ENSURING QUALITY
The Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) is the organisation responsible for establishing and maintaining occupational standards and qualifications. This year is one of change as the council takes over quality-assurance functions from the relevant SETAs and realigns historically registered qualifications. CEO of QCTO, Mr Vijayen Naidoo, elaborates on these changes.
PSM: What was your role within QCTO before becoming CEO?
Vijayen Naidoo: I joined QCTO in February 2014 as Chief Director for Quality Assurance. This was a new post and so my role was to establish and implement a qualityassurance system to support the qualifications and part-qualifications registered on the Occupational Qualifications Sub-framework (OQSF). The OQSF is a sub-framework of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).
The focus during this period was to develop the suite of policies and procedures to ensure the quality of provisioning and of assessments for occupational qualifications. The work included the establishment of a credible certification system.
The role also included monitoring the performance of quality-assurance partners (QAPs) (SETAs and professional bodies) in terms of the quality functions delegated to the QAPs by QCTO.
PSM: What values do you prioritise as a leader?
VN: First and foremost, I believe that as an organisation we are here to serve the people. While there has been substantial change since democracy, the sad reality is that this has not translated into benefiting our people as quickly as had been anticipated. For this reason, we have elected to fast-track our processes so that we impact society by providing credible qualifications and part-qualifications which make people employable. To do this, we need efficient systems and processes.
On a personal level, my values include respect and regard for the individual and the institution; however, the individual (including myself) can never be bigger than the institution. I believe in people and therefore “take them along” with me, creating opportunities for them express their own talents. I believe in honesty, integrity, and fair and just administration.
PSM: 2018 is a year of transition and maturation for QCTO. What are some of the changes taking place?
VN: Most certainly, QCTO is a maturing organisation. In order for QCTO to execute its mandate and grow, we are implementing a new organogram. The new structure will allow QCTO to bring industry and subject matter experts into QCTO, thus reducing our dependence on third parties. A number of key senior positions have been advertised and we are in the process of filling these posts.
QCTO is also actively pursuing partnerships with international organisations who have similar mandates. The intention is to understand and share best practices. We are keenly aware that we need a unique South African system to solve South African problems, but we can learn from the experiences of other systems.
PSM: What are some of the challenges that QCTO faces in taking over the quality-assurance functions that have in the past been carried out by the relevant SETAs?
VN: The challenges are no different to those captured in the White Paper on Post-School Education and Training, which indicates that QCTO was established with a specific mandate but that it was not sufficiently resourced or capacitated to fully execute its mandate. So, while there has been an increase in resource allocations, the current levels of funding still pose a challenge.
This is not the only challenge though. The challenges must be located within the broader context of finalising the policy context for the implementation of the Post-School Education and Training System and in particular the role of SETAs.
PSM: What does the realignment of historically registered qualifications mean for QCTO on a practical level?
VN: The realignment of historically registered qualifications acknowledges that there are certain qualifications that are in demand and have learner uptake. The realignment process means that the qualification will be reviewed to update it and bring it in line with the design and format of the occupational qualifications – in particular, specifying the knowledge, practical and work experience components. The qualification will then be registered as an occupational qualification and will be subjected to the full qualityassurance processes in place for occupational qualifications.
PSM: What is the role of the industry in developing and maintaining qualifications, and in particular, in the re-alignment of historically registered qualifications?
VN: QCTO develops “qualifications for industry by industry”. The role of industry in the development of qualifications and part-qualifications is critical if we are to ensure that such qualifications lead to meaningful employment.
Industry is invited to the scoping phases where the purpose and outcomes of qualifications are determined. The community of experts who contribute to the development of the qualification are also drawn from industry as well as educational institutions. The same applies to the re-alignment of historically registered qualifications.
PSM: The White Paper on Post-School Education and Training prioritises the role of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges. What steps has QCTO taken to respond to this?
VN: QCTO supports the development of TVET colleges. QCTO’s direct response to this is the reconstruction of the NATED N4– N6 programmes into occupational qualifications. The NATED N1–N6 as well as the National Certificate Vocational (NCV) are the mainstay qualifications offered at TVETs. In response to some of the criticisms levelled against the N4–N6, QCTO has reconstructed the Business and General Studies programmes and is currently working on the Engineering programmes.
QCTO is also playing a central role in piloting occupational qualifications at certain TVETs within the Centres of Specialisation project as well as the Dual System Pilot Project.
PSM: What do you see as QCTO’s role in achieving the goals of the National Development Plan (NDP)?
VN: The NDP speaks about improving the quality of the college sector. QCTO’s role is to ensure firstly that there is a set of business- and industry-focused qualifications available at colleges and secondly that the provisioning of such qualifications is of the required standard and quality. This is achieved through QCTO’s accreditation and monitoring processes.
QCTO is also currently coordinating a task team set up to advise the Minister of Higher Education and Training on a suite of skills development programmes to be offered at Community Education and Training Colleges. While QCTO cannot guarantee employment, it certainly can contribute to offering qualifications, part-qualifications and skills programmes which lead to meaningful employment or self-sustaining opportunities.
It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers.”
This quote by Nelson Mandela inspired the Mandela Day Marathon, which this year takes place on 26 August in KZN.
The marathon, which aims to achieve the sentiments famously expressed by Madiba on the power of sport to unite a nation, commenced in 2012 and is endorsed by the Nelson Mandela Foundation. It starts at Manaye Hall and ends at the Nelson Mandela Capture Site.
“The focus of this year’s marathon will be to drive international awareness, to increase participation of international runners and thus increase international arrivals in KZN,” said MEC Zikalala.
“The media campaign around this initiative will challenge South Africans to run in or watch the race, as part of their contribution towards Mandela’s legacy of unity,” he added.
Schools campaign
The “Do KZN – In Mandela’s Footsteps” schools campaign is another highlight to look forward to in the province.TKZN and EDTEA aim to conduct four school campaigns this year, in celebration of Madiba’s life.The content and tours will include key places where Mandela left his mark on KZN’s history and will highlight their tourism significance.
“The aim is to expose learners, who are studying tourism, to the province’s In Mandela’s Footsteps campaign. A workshop will be held with learners, followed by an actual tour,” said MEC Zikalala.
“The department will also incorporate Madiba’s story and legacy into the Tourism Entrepreneurs and Careers Expo and a competition will be run in which learners will write essays on the theme. The top three essays will form part of the Madiba public lecture, which targets educators, learners and tourism graduates,” he added.
Departmental highlights
In giving life to Mandela’s vision of a better South Africa for all, the EDTEA has been mindful of supporting mainstream businesspeople and investors by creating attractive situations for doing business and investing in KZN, to boost the province’s economic health.
Last year, the province’s One Stop Shop was opened at the Trade and Investment KZN offices and there’s a prospect of more being opened.
The Dube Trade Port, which is the new industrial and aviation hub for the province under the aerotropolis concept, was the first to have a subsidiary One Stop Shop. This is because the provincial government wants people wishing to invest in various sectors of the economy to have unencumbered access to business information.The One Stop Shop serves as a single point of contact to interface with various government agencies and departments, to achieve quick responses to business applications and information.
“KZN’s two special economic zones, the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) and the Dube Trade Port, are highly commended for creating a conducive environment for businesses to thrive, which has seen investments worth billions of Rands being pumped into the province’s economy,” the MEC said.
Progress is also being made in the Richards Bay region, which is influenced by the area’s close proximity to the advanced harbour facilities.The announcement of Richards Bay as a gas-to-power energy hub is also expected to attract more industries to the region.
“We are optimistic that the projected R25 billion investment into the construction and activation of the gas-to-liquid plant will heighten investor confidence in the region, with the prospect of creating in excess of 3 000 construction jobs and 100 permanent positions.
“These developments contribute to the triangular industrial sites of Richards Bay, Durban and
Pietermaritzburg, where stateowned entities play a vital role in energising local and regional economies,” said MEC Zikalala.
The Dube Trade Port industrial hub, like the Richards Bay IDZ, plays a meaningful role in the country’s economy .This is reflected in its achievements during the 2017/2018 financial year, as it signed around R1.7 billion worth of investments, of which R1.6 billion was with black-owned companies.
This resulted in the creation of 953 temporary job opportunities and 432 permanent ones. In the new financial year, MEC Zikalala is expecting more investments from the private sector to enhance the precinct’s profile as a special economic zone.
The Richards Bay IDZ recently signed investments worth over R10 billion from various economic sectors.
“The province is committed to continuing to hunt for investment to increase its capacity to create business and employment opportunities .Through Trade & Investment KZN, the province attracted over R2.1 billion worth of new investments last year, which was spread across different sectors of the economy, scattered across the province,” noted the MEC.