leveraging Training Force’s vast network of training sites and infrastructure to achieve this,” said Linda Siboto, co-founder of Cheeba Cannabis Training.

 

The initial programs will deliver SETA-aligned NQF Level 2 and 4 programs covering “How to Start a Hemp Business,” “Hemp Cultivation and Processing,” and Africa’s first accredited Hempcrete Building course in partnership with Afrimathemp, accredited by the SA Council for Architectural Profession and the Engineering Council of SA, with more programs to follow.

 

List of Cheeba Cannabis & Hemp Training Centres

 

• Ignited Unlimited – Paarl (Western Cape)
• DankiPa Eco-Estate – Plettenberg Bay (Western Cape)
• Vital Veggie – Midrand (Gauteng)
• Vital Veggie – De Aar (Northern Cape)
• Nongos Joint – Zeerust (Northwest)
• Eastern Cape Cannabis & Hemp Training Centre – Powered by Cheeba Cannabis Training / Hlomla Multi Services – King Williams Town (Eastern Cape)
• Invegrow / Genscore Africa – Malawi

To enquire about the Cheeba Cannabis Hemp training delivered in partnership with Training Force, fill in the form in the link below or visit the Cheeba Cannabis Training website for further details:

 

• Enquiry Form: Cheeba Cannabis Training Enquiry Form (google.com)
• Cheeba Cannabis Training: Cheeba Africa Cannabis Academy

 

About Cheeba Cannabis Training

 

Cheeba Cannabis Training (B BBEE Level 2) is part of the Cheeba Africa group which also owns and operates Cheeba Cannabis Academy.  The organisation has been at the forefront of the Cannabis and Hemp industry providing world-class education and training opportunities to the African market.  They are Services Seta and AgrSETA accredited and deliver online self-study, blended learning courses, contact courses and deliver full time programmes at their flagship campus in Rivonia Johannesburg.

 

About Training Force

 

Training Force (B BBEE Level 1) is a registered training provider focused on delivering industry and job-specific skills assessments and training interventions to businesses and their employees across a variety of industries. Since their establishment in 2003, they have provided over 3 000 companies with training interventions and upskilled over 55 000 workers through their branches across South Africa.

By delivering practical training solutions, they help businesses secure a more productive workforce. All their learnerships are aligned with SAQA (South African Qualifications Authority), the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and accredited with SETA Quality Assurance departments.

Cheeba Cannabis Training, the leading Cannabis and hemp educator in Africa, has partnered with Training Force, a top training provider focused on delivering job-specific skills assessments and training, to expand hemp training opportunities across the continent. This collaboration will provide learners with access to over 45 Training Force sites throughout the country and the seven official Cheeba Cannabis & Hemp Training Centres.

 

Through this partnership, Cheeba Cannabis Training and Training Force aim to advance the industry by offering high-quality training programs that educate individuals on the uses, practicalities, benefits, and regulations surrounding hemp and Cannabis.

 

Daniel Orelowitz, Managing Director of Training Force, added, “This ground-breaking partnership with Cheeba Cannabis Training represents a significant step forward for the hemp industry in Africa, and we are honoured to be part of it. Through this collaboration, we hope to empower individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in this exciting and rapidly growing industry which will play a significant role in job creation.”

 

This partnership comes in response to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation address in which he recognised the untapped potential of the Cannabis and hemp industry. The industry is valued at over R1.8 trillion in global sales and presents job creation opportunities estimated to be as high as 130,000 new jobs in South Africa.

 

Hemp is a versatile crop with numerous applications, including food, fuel, and fibre, and contains cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive compound with a range of health benefits. Despite the prospects, the industry is still in its early stages, particularly in Africa, where knowledge and training opportunities are limited.

 

The industry is a burgeoning one and according to Polaris Market Research, the global industrial hemp market size was valued at USD 4.26 billion in 2021 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 16.9% by 2030. Africa, with approximately 200 million hectares of uncultivated land, is poised to become a leading player in hemp cultivation and processing.

 

“The collaboration with Training Force will allow us to broaden our reach and provide access to hemp education for individuals across the continent to support job creation and SMME development. We look forward to leveraging Training Force’s vast network of training sites and infrastructure to achieve this,” said Linda Siboto, co-founder of Cheeba Cannabis Training.

 

Cheeba Cannabis Training and Training Force are committed to advancing hemp education and training in Africa and promoting the benefits of this versatile crop. As interest in Cannabis and hemp continues to grow, this partnership will be at the forefront of providing the tools and knowledge needed to succeed in this dynamic and evolving industry.

 

The initial programs will deliver SETA-aligned NQF Level 2 and 4 programs covering “How to Start a Hemp Business,” “Hemp Cultivation and Processing,” and Africa’s first accredited Hempcrete Building course in partnership with Afrimathemp, accredited by the SA Council for Architectural Profession and the Engineering Council of SA, with more programs to follow.

List of Cheeba Cannabis & Hemp Training Centres

• Ignited Unlimited – Paarl (Western Cape)
• DankiPa Eco-Estate – Plettenberg Bay (Western Cape)
• Vital Veggie – Midrand (Gauteng)
• Vital Veggie – De Aar (Northern Cape)
• Nongos Joint – Zeerust (Northwest)
• Eastern Cape Cannabis & Hemp Training Centre – Powered by Cheeba Cannabis Training / Hlomla Multi Services – King Williams Town (Eastern Cape)
• Invegrow / Genscore Africa – Malawi

About Cheeba Cannabis Training

Cheeba Cannabis Training (B BBEE Level 2) is part of the Cheeba Africa group which also owns and operates Cheeba Cannabis Academy.  The organisation has been at the forefront of the Cannabis and Hemp industry providing world-class education and training opportunities to the African market.  They are Services Seta and AgrSETA accredited and deliver online self-study, blended learning courses, contact courses and deliver full time programmes at their flagship campus in Rivonia Johannesburg.

About Training Force

Training Force (B BBEE Level 1) is a registered training provider focused on delivering industry and job-specific skills assessments and training interventions to businesses and their employees across a variety of industries. Since their establishment in 2003, they have provided over 3 000 companies with training interventions and upskilled over 55 000 workers through their branches across South Africa.

By delivering practical training solutions, they help businesses secure a more productive workforce. All their learnerships are aligned with SAQA (South African Qualifications Authority), the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and accredited with SETA Quality Assurance departments.

 

By Daniel Orelowitz, Managing Director at Training Force

 

When starting a learnership or training programme in South Africa, several crucial steps must be taken to ensure that the programme is compliant and that learners receive the appropriate certification upon completion. Such administrative steps are extensive and can get complicated quickly – from registering the learnership programme and obtaining the approval of the relevant Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) to ensuring that the training programme meets the requirements of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO). From a people perspective, accredited facilitators and assessors must be engaged, and learners must be recruited, on-boarded and managed, while regular progress reports must be submitted to the SETA. All of which adds up to an unreasonable amount of work to expect a company to handle in-house.

 

The overwhelming business of learnerships

 

Companies undertaking such programmes must also be prepared to tackle immense administrative burdens such as manual document collection and quality checks, recruitment of learner candidates and suitable hosting, as well as lengthy and time-consuming programme registrations. Then comes the need to oversee portfolios of evidence along with internal and external moderation, all of which demand constant follow-up with the various SETAs that are all severely understaffed.

 

Frustration and extensive paperwork

 

One of the biggest sources of frustration is dealing with SETAs, whose approval processes can take up to eight months, causing unnecessary delays. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts, and learners and businesses must wait for the approval. This cycle of constant following-up and continuous waiting is taxing on internal resources and their time and can become extremely discouraging.  The challenges of dealing with the various SETAs can be tough concerning disabled learners, or learnership outside the company’s sector. In addition, running learnership programmes requires a lot of technical paperwork, and each SETA has its strict submission requirements and format preferences. This causes a huge headache for both learnership participants and the organisation responsible for managing the programme. If training is not the organisation’s core business, it can be exhausting for employees to handle the extra workload. Hiring additional full-time staff might seem cheaper at first, but the costs can add up quickly, and managing these new employees is simply another problem for someone else to deal with.

 

Learnerships: whose burden is it, anyway?

 

Considering the value of learnership programmes in addressing our country’s skills and unemployment crisis, businesses should not have to face these bureaucratic hurdles unassisted. Nor is it logical for them to handle the stresses and headaches of learnership programmes alone. Instead, businesses should focus on their core revenue-generating activities and delegate the responsibility to training experts. By partnering with an accredited, reputable, and experienced training provider, the immense pressure of learnerships can be greatly reduced. This is because training partners have established relationships with the SETAs and are familiar with their specific regulations and procedures.

 

Outsourcing efficiency and results

 

A worthy training partner will have honed their efficiency at tackling every aspect and detail of training and learnership programmes, assuming total responsibility thereof for their client companies. By partnering with a specialist training provider (rather than keeping it in-house) companies can outsource their headaches and ensure that their budget and resources allocated to training are efficiently utilised, without the need to manage the performance of internal resources. Furthermore, an experienced training partner makes possible learnerships and training programmes beyond the scope of the company’s focus or industry. Practically speaking, if a company handled learnerships in-house, they’d only be able to offer three or four learnerships, but by joining forces with a training provider, they gain efficiency and cost-effectiveness on an unimaginable scale – with immediate access to up to 42 different learnerships and all the necessary trainers and materials required for each certification.

 

More skills, more jobs

 

A reliable training services provider will help businesses create clarity from confusion by taking responsibility for the administrative burden of learnerships, and setting up and running critical programmes that are compliant and recognised by the necessary skills development authorities. Not only will this help learners obtain their certifications as quickly and effectively as possible, but it also helps companies to achieve their training and skills development goals effectively. In so doing, this can open funding and Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) opportunities for companies that can make learnerships a mutually beneficial process that is instrumental to filling educational gaps and increasing skills levels in South Africa. In turn, this will aid in critically addressing unemployment by creating the skills needed to fill the jobs that feed and grow our economy.

The year has barely begun, and we find ourselves in the middle of the 1st quarter of 2023. This is generally the time where many medium-to-large companies are facing BBBEE and financial year end deadlines, and most are in the planning phase for submission of their Workplace Skills Plan Targets and Annual Training Reports. We have found that accessing funding grants can be a challenging process for many individuals and organisations especially with the ever-changing SETA/QCTO Landscape.

 

Most larger companies have a comprehensive understanding of Grant Applications, but there are still so many emerging companies that do not necessarily know that a Workplace Skills plan (WSP) is a strategic proposal where you capture all your planned training for the coming year and the ATR is a report of actual training completed during the previous year, and what it entails. These organizations are often paying Skills Development Levies but don’t know how to access mandatory and discretionary grants. It has been a great pleasure to have helped emerging and established companies with their strategic planning, specifically unlocking of mandatory and discretionary grants. We continue to do so with any of our clients who require this service.

 

In most circles a perception exists that the SETA landscape is laden with red tape, and to some extent there is truth therein, but inversely any funder would have qualifying criteria for applicants. The challenge then is to have the understanding of how to navigate in this arena. To this day, we have found that there are still too many organisations missing the non-negotiable 30th April deadline for submission of their WSP/ATR which immediately results in BBBEE non-compliance for the Skills Development Category. It can only benefit your organization to meet this deadline, so that you are able to claim your Mandatory and Discretionary Grants. Not only do you fulfil a vital part of your BBBEE, but you can also use the discretionary grant funding to supplement or partially subsidize your training budget. Furthermore, should you opt for learnership interventions, the grant awarded results in the associated learnership tax incentives, which is always a win-win.

 

We always work to ensure that employers have the best opportunity for being awarded funding. However, we have often found that many companies do not adequately prepare their Pivotal Plan. Companies must declare their pivotal plans on their WSP and, when the discretionary windows open, apply for the pivotal training declared in their WSP and not derail from what they planned as it may very well result in not being awarded funding. When you are in the planning phase of your workplace skills plan, we encourage you to reach out to us so as to ensure that your planned interventions are recorded correctly from the get-go. We can then provide you with the appropriate guidance if needed and assist in the correct supporting documents for your application. It is always the culmination of a solid partnership of learner, employer and training provider that results in project success. Together, we can relish in niceties such as the recognition of the learner’s achievements and graduation ceremonies, and placement opportunities and promotions made possible for the beneficiaries of our training.

 

We continue to work tirelessly to bring skills solutions to industry and we look forward to helping you with your SETA applications. We are a provider that understands the National Skills Development Agenda and Strategy and are excited to play a meaningful part in creating a difference through skills development.

By Daniel Orelowitz, Managing Director at Training Force

 

Despite being Africa’s most industrialised nation, South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world and is currently struggling with low GDP growth in the thick of global market uncertainty. Economic recovery and growth are desperately needed, but this requires job creation and skills development to meet our country’s current and future needs. One of the most effective ways to achieve skills development and job creation is through learnerships. An integrated skills development intervention, learnerships are aimed at promoting growth in employment and facilitating capacity building across sectors to address scarce and critical skills shortages. Learnerships are attractive for businesses since a Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) score and tax benefits are available, however, managing these programmes can be a massive undertaking. Here, it is advisable for companies to partner with an accredited training provider to sidestep the system while gaining all the B-BBEE and tax benefits with none of the associated administrative and compliance burdens.

 

In short, outsourcing their learnership programmes is the business hack every company needs to embrace in 2023.

 

What is the big deal about learnerships?

 

Currently managed by the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), learnerships are directly related to particular occupations and roles. They provide a pathway that leads individuals through to accredited National Qualifications Framework (NQF) qualifications. Learnerships ensure that more people are trained for a specific working environment, and businesses benefit from having a more skilled and experienced workforce. Through such skills development programmes, learners are now able to further their education while employees contribute to the establishment of a pool of skilled labour that can either be absorbed permanently into their organisations or redirected to be of benefit elsewhere in the industry.

 

In a format that combines structured learning with hands-on work experience, learnerships are key to ensuring that individuals are equipped with the theoretical knowledge necessary to work in their field and the practical know-how necessary to secure a job in that field. As attractive as the business benefits of learnerships may be, companies generally have to source eligible candidates and have them vetted and onboarded, all of which direct time and resources from other core functions of the organisation.

 

Developing essential skills

 

An experienced training provider can step in here, and take on the recruitment, enrolment, and management of the right candidates for the company’s learnerships. As training and employee development specialists, it is their core business to help their clients align with the requirements of learnership programmes, such as the Youth Employment Service (YES) programme. This learnership programme provides the company with exceptional B-BBEE benefits, while greatly assisting to close the skills gap in the youth market. An enterprise can participate in facilitating 12-month work experience programmes for unemployed youth by either:

 

1. Sponsoring and hosting youth within their business
2. Sponsoring placements elsewhere within an existing SME/supply chain
3. Providing hosting to the benefit of a new SME.

 

How do learnerships benefit employers?

 

From B-BBEE scores to tax incentives, there are several noticeable benefits when implementing learnerships in the business:

 

• Contributing to skills development, job creation and economic growth, while boosting the company’s productivity and adding to its value through the employment of skilled, knowledgeable, competent employees.
• Establishing a pool of properly-trained, experienced employees with critical skills to draw from gives the business a clear competitive edge in the industry.
• Being committed to skills development positively impacts the company’s B-BBEE status, improving employment equity targets by enabling previously disadvantaged employees or unemployed individuals to upskill themselves and earn qualifications.
• There are Learnership Tax Incentives that allow employers to claim up to R120 000 per individual that completes their qualification, along with monthly Employment Tax Incentives (ETI) for every employee hired between the ages of 18 and 29.

An all-round win-win

Between recruiting candidates, handling all aspects of their HR onboarding, and payroll, and overseeing their learnership progress and assessments, there can be a lot for businesses to come to grips with. Partnering with a training provider that specialises in youth development is the smartest business hack that ensures everyone benefits –  the company gains the full tax and employment equity advantages of learnerships, while candidates achieve their full potential through the successful completion of such programmes.

By Daniel Orelowitz, Managing Director at Training Force

Workforce training, while essential for upskilling, can cause operational downtime which affects the company’s bottom line. However, this is easily countered with the introduction of on-demand online training. This gives workers the flexibility to attend their training sessions without impacting their work schedules. Such training can significantly reduce the operational downtime that stems from face-to-face training sessions, which are usually scheduled during working hours. Online training makes it possible to accommodate both the operational demands of specific projects and the need to facilitate skills development.

 

Conflicting concerns

 

With conventional training programmes, the number one concern for businesses is operational downtime. While the need to upskill employees is undeniable, the need to avoid operational downtime is simply more pressing. This results in training programmes being constantly postponed, or delayed, in the hopes that training can happen during a quieter period, when the timing is better. Realistically, the timing is never going to be ideal, so businesses need to figure out how to fit training into operations and how to work operations around training. Here, online training is the solution.

 

Weighing costs and benefits

 

With conventional face-to-face training, employees usually have to apply for study leave in advance. Extra hands become necessary, whether this means another employee stepping in to cover that individual’s shifts or bringing in casual labour. There are plans that need to be made and costs that need to be considered in addition to expenses incurred with paying for the training course itself. While few businesses can afford the negative impact of downtime or the cost of extra hands, the positive impact of investing in employees through training and upskilling initiatives cannot be overlooked. With training, employees become better at their jobs – more capable, and more productive. They’re either able to do their job quicker, or they’re able to take on more work, which makes the training worthwhile.

 

How can online training make a difference?

 

The effect of operational downtime can be minimised by making online training available to employees. Lessons and course material are available on-demand to trainees, which means they can access and consume at their convenience. They can either come in to work a little earlier or complete the training during their lunch breaks, during quiet periods in the day or after hours, as their schedule permits. If they need to use company resources to do so, this is possible. Not only does online training facilitate convenience, but it also allows trainees to learn at their own pace. Something not necessarily possible with conventional in-classroom training. Learners can consume the material at their own pace and if anything is unclear, they can revisit or replay the audio or video or reach out to a training facilitator for assistance. This means that the individual can ensure that they fully understand the required material before moving onto the assessment.

 

From an operational scheduling perspective, if there needs to be face-to-face training, companies and employees will need to reach a compromise. The company can give workers a Friday off for training, and in return, workers can give a Saturday for the same purpose. Expecting employees to attend Saturday-only training is impractical. There needs to be a level of sacrifice on each side in order for everyone to reap the benefits of training.

 

Commitment is key

 

In addition to a level of sacrifice being necessary on both sides, employers and employees alike need to be committed to the training to see it through. It’s important to bear the benefits in mind, and to remember that the end will justify the means. In addition to productivity improvements that come with enhanced skills, employees that participate meaningfully in training opportunities will have a sense of accomplishment that comes with having achieved a new qualification or acquired a new skill set. This contributes to employee retention, which is a positive outcome for employers that is realised along with increased productivity. Ultimately, the form and format chosen for training will depend on each company’s unique requirements. The right training partner will be able to facilitate the necessary mix of online or face-to-face training, feedback and assessment – whatever it takes to get the training completed in a way that minimises operational downtime while maximising the opportunities for valuable skills development.

By Daniel Orelowitz, Managing Director at Training Force

 

The Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) is a Quality Council established in 2010 in terms of the Skills Development Act (Act 97 of 1998) as amended in 2008. Its role is to oversee the design, implementation, assessment, and certification of occupational qualifications, including trades, on the Occupational Qualifications Sub-Framework (OQSF). By June 2023, it will be the primary responsibility of the QCTO 4 for the oversight of the design, accreditation, implementation, assessment and certification of occupational qualifications, part-qualifications, and skills programmes in South Africa. Its role is critical in ensuring that South Africa has a qualified workforce to contribute to job creation through better opportunities. The QCTO signals major changes in the skills development space, and a significant number of organisations remain unclear as to how these new standards will affect them and their workforce. Continuous delays in rolling out these changes has resulted in mass confusion. It’s time to set the record straight so that we can move forward with training sector priorities: quality skills development that facilitates South African economic growth and recovery.

 

What is the QCTO and where does it fit in?

 

The QCTO is one of the three Quality Councils legislatively responsible for the educational paradigm in line with its constitution. Umalusi is the Quality Council concerned with the development and management of the quality of a sub-framework of qualifications for general and further education and training. The Council on Higher Education (CHE) is concerned with the promotion of a system of quality assurance for all higher education institutions, such as universities and colleges. The Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) is charged with the establishment and management of an occupational qualification sub-framework, as well as providing guidance to skills development providers (both private and public) and assessment centres who must be accredited by the QCTO to implement occupational qualifications.

 

Change can no longer be ignored or avoided

 

It’s been more than a decade in the making, but change is finally coming. Working behind the scenes, the QCTO has gradually been building capacity as a stand-alone institution to take over its mandated functions from SAQA. “According to the QCTO, the registration end date for all ‘historical’ qualifications is 30 June 2023, with a phase-out period of one year for learners to still enrol up to and including 30 June 2024”, after which it will be necessary to move over to occupationally directed qualifications. Training, assessments, moderations, and achievements on these qualifications will only continue with learners registered before 30 June 2024. A teach out period will facilitate learners enrolled before 30 June 2024 until 30 June 2027, but statements of results and certificates will no longer be issued post 30 June 2027.

 

Renewed focus on specific skills

 

While change is always difficult and challenging, it’s important to remember that the new QCTO qualifications are intended to be specific in terms of the occupational profile of those who should benefit from the qualification to enhance the quality thereof. To facilitate this renewed functional focus, there has been a shift from generic training to specific skill sets. This is in line with the QCTO’s mandate to ensure that there are occupational qualifications that respond to South Africa’s skills development priorities to support labour market needs and state initiatives.

 

Making the switch

 

This will require transformation, right down to a business operating level. All Sector and Training Authorities (SETAs) report to the QCTO. SETAs are licensed until 2030 and will continue with the annual WSP/ATR, allocation of grants and funding, learnerships and the phasing out of legacy qualifications. Under the QCTO, they will also have the additional responsibility as Development Quality Partners (DQP) and Assessment Quality Partners (AQP) for occupational qualifications. Another major change that will take some getting used to is the programme duration for some learnerships. Some learnership cycles have now been increased to two years, in some cases five, depending on the qualification. As for SDPs, it will be critical for them to get accredited and to align themselves with AQPs, to move from the SETA space to the QCTO space as soon as possible to leverage their understanding of how best to make the transition. SDPs will need guidance in implementing and adapting to the new processes.

 

Adapt or get left behind

 

It’s essential for all organisations involved with skills development to ensure that they are positioned and ready for this change if they’re to survive the transition. A transition of this magnitude is going to have gaps and possible glitches, but now is the time for both industry and SDPs to work towards understanding these new processes and policies and perhaps challenge the implementation thereof where there is a lack of clarity or ambiguity. This is particularly important where companies are reliant on skills development programmes for Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) level points. To this end, such organisations would be wise to partner with training provider partners that have already undertaken and achieved QCTO accreditation to lead the way.

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