UNDERSTANDING QCTO VS SETA QUALIFICATIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA’S EVOLVING SKILLS DEVELOPMENT LANDSCAPE

The practical rollout of the qualifications that shifted from the SETA’s to QCTO remains problematic. There is an urgent need for alignment and policy clarity across key government departments: DHET, QCTO, SETA’s DTIC and SARS. The absence of clarity and guidance leaves many businesses unsure how to implement the new qualifications.

To avoid the pitfalls of misunderstanding the “skills development and B-BBBEE” language let us dive into some of the important points to ensure that implementation is valuable to all involved.

Navigating QCTO Occupational Qualifications and Scares Skills Alignment

Definitions.

• Scares Skills

Scares skills refer to occupations or qualifications in short supply – meaning there are not enough qualified or experienced people available to fill existing or future vacancies in the labour market.

• Critical Skills

Critical skills refer to the specific skills, competencies, or knowledge areas required within an occupation that are essential for effective performance – even if the occupation itself is not scares

• Pivitol Skills

PIVITOL stands for Professional, Vocational, Technical, and Academic Learning programs that lead to full or part qualification on the National Qualifications Framework.

In simple terms “PIVITOL skills” refer to training programs that address scares and critical skills.

Understanding and comparing the aim of the original SETA qualifications and the current QCTO qualifications, assist with the understanding and implementation of Skills development solutions for B-BBEE.

SETA Qualifications:

The original aim of a SETA Learnership in South Africa was to address the mismatch between education and the needs of the labour market by combining theoretical learning with practical workplace experience, thus creating a more skilled, employable workforce.

• Link Education and Workplace experience

Learnerships were designed to bridge the gap between academic qualifications and practical work experience. The aim was to ensure that learners gained industry-relevant, hands-on experience while studying.

• Address Skills shortages.

Learnerships is a structured way to develop critical and scarce skills identified by each SETA

• Promote employment and reduce unemployment by creating pathways into employment, especially for youth and unemployed people. Employers were encouraged to participate through tax incentives and B-BBEE scorecard recognition.

• Improve productivity and Economic growth

A skilled workforce improves productivity, innovation and efficiency.

• Promote Transformation and Inclusion

Learnerships serve as a transformation tool within the B-BBEE framework. They open doors for previously disadvantaged individuals to gain access to skill, qualifications, and formal employment. This on the flip side help businesses meet their Skills Development and Employment Equity targets under B-BBEE.

• Create a National Recognized Learning Pathway.

All learnerships are linked to a registered qualification on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) from entry level to advanced levels.

Most legacy qualifications (Learnerships) targeted those individuals who did not have the opportunity to study further and it created a learning path for employees who might have the experience but did not have the opportunity to receive a formal qualification and therefore the focus fell mostly on NQF 1 to NQF 4

QCTO Qualifications:

The original aim of QCTO qualifications in South Africa is to ensure a skills-driven, workplace-orientated education system that produces competent, work-ready graduates aligned to the needs of the economy. These qualifications are designed to bridge the gap between education and labour market, particularly in an occupational field.

Occupational Competence:

QCTO qualifications are outcomes-based and occupationally focused. The aim is to ensure that learners acquire practical and theoretical skills that are directly applicable to specific jobs or trades.

• Work Integration

QCTO qualifications emphasize learning through work-based experience.

• Quality Assurance and Standardization

The aim is that the qualifications meet consistent, high-quality benchmarks across sectors.

• The QCTO framework aligns qualifications with industry needs and sector skills plans (WSP)and linking it to OFO codes.

• Recognition of Prior Learning specifically aimed at Apprenticeships where a candidate might have been working in a specific job for several years and have the work experience but require theoretical training to qualify.

QCTO’s Focus on Full Occupational Competence

The Quality Council for Trades and Occupations was established to ensure that qualifications are occupation-based, meaning they prepare learners for a specific job role or trade, not just for general entry level tasks.

Low-NQF qualifications (NQF 1-3) typically cover foundational or basic skills, which are more generic and not linked to a specific occupation. As a result, QCTO prioritizes qualifications that represent full occupational competence, usually NQF 4 and above.

The conclusion is that both SETA and QCTO qualifications are relevant in the current skills development market.

While the move towards QCTO qualifications promises more modern and relevant skill sets, the current implementation presents a complex web of challenges which might leave an even bigger educational gap in the South African economy.

Getting the strategy and correct solution right is critical as a wrong decision may impact on the company’s skills development score card.

We have an experience team to guide and assist you through a successful implementation and verification process – contact us today.