Question No. 205
Mrs MT Kubayi (African National Congress) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:
(1) What are his plans to (a) increase certification or accreditation of skilled persons through the skills assessment centres and (b) establish these centres in other provinces?
Reply:
(a) The policy frame to expand the number of assessment centres is in place and plans and projects are currently underway to ensure that this policy is expeditiously implemented.
I established the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) in February thisyear. Its responsibility, among other things is to set and quality assure standards for the assessment of trades and occupations.
The setting of the criteria to be used in the assessment will be undertaken by expert practitioners convened by bodies delegated toperform this function on behalf of the QCTO.
Assessment against the standards set willbe undertaken by a second group, which will also receive their authority from the QCTO.
It is envisaged that a dedicated body, to be known as the National Artisan Moderating Body, will accredit assessment centres for the various trades and moderate their work.
A dedicated project in this regard is already underway. In terms of its mandate the QCTO will certify all learners who are found to be competent after they pass an external summative assessment at an accredited assessment centre.
The assessment centres will be as geographically as spread as possible (i.e. throughout the country, in provinces) based on the need for that occupational qualification(s).
Further Education and Training (FET) institutions may apply to be accredited as assessment centres for one or more occupations and they will thereby increase access to learners to be externally assessed in the areas of trades and occupations.
The more assessment centres the more places there will be for learners to access external summative assessment thereby increasing throughput for certification of skilled persons by the QCTO.
(b) Applications to perform the function of an assessment centre for one or more occupations will be encouraged. The Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) will play a role in supporting bodies seeking to be accredited as assessment centres, this can be achieved through the allocation of discretionary grants.
The National Skills Fund will also be drawn on to ensure that assessment centres are available to learners nationally. And where assessment centres are not available in any given area, accommodation and transport for learners to the available centres will have to be planned. In this way I believe there will be a wide spread of assessment centres in all provinces.
Source: Department of Education
Reply by Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Blade Nzimande, on questions posed in the National Assembly for oral reply
