National Qualifications Framework Act, 2008 (Act No. 67 of 2008)NoticesOccupational Qualifications Sub-Framework Policy5. The Occupational Qualifications Sub-Framework (OQSF) |
| 5.1 | Occupational qualifications and part-qualifications are competency based. Such qualifications or part-qualifications enable learners to acquire the knowledge, skills and values required for a specific occupation, trade or profession. |
| 5.2 | The OQSF consists of registered qualifications and part qualifications which consist of two key components viz, knowledge/theory and application, where: |
| 5.3 | Application means the functional combination of the practical component and the workplace component through skills learning or simulated work experience learning. |
| 5.4 | For certain categories of occupational qualifications and part-qualifications as specified by industry, the key components may be specified as knowledge/theory, practical and work experience. |
| 5.5 | The OQSF provides for 9 (nine) occupational qualification types which are as per the Ministerial Determination of the Sub-frameworks that comprise the National Qualifications Framework, Government Notice 1391 published in Gazette No. 44031 of 24 December 2020. |
| 5.6 | The table below reflects the determined qualification types on the NQF as per the Ministerial Determination in Government Notice 1391 published in Gazette No. 44031 of 24 December 2020 |
NQF Sub- Framework/ Quality Council |
NQF Level |
NQF Sub-Framework and Qualification Type |
NQF Sub- Framework/ Quality Council |
|
Higher Education Qualifications Sub- Framework (HEQSF) Council on Higher Education (CHE) |
10 |
Doctoral Degree Doctoral Degree (Professional) |
||
9 |
Master’s Degree Master’s Degree (Professional) |
|||
8 |
Bachelor Honours Degree Post Graduate Diploma Bachelor’s Degree |
Specialised Occupational Diploma |
Occupational Qualifications Sub-Framework (OQSF) Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) |
|
7 |
Bachelor’s Degree Advanced Diploma |
Advanced Occupational Diploma |
||
6 |
Diploma Advanced Certificate |
Occupational Diploma Advanced Occupational Certificate |
||
5 |
Higher Certificate |
Higher Occupational Certificate |
||
General and Further Education and Training Qualifications Sub-Framework (GFETQSF) Umalusi |
4 |
National Certificate |
National Occupational Certificate |
|
3 |
Intermediate Certificate |
Intermediate Occupational Certificate |
||
2 |
Elementary Certificate |
Elementary Occupational Certificate |
||
1 |
General Certificate |
General Occupational Certificate |
||
| 5.7 | Occupational Qualification |
| 5.7.1 | The SDA defines an occupational qualification as 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 |
| 5.7.2 | An occupational qualification should have a minimum of 120 credits and meet requirements described in section 24 of this policy. |
| 5.7.3 | An occupational qualification must contain between 5% and 10% of soft skills which may include inter alia personal development, self-learning, workplace preparation, personal finance management, basic entrepreneurship or emotional intelligence, etc. This is in line with the 10 competences of the level descriptors. |
| 5.8 | Part-Qualifications |
| 5.8.1 | An assessed unit of learning that meets requirements of a part qualification will be registered as part of a qualification. |
| 5.8.2 | Part-qualifications will be developed and published in accordance with the SAQA Policy and Criteria for the Registration of Qualifications and Part-qualifications of the NQF; |
| 5.8.3 | The design of a part-qualification: |
| (a) | Part-qualifications must have knowledge/theory and application learning components; |
| (b) | Part-qualifications as specified by industry, the key components may be specified as knowledge/theory, practicals and work experience., |
| (c) | Part-qualifications could be part of more than one occupational qualification; |
| (d) | Part-qualifications should indicate the name of the registered or to be registered qualification(s) of which it forms part; |
| (e) | Part-qualifications should have no more than 120 credits; |
| 5.9 | Skills Programmes |
| 5.9.1 | A skills programme is a QCTO-accredited learning programme that is occupationally based and which, when completed, will constitute credits towards a qualification or part qualification registered on the NQF. |
| 5.9.2 | Minimum requirements for admission to a skills programme are specified in the skills programme document. |
| 5.9.3 | The minimum duration of a skills programme is two weeks (with a minimum of 8 credits). |
| 5.9.4 | Skills programmes must have a link of a minimum of two qualifications/part qualifications for which CAT may apply. |
| 5.9.5 | A record consisting of Skills Programmes and learners who achieved against programmes will be maintained by the QCTO. |
| 5.9.6 | Successful completion of a Skills Programme would require that a learner should have completed a final supervised assessment. |
| 5.9.7 | Skills Development Providers must submit to the QCTO such Skills Programmes that they seek to offer. The QCTO will accredit the Skills Development Provider to offer the Skills Programmes if the required criteria have been met. |
| 5.9.8 | A Skills Programme can be developed from a number of qualifications and or part-qualifications. |
| 5.9.9 | Learners completing a Skills Programme will be issued with a certificate. |
| 5.10 | Exceptions will be dealt as provided for in Section 22 of the Ministerial Determination in Government Notice 1391 published in Gazette No. 44031 of 24 December 2020. |
| 5.11 | The OQSF recognises multiple routes (including but not limited to, apprenticeship, learnership, internship, candidacy (as stated in Workplace Regulations), e-learning, CAT and RPL) towards the attainment of an occupational qualification or part-qualification. |
| 5.12 | Competency is demonstrated through the successful completion of a final supervised assessment. Access to the EISA process can be obtained via the relevant qualifications as well as through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). |
| 5.13 | The OQSF provides for: |
| 5.13.1 | Flexibility and options with respect to trade, occupational and professional related qualifications. Also, flexibility by creating learning pathways from part-qualifications to qualifications over time or from one learning programme to another as learners pursue their careers. |
| 5.13.2 | Post-school opportunities comparable to those in the Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework. OQSF qualification offerings differ in nature from, but are cognitively comparable to HEQSF qualifications - which creates the potential for parity of esteem between qualifications across the Sub-Frameworks of the NQF. |
| 5.13.3 | Part-qualifications that represent sets of employable skills as well as a mechanism for the recognition and credentialing of skills within the informal economy. |
| 5.13.4 | Integration of occupational qualifications and part-qualifications into the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and a basis for development of standards and quality assurance as well as a mechanism for improving the coherence in the skills development system. |
| 5.13.5 | The development and implementation of Occupational standards for industry and the labour market through defining the learning outcomes and learning associated with occupational qualifications and part-qualifications. |
| 5.13.6 | Consistent use of qualification titles and their designators and qualifiers. |
| 5.13.7 | Standards determined by industry or a profession, based on standards recognised by industry or the profession. |
| 5.13.8 | The development and implementation of differentiated OQSF qualifications. |