QCTO Update

Presentation to HET Portfolio Committee

23 February 2011

23 February 2011 QCTO Update to Portfolio Committee 1

Under 1995 SAQA Act & 1998 SD Act

• SAQA set standards / qualifications and registered them on the NQF; It did this by recognizing Standard Generating Bodies (SGBs) to do the work (DHET for schools and colleges)

• SETAs often established SGBs under SAQA and developed their own sectoral qualifications,

• Quality assurance was done by SAQA-accredited Education & Training Quality Assurance (ETQA) bodies: SETAs were accredited as ETQAs (cf SDA)

But … uneven sectoral quality, duplication resulted

23 February 2011 QCTO Update to Portfolio Committee 2

Under the former DoE

• DoE parallel processes from DoL: – Higher education – Universities quality assured by

Council on Higher Education (CHE) as ETQA

– Further Education – Schools and colleges, Umalusi moderation (ETQA)

23 February 2011 QCTO Update to Portfolio Committee 3

23 February 2011 QCTO Update to Portfolio Committee 4

Pre-2008 ETQAs on NQF

Pre-2009 NQF

CHE with HEQF(Band ~ ‘Higher’)

Umalusi with school and college qualifications

(Band ~ General and Further)

SETAs with learnerships incl.‘structured learning’(?)

SETA

a

SETA

b

SETA

c

SETA

&

Pre-2008 NQF

Dep

artm

ent

of E

duca

tion D

epartment of Labour

23 February 2011 QCTO Update to Portfolio Committee 5

Proposals for QCTO emerged• System perceived as inefficient so … • Inter-Ministerial review of NQF began in 2001• Resulted in Joint Ministerial Statement (DoL and former

DoE) in 2007• Statement envisioned third Quality Council (QCTO)

alongside Umalusi and CHE; • All three QCs to both SET standards and qualifications as

well as Quality Assure • SAQA given role to enhance ‘communication, co-

ordination and collaboration’

23 February 2011 QCTO Update to Portfolio Committee 6

QCTO mandate in SDA

• ‘the QCTO is responsible for– establishing and maintaining occupational standards and

qualifications’– ‘the quality assurance of occupational standards and

qualifications and learning in and for the workplace’– Designing and developing occupational standards and

qualifications and submitting them to the SAQA for registration on the NQF

– Ensuring the quality of occupational standards and qualifications and learning in and for the workplace;

(SDA, 2008, Section 26H, 3)

Policy matters• Minister has responsibility of setting policy on occupational

standards and qualifications.• Specifically as per the SDA, the Minister has responsibility to

determine policy on:– An occupational qualifications sub-framework as an

integral part of the NQF– The sub-framework for quality assurance for occupational

qualifications; and– Any other matter concerning occupational standards or

occupational qualifications• Have to be cautious to avoid NQF trap- skills development

system that centres around the qualification framework to an extent of it being a constraint.

23 February 2011 QCTO Update to Portfolio Committee 7

23 February 2011 QCTO Update to Portfolio Committee 8

Con’t (SDA Definition)• An ‘occupational qualification means a qualification

associated with a trade, occupation or profession resulting from work-based learning and consisting of – knowledge unit standards, – practical unit standards and – work experience unit standards’ (Definition)

• By implication, before the Occupational Sub Framework for Trades and Occupations could be published, there must be alignment with other Sub-Frameworks i.e. of Umalusi and CHE

Labourers and elementary workers (8)

Managers (1) Professionals (2)

Technicians and trade

workers (3)

Community and personal

service workers (4)

Clerical and administrative

workers (5)

Sales workers (6)

Machinery operators and

drivers (7)

HEQF - gazetted

Proposed GFETQF

Proposed OQFN

ational Occupational Q

ualifications (>120)

National O

ccupational Aw

ards (<120)

Alignment between Sub-Frameworks under debate

23 February 2011 9QCTO Update to Portfolio Committee

23 February 2011 QCTO Update to Portfolio Committee 10

Policy matters

• Need to clarify the overlaps and contradictions in the sub-frameworks

• Clarify roles and responsibilities with other QCs, and UMALUSI in particular on the theoretical component of occupational qualifications

• Clarify relations, roles and responsibilities with SETAs, NAMB• Address integration and articulation, i.e. the QCs were

conceptualised in the context of 2 separate departments, DHET is now responsible for education, training and skills development

23 February 2011 QCTO Update to Portfolio Committee 11

Developments

• Delegation back to SETAs for ‘legacy’ qualifications underway;• HELA Act, passed 7 December 2010, provides for QCTO staff

establishment – QCTO prioritising this urgently; • Business Plan to be submitted to National Treasury shortly • QCTO listed as 3A Public Entity on 31 December 2010

(retrospectively from 1 April 2010) – requiring a number of obligations be implemented urgently e.g. bank account, reports, etc.

• CEO position advertised in December 2010, and appointment process underway

23 February 2011 QCTO Update to Portfolio Committee 12

Operational issues

• QCTO can only function as Public Entity properly once budget is transferred from DHET. For this to occur Finance and HR systems must be in place.

• QCTO will use DHET systems for an initial phase from 1 April 2011, until it is operationally ready.

• DHET will continue to provide support and assistance to ensure that policy matters are clarified, overlaps with other QCs are addressed

• Financial allocations will continue through DHET

23 February 2011 QCTO Update to Portfolio Committee 13