Policy Framework

1. Policy Framework Click on a heading to view that portion of the slide presentation When you’ve finished viewing a section press 1 thento return to this page SASCE 2010 - QCTO Myths Occupational Learning System Defining Occupational Qualifications Importance of Work Experience Quality Assurance Occupations Occupational Qualifications Framework National Occupational Pathway Framework Standard Setting Qualification Development Qualification Assessment Specifications Recognition of Prior Learning Foundational Learning Competence Theoretical considerations NQF Review Resources

2. Quality Council for Trades and Occupations Christoph Vorwerk Role Fit Purpose SASCE 2010 - QCTO

3. Acknowledgement & disclaimers SASCE 2010 - QCTO • Task team of the NQF Review and QCTO Task teams – Dept. of Higher Education and Training • (formerly Labour) • (German Technical Co-operation) • Have permission to do the presentation • But I am not an official of the DHET • Contents of presentation largely based on the above • Will indicate my personal views • An overview presentation by its nature can only deal in generalisations • Exceptions to these generalisation can be found • This does negate the thrust of the generalisation

4. Conference theme CHV SASCE 2010 - QCTO • Human Capital Investment and Partnerships in Work Integrated Learning OR • Moving from “submissive receptivity” to “independent activity” • Attributed to Herbert Spencer

5. Human Capital Formation Peer Ederer, Q-Africa Conf. 2007 Parent Schooling Tertiary Adult On the job Pursuing a pathway: Black South African with university education in a managerial positionn=226.000 250,000 200,000 150,000 ppp$ (base 2000) per average employed person 100,000 50,000 0 18 21 24 27 30 33 36 39 42 45 48 51 54 57 60 63 age CHV SASCE 2010 - QCTO

6. Human Capital Formation Peer Ederer, Q-Africa Conf. 2007 Parent Schooling Tertiary Adult On the job Pursuing a pathway: White South African without university education in a blue collar positionn=392.000 250000 200000 ppp$ (base 2000) per average employed person 150000 100000 50000 0 CHV 18 21 24 27 30 33 36 39 42 45 48 51 54 57 60 63 age SASCE 2010 - QCTO

7. QCTO - Are you bewildered? CHV SASCE 2010 - QCTO • Lack for a frame of reference • Recently spoke to and East German. When the “wall” fell he trekked off to the “west”. He was totally bewildered and could not find a foothold for many years. He couldn’t engage with this new world. He was 40 years out of date. • If you are a “teacher” you operate in the supply paradigm • This is what people should know • If you are an “employer” you operate in the “demand” paradigm • What is it people can do to contribute to what I am doing • If you are a “learner” you operate in the “satisfaction” paradigm • What have I got that will get me a job?

8. Quality Council for Trades and Occupations NQF Act SD Act SASCE 2010 - QCTO

9. SD Act – continued SASCE 2010 - QCTO

10. Current status of the QCTO SASCE 2010 - QCTO • Skills Development transferred to Minister of Higher Education & Training from 1 November 2009 • Launched 23 February 2010 • Commences work April 2010 • Can hit the ground running • 7 years of policy development • Carefully conceptualised system • Draft policy, draft regulations • 100+ applications to develop curriculula and qualifications based on the draft policy & regulations • Commitment from variety of labour market role players, including professional bodies • Fully operational April 2011

11. QCTO – role and purpose SASCE 2010 - QCTO Role: • to ensure the availability, relevance and quality of occupational qualifications to meet industry needs • to establish and manage the Occupational Qualifications Framework • Assure the quality of the development of: • Occupational Curricula and Qualifications • Qualification Assessment specifications • work with the other role players to achieve this end Purpose: • Be responsive to needs and changing needs in the labour market • Assure the credibility of occupational certification • Provide alignment and linkages to other sub-frameworks • Including credit accumulation and transfer system

12. Why do we need a QCTO? SASCE 2010 - QCTO • Structure the conversation between the labour market and education / training • Especially the experts (current practitioners) • Establish occupational qualifications as a legitimate and credible type of qualification • Address skills needs in the labour market • Not only scarce skills but also all skills pipelines • all trades, occupations, professions • Provide access to the labour market to graduates and school leavers via credible learning programmes • Learning programmes = regulated programmes such as learnerships, apprenticeships, skills programmes and internships • Provide opportunities for career development and progression for the currently employed • Including credit accumulation and transfer

13. Occupational Learning System SASCE 2010 - QCTO

14. What is the OLS SASCE 2010 - QCTO • Structured, systemic way of linking the labour market skills needs to education and training processes and the development of a skills pipeline • Describing • essential structural elements • the process flow • the role players at each stage of the process • Indicating hierarchical relationships and dependencies • Works at national, sectoral, industry and enterprise level • Focus on the labour market and the currency of the labour market • Occupations (ie generic jobs) • Being implemented by large organisations, SEOs etc

15. Demand Driven Occupational Learning System DHET OFO NOPF 2 1 3 4 6 5 7 8 Curriculum Develop NLRD Labour Market Occupational Qualifications Qualification Assessment Specifications & SAQA ExternalAssessment • SETAsRegister & Promote Learning Programmes • Learnerships • Apprenticeships • Skills Programmes SETAs Report Information Reflect Industry Needs ESSA QCTO Economy Impact assessment Flow of skills Society Provider System Accredited Providers Approved Workplaces & SASCE 2010 - QCTO

16. Defining Occupational Qualifications SASCE 2010 - QCTO

17. Psst • Your ultimate qualification is your CV • It is the measure of what you • have achieved • are capable of • and what communities you have belonged to Types of Qualification • Education • Qualified in • Some sort of knowledge domain • Labour market • Qualified to • Do something useful for the economy & society • World of praxis • Qualified as • Belonging to the guild of practitioners CHV SASCE 2010 - QCTO

18. General qualifications “Stage 2” learning Vocational & Occupational directed qualifications Work related learning Inter-dependent NQF – Occupation qualifications Work experience and industry knowledge General knowledge & theory Occupation specific practical skills and theory General practical skills Integrated summative external assessment of competence Certification All forms of learning Other QCs QCTO & Quality Partners SASCE 2010 - QCTO

19. Types of occupational qualification • National Occupational Award • consisting of 150 credits or more • National Skills Award • consisting of a minimum of 25 and a maximum of 149 credits • Register only one occupational qualification for an occupation or specialisation • to ensure that there is no proliferation of similar qualifications • occupation or specialisation forms part of the qualification title SASCE 2010 - QCTO

20. Importance of work experience SASCE 2010 - QCTO

21. Work experience • ‘Knowin’ it ain’t the same as doin’ it.” • The importance of applying your knowledge in real-time, real-life • Converting, knowledge and stand-alone skills into occupational practice • Experiencing a different learning modality • Laying the ground-work for lifelong learning (IRL) • The ultimate purpose of work experience is • Ability to do a useful, purposeful, remunerative job • Not just applying procedures taught in some disembodied way • a sort of notional competence • Develop proficiency (Dreyfus) • Integration into the community of practice (Lave/Wenger) CHV SASCE 2010 - QCTO

22. Workplace learning • Is a different learning modality • Characterised by: • Focus on producing work, rather than learning in and of itself • Focus on practice • structuring activities in order to achieve the purposes of the job • Focus on co-ordinating efforts within a larger purpose - working with others • performing components of a larger task • Focus on the senses • Learning to read cues and clues from the environment • Shift from the reading the ‘perfection’ of text to the ‘messiness’ of real life • Shift from formally espoused theories to theory-in-use • The ‘apprenticeship’ paradigm • Model, support, fade • Pedagogy of silence CHV SASCE 2010 - QCTO

23. Quality assurance SASCE 2010 - QCTO

24. Quality assurance of E&T is largely an issue of quality control CHV SASCE 2010 - QCTO • You can have • the best quality education and training programmes • from the best education and training providers • using the best learning methodologies and learning process design • But if the qualification purpose doesn’t meet the needs then you’re wasting your time • Quality assurance can be situated at a number of hierarchical levels • QA is logic trap • The Force Can Do It Trap - Robert E Horn • See Anecdote Concerning the Death of Enterprise by Quality Assurance • http://www.xasa.co.za/Resources/Papers/AnecdoteVer1.4.pdf • A focus on quality assurance is misleading if you don’t embed it within a broader approach to quality management

25. Data analysis Practice-driven Credible QualificationsDesign Assessment Relevant Consistent Responsive Occupationalcompetence Light touch QualityMonitoring Respond to problems Self-evaluation Quality Management Continuous improvement QCTO CHV SASCE 2010 - QCTO

26. Quality management system SASCE 2010 - QCTO • Encompasses all aspects of quality • Including ultimately impact assessment • Quality assurance • Management, design and development of occupational curricula and qualification assessment specifications • Working with quality partners representing the CEP • Quality control • Accreditation of skills development providers • Registration of assessment centres and registered constituent assessors, where required • Monitoring of data • Quality improvement • Responding to issues • in the system • at the local level

27. Quality is dependent on the utility of the learning CHV SASCE 2010 - QCTO • What determines utility in the labour market? • The ability to produce relevant products and services • What informs that? • Talking to those who are at the cutting edge of those occupational practices • The practitioners • The employers • The market (self-employed or community service) • How do we achieve quality? • Structure the conversion between the demand and the supply • Also dependent on managing the system • Monitoring and evaluating the system delivery • Programme evaluation • Impact assessment

28. Quality mechanisms • Consults the Community of Expert Practice (CEP) • “Who holds the standard?” • Allais – you can’t capture it in the form of words • The practitioners • But as working groups not as a regulated body • Hence notion of “quality partners”, one for the • development of curricula, qualifications and assessment specifications • management of the assessment process using nationally standardised instruments • QCTO remains “small” but works through its partners • Delegates it to the level where people care • Manages the consistency of the design and development processes, and certification • Controls quality of provision and assessment through accreditation and registration • Monitors data and improve processes and quality control mechanisms • De-accreditation, and de-registration • Improves development and design processes SASCE 2010 - QCTO

29. Controlling the Quality of Provision, Implementation and Certification • Control the quality of provision, assessment and certification by applying specified criteria in terms of • the approval of regulated learning programmes, • accreditation of skills development providers • the implementation of assessment strategies • Approve all regulated learning programmes developed by SETAs • prior to the registration by the Department of Higher Education and Training • to ensure validity and compliance with occupational qualification rules of combination • = Learnerships, apprenticeships, skills programmes SASCE 2010 - QCTO

30. Accreditation of Skills Development Providers • Required to deliver curriculum components and carry out internal assessment against related unit standards • Approach to accreditation based on • self-evaluation against general criteria and specific requirements specified in the relevant occupational curriculum components (subjects and or modules) • recommendations from industry and /or a good track record • Culture of self-regulation and strong links to relevant professional, occupational and industry bodies and associations encouraged to maintain and raise standards • No accreditation certificates - scope will be recorded and regularly updated on the QCTO’s website • Details with date can be printed at any time • Quality monitoring and audits will be conducted as required • Complaints • Final assessment results… SASCE 2010 - QCTO

31. Accreditation of Institutions Accredited with other QCs SASCE 2010 - QCTO • If already accredited by another QC • will be deemed to have met general criteria for accreditation as a Skills Development Provider • must meet QCTO’s criteria for accreditation for the specific curriculum components of occupational qualifications they wish to offer • Note: • skills development providers accredited by the QCTO wishing to offer qualifications from the other sub-frameworks must follow procedures as determined by the relevant QC

32. Quality Management – the acid test CHV SASCE 2010 - QCTO • Is the QCTO delivering what it is planned to deliver? • Is the OLS delivering relevant skills? • Quality Audit criteria • Economy- cost of inputs • Efficiency – good use of resources to maximise outputs • Effectiveness – achievement of intervention objectives • Equitable – achievement of social justice (McLean, 2010) • Programme evaluation principles

33. QCTO – Programme Theory Indicators Industry participation Learner enrollment Learner pass rate Increased employ-ment or business opportunities for graduates SASCE 2010 - QCTO • If we systematise the identification of Labour Market skills needs then the qualification development process will result in relevant qualifications (demand and not supply driven) • If we use industry (expert practitioners) to identify required occupational learning outcomes (occupational profiles) and qualification assessment specifications then industry will know that the qualifications are relevant • If provider organisations participate in the curriculum development process, they will be able to develop implementable curricula (and materials) • If industry knows that the qualification and the provision is relevantthen it will participate in training • If the quality focus of provision is on ensuring consistent and complete provision (accreditation of providers) then learners will be competent • If the quality focus of assessment is on ensuring consistent and complete assessments (accreditation and moderation of assessment centers/ sites / bodies) then QCTO certification will be valued by industry • If certification is valued by the Labour Market then graduates will find employment

34. Impact assessment • Qualitative • Are the skills appropriate and relevant? • Are assessments credible? • Is employability enhanced? • Is productivity and quality of work enhanced? • Quantitative • Is the process delivering the right no.s of people? • Is demand and supply starting to balance? • Change in role of SETAs • From ETQA – to “real” quality assurance • quality monitoring of implementation • programme evaluation research, including impact assessment SASCE 2010 - QCTO

35. Occupations SASCE 2010 - QCTO

36. Clarifying the landscape & the terminology CHV SASCE 2010 - QCTO • The purpose of work (a job) is to provide products and services • A (good) job profile provides a clear indication of what products and services you are meant to produce • In order to produce you need skills – which • Enable you to produce the product or deliver the service • Occupations are similar sorts of jobs found in varying contexts - which • perform similar work • produce similar products and services • require similar skills • include all sorts of work/workers, eg • trades, technicians, professions • Shortage of skills / scarce skills also means • shortage of people with particular sets of skills to perform particular types of work = occupations

37. Occupational classification systems SASCE 2010 - QCTO • Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) System • USA , First one in 1851 • National Occupational Classification – Canada • International Standard Classification of Occupations • International Labour Organization (ILO) classification structure • current version, known as ISCO-88, 3rd iteration, (ISCO-58 and ISCO-66) • Updated version - ISCO-08 • Purpose : • tool for organising jobs into a clearly defined set of groups according to the tasks and duties undertaken in the job • Both for • statistical users • client oriented users • main client oriented applications • recruitment of workers through employment offices • management of short or long term migration of workers between countries • development of vocational training programmes • guidance. • SASCO 88, ASCO 99, ANZSCO 05 • OFO developed simultaneously with ANZSCO • Led to the Organising Framework for Occupations (OFO)

38. Background - what is the OFO ? SASCE 2010 - QCTO • Skills based, coded classification system • Captures all jobs but in the form of occupations • Groups occupations in terms of - • skill specialisation, and • skill level into successively broader categories or hierarchical levels (5) • that can be used for • varying statistical and analysis purposes • planning & reporting • development of qualifications • Implementation of programmes, interventions www.nopf.co.za

39. Basis of all future skills development processes SASCE 2010 - QCTO • Occupational learning system • DHET • QCTO • Qualifications & assessment • SETAs • Planning, and measuring impact • SAQA • Registration and alignment with other frameworks • Professional bodies, occupational associations, institutes… • Control of practitioners • Employers • WSPs • HR alignment…

40. OFO definitions SASCE 2010 - QCTO • A 'job' • represents set of tasks performed by a person for an employer (including self-employment) in return for payment or profit • Individual persons classified by occupation through their relationship to a past, present or future job. • any particular job will typically involve an individual working for a particular employer and undertaking a particular set of tasks at a particular point in time. • people working for themselves are also considered as having a job and belonging to the labour force. • An 'occupation', • represents a set of jobs that require the performance of similar or identical sets of tasks. • rare for two actual jobs to have identical sets of tasks • so an 'occupation' is a set of jobs whose main tasks are characterised by a high degree of similarity across a range of contexts. • Similarity of the tasks is defined in the OFO as a function of the level and specialisation of the skill required to perform those tasks. Similarity is defined in terms of: • field of knowledge required • tools and equipment used • information/materials worked on, and • goods or services produced or provided

41. Organising Framework for Occupations illustrating unique products/services SASCE 2010 - QCTO

42. Why do we need an OFO? SASCE 2010 - QCTO • Provides a coherent basis for managing information about jobs and occupations • Performs a similar function to CESM • Classification of Educational Study Matter  • South African Ministry of Education • International Standard Classification of Education - UNESCO • Joint Academic Classification of Subjects – UK • A(Australian) or NZ (New Zealand) SCED • Occupations mostly need subjects from a variety of subjects • Occupation specific disciplinary related subjects • Occupation specific practice related subjects • Business & finance related subjects • Marketing & sales related subjects • HR related subjects • xxx ... related subjects • Generic (key or soft skills)

43. Occupational Qualifications Framework SASCE 2010 - QCTO

44. Purpose of the Occupational Qualifications Framework SASCE 2010 - QCTO • To provide a framework for qualifications that require work experience as an integrated and structured component of the qualification • Purpose of occupational qualifications to: • qualify a person to practice an occupation • not to qualify a person in a field of learning • not to provide broad education • lead to recognition of occupational competence and result in employability • improve career advancement possibilities • Covers all 10 levels of the NQF

45. Occupational Qualifications - definition SASCE 2010 - QCTO SDA: • “... a qualification associated with a trade or occupation, resulting from work based learning and consisting of knowledge unit standards, practical unit standards and work experience unit standards” Characteristics of occupational qualifications: • linked to the Organising Framework for Occupations • ‘fit-for-purpose’ • represent labour market requirements • i.e. demand & not supply driven • reflect all three forms of learning • knowledge and theory (minimum 20%) • practical skills (minimum 20%) • work experience (minimum 20%) • Occupational qualifications are not the only qualifications related to occupations • CHE can also develop qualifications related to occupations and professions • But why are they now colonising the field, having fought against the concept for so long?

46. All: Metal Fitters and Machinists (3232) General Fitter (323201) Context- learnerships 20% Chemical Manufacturing Defence 20% 20% Fitter-Mechanic Fitter-Machinist Rules of combination Context = Additional Skills Certificate? Mechanic (Diesel) General Fitter Qualification Common / Core Specialisation Work experience standards Practical standards Knowledge standards SASCE 2010 - QCTO

47. National Occupational Pathway Framework Cluster Field Family SASCE 2010 - QCTO

48. Purpose of the NOPF SASCE 2010 - QCTO • Cluster occupations from various occupational groups to show • Progression • Articulation • To provide and indication for the identification of CEPs • Manage qualification development processes • Give some idea of career progression and guidance

49. Standard setting SASCE 2010 - QCTO

50. Who holds the standard? CHV SASCE 2010 - QCTO • Practitioners • Those who practice the occupation • Those who are involved in occupational practice • Not ETDP • How are the organised? • Formally • Professional bodies, unions • Informally • Occupational associations, institutes, clubs • Where do you find them • Practicing, supervisors/managers, trainers, quality assurance, R&D