qcto sub-framework

QCTO Sub-Framework

MDJ NDUKULA

QCTO

2012 October 29-31 1QCTO

Purpose

The purpose of an occupational qualification is to qualify a learner to practice an occupation,

reflected on the Organising Framework for Occupations (OFO) or an occupational specialisation

related to an occupation that is reflected on the Organising Framework for Occupations (OFO).

(Expert Practitioners design occupational qualifications)

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2012 October 29-31 QCTO 3

Occupational Qualification

SDA: ‘Occupational Qualification’means 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’

(NQF Act – ‘part qualification’ = assessed unit of learning that is registered as

part of a qualification’)

THE OFO = Common language

• The OFO is similar to the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO), developed by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

• The classification system groups occupations into a hierarchy where each level carries an additional digit to signal the classification level, i.e. Major (1 digit), Sub-Major (2 digits), Minor (3 digits), Unit (4 digits) and Occupations (6 digits).

• In the main, occupational qualifications are defined at the occupation level of the hierarchy i.e. at 6 digit level.


THE OFO

• The eight major groupings in the OFO are:1 Managers2 Professionals3 Technicians and Trade Workers4 Community and Personal Service Workers5 Clerical and Administrative Workers6 Sales Workers7 Machinery Operators and Drivers8 Labourers and Elementary Workers


Job vs. Occupation

Both ISCO and the OFO distinguish between them:

•a “job” is a particular set of tasks and duties uniquely performed by an individual for a single employer (including self-employment), normally for profit or pay

•an “occupation” is a cluster or group of similar jobs whose main tasks and duties are characterised by a high degree of similarity of purpose and performance across a variety of relevant working sites. They are grouped together for the purposes of classification.

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OFO and NQF(NB All 10 levels)


Progression

• The OFO creates the ‘common language’ but inhibits progression as each major group stands alone.

• So the National Occupational Pathway Framework (NOPF) was created to correct this problem

• The NOPF clusters occupations and groups of related OFO occupations (Unit Groups) across different levels of the NQF and across different Major groups to inform learners of potential progression pathways and to assist occupational qualification developers to lay the foundation for vertical progression when developing individual qualifications.

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NOPF

• The NOPF contains 9 high level occupational clusters, each with a constituent set of occupational fields, which in turn consist of families of occupations.

• So Clusters, Fields and Families

• The pathways link occupations (at various levels of complexity) that share related knowledge bases and which are commonly grouped together for career guidance purposes (because they are associated with similar working environments and relate to different learner aptitudes and interests).

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NOPF clusters (cf CESM or SAQA

learning fields)The nine occupational clusters are

1. Business Administration, Information Services, Human Resources and Teaching Related Occupations

2. Finance, Insurance, Sales, Marketing, Retail and Logistics Related Occupations

3 Accommodation, Food Preparation and Cleaning Services Related Occupations

4 Farming, Forestry, Nature Conservation, Environment and Related Science Occupations

5 Medical, Social & Welfare, Sports and Personal Care Related Occupations

6 Security and Law Related Occupations

7 Visual Arts, Design, Installation, Maintenance, Extraction and Construction Related Occupations

8 Production Related Occupations

9 Transportation, Materials Moving and Mobile Plant Operating Related Occupations.

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Our NOPF says they can enter low and then climb:

Occupational Qualification Types

• Two types of qualification:– National Occupational Qualification (120+ credits); and– National Occupational Award (25 – 119 credits)– Occupational qualification types occur at all 10 NQF levels

• NOTE difference with CHE/Umalusi where each qualification type has a unique title (e.g. degree, diploma etc).

• NOTE too that the credit total includes credits for workplace experience, a compulsory component of all occupational qualifications.


Occupational Qualification Title

Names of occupational qualifications are structured as follows:

• First the type, i.e. National Occupational Qualification or National Occupational Award,

• Second the exact occupational title, as per the OFO, as the designator,

• Third the occupational specialisation area (if applicable), as the qualifier and

• Fourth the NQF level on which the occupational qualification is registered.

For example “National Occupational Qualification: Chemistry Technician (Chemistry Laboratory Analyst) Level 5.

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COMPONENTS OF OCCUPATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

1. The Occupational Qualifications Document

2. The Occupational Curriculum Document

3. Occupational Assessment Specifications Document

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The Occupational Qualifications Document

• As defined in the SDA an occupational qualification consists of “...knowledge, practical and work experience (Although NQF Act replaces with ‘part qualifications’)

• A minimum of 20% of an occupational qualification’s total credits must be assigned to each of the three components. The balance of the credits (40%) can be allocated in a proportion appropriate to the needs of the particular occupation or occupational specialisation.


Occupation qualification & curriculum

Knowledge / theory

Practical Work experience

External, summative assessment


Occupational Purpose

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• The Occupational Curriculum Document• To enhance the quality and consistency of learning and the internal

assessment of each of the components of learning.• Is based on an occupational profile derived from the occupational

purpose and the associated occupational tasks or outcomes.• Occupational curricula provide an outline of the following:

– learning components - knowledge subject specifications, practical skills module specifications and work experience module specifications.

– internal assessment guidelines for the knowledge and practical skills components and requirements for the assessment of the work experience

– exemptions from or entry requirements to each component– skills development provider accreditation requirements for the knowledge and

practical skills components and workplace approval requirements for the work experience component.



FLC

• Foundational Learning Competence is a pre-requisite for the awarding of National Occupational Qualifications registered at NQF levels 3 – 4.

• Foundational learning is optional for National Occupational Qualifications registered at NQF level 1 and 2.

• Consists of language and mathematics required for occupational learning

(To be registered as a part qualification, and to be translated into at least three languages)

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Occupational Assessment Specifications Document

• All occupational qualifications are assessed externally through an appropriate nationally standardised integrated summative assessment.

• Each occupational qualification has an associated qualification assessment specifications document.

Certification

• The QCTO issues certificates for all external summative assessments of occupational qualifications.

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Qualification assessment specifications

• external assessment strategy (method to be used)• key occupational outcomes to be assessed (linked to

occupational tasks and the specified critical external assessment focus areas)

• points at which assessment take place (e.g phase tests or points in production cycle)

• critical elements of the internal assessments to be moderated (if any)

• eligibility requirements for learners to access the external assessment (also list of equivalent achievements as affording exemption)

• criteria for registration of assessors

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PART QUALIFICATIONS

• There are three learning components: – the knowledge subject specifications, – practical skills module specifications and – work experience module specifications.

• It is possible for one, two or three of these curriculum components to be separately, nationally assessed and certificated, in which case they will be registered on the NQF as part-qualifications alongside the full qualification of which they are a part.

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Foundation for progression

• The NATED 190/191 programmes – commonly referred to as the N courses from N1 to N6 – are a special case in point. These commonly constitute the knowledge component of occupational qualifications – including all the trades. They will therefore need to be registered as part qualifications on the OQF alongside the occupational qualifications in which they are embedded

• The QCTO’s Curriculum and Assessment document makes the ‘knowledge component’ central for progression:

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Work ExperiencePractical

Practical Work Experience




Knowledge / N5

Knowledge / N4

Knowledge / N3

Knowledge / N2

Knowledge / N 1

National Occupational Qualification


Basic Occupations

Incl EPWP, NYS

Trade or equivalent

Para-professional

Intermediate occupations

Knowledge / N6

PROGRESSION

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RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE THREE QUALITY

COUNCILS

1. a stand-alone occupational qualification

2. learners exempt from the knowledge and/or practical components of the occupational qualification if they have attained an education qualification.

3. educational qualifications a pre-requisite for studying for occupational qualification.

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Occupational QualificationGFETQF / HEQF

K P WE

P WEK

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Type 3: Common for Professional bodies

• Occupational Qualification’ means a qualification associated with a trade, occupation or profession (SDA definition)

• Profession normally has three ‘stages’:1. ‘Academic’ qualification’

2. Prescribed practice

3. Designation = right to practice (can enter, code of ethics, CPD, professional body member)

• OQ = ‘prescribed practice’ qualified (optional) (= national curriculum for non-statutory bodies)

Proposed clause for Professional Bodies

• Agreed by professional body Reference Group – clause 21:

“Where a professional body that is recognised, or is in the process of seeking recognition, wishes to give formal recognition to an occupational qualification as a precondition for the issuing of its designation, it must enter a formal agreement with the QCTO to attain the authority to develop and/or quality assure such occupational qualification.”

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ITEM 8 BODY TO MANAGE

ASSESSMENT PROCESSES

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qcto sub-framework

Documents

occupations ofo

families of occupations

occupational qualificationsda

occupational specialisation

occupation level

qctoqctoprogressionthe

qualificationqctothe

classification level