As chaos in the South African training landscape descends into fear and loathing, and more chaos, I encourage and urge you to be productive. I provide a recipe for possible peace and productivity as this very large implosion takes place. This article will be more helpful to training providers who have a smaller scope rather than a larger prospectus (or may encourage you to narrow your scope). I hope it helps. CONTEXT: Lime Green assists clients who train short courses (i.e. unit standards and QCTO skills programs) within the niche industries of first aid, fire, OHS and related courses. This article needs to be understood within that context.
The unit standard to QCTO skills program changeover has caused much fear and loathing. There is the information blackout from government leading to all kinds of rumours being created by the public to fill the info gaps. There are all kinds of groups and factions forming. Petitions are being passed around and signed in earnest. Entirely new bodies have formed to try force the government to hear the loud pleas of stakeholders who are not being heard.
It is total chaos. One could only think this was going well if they did not understand the situation.
If you find this difficult to deal with I hope this article will help you organise your thoughts and focus your actions in the best way possible to get actual results. It would be arrogant to say I have the answers. This recipe will not help everyone, but this is the recipe I think will help you be productive during this implosion
There is already evidence it works. That evidence is the fully baked cake that is QCTO first aid which is now established, live, and already has a growing list of training providers accredited to train it. There is further evidence in the half-baked cake that is the collection of OHS unit standards that are inching closer to completion.
I encourage you to put 90% (minimum) of your effort into helping QCTO create the skills program you need. Or even 100% of your effort. The process is described in the 10 point list at the bottom of the page in this article.
I recommend you put no more than 10% of your effort into trying to save the unit standards.
But if they just extend the unit standards, won’t that solve all our problems?
The various SETA’s vary greatly in competence and in willingness to take the correct action and to do so within a reasonable time frame. Some started shutting down access to accreditation and SDP renewals much earlier that what could be considered a reasonable time from the effective unit standard expiry date which is 30 June 2024 (the last date for enrolment, which for all intents and purposes is the unit standard expiry date). Some SETA’s were shutting down access around two years ahead of that date.
With that in mind, try to imagine how it will go if unit standards are extended, and each of these SETA’s now have to start that engine back up again. Â
I recommend a min 90% max 10% split
90%: I believe that if you start now (assuming you have not started yet) and relentlessly petition your SETA to submit an application to QCTO to develop the programs you need, and then you participate and see them though your long terms results might be better. Please note the context of this article (see excerpt at top of page regarding the context). The process of establishing a QCTO skills program is described in the 10 point list at the bottom of the page in this article.
10%: I believe there is some benefit to hoping and putting effort into petitioning for unit standard extension, but that it is tainted by having worse long term results and could be throwing good money after bad. I recommend assigning less effort to that.
For comparison: QCTO SDP accreditation is for 5 years, SETA accreditation is generally for 2 years. QCTO accreditation is the new system and to me looks like what is their intended final form. SETA accreditation is only going to get more chaotic and returns on effort put in here will have far less longevity. This is my personal opinion. I am already aware of some SETA’s I believe just could not go back to taking in SDP applications because of the state they are in.
I suggest focusing your efforts on your best sellers, or the courses you are most passionate about training. Please see context of this article in the excerpt at the top to better understand this statement if it does not seem to apply to you.
Lime Green started early (around end of 2022 in earnest) and focused on first aid. We succeeded with much help from likeminded stakeholders. More about that here.
Once first aid was established in 2023, I turned my effort to OHS which is not yet established but is well on its way. There are about a dozen programs in advanced stages of development. QCTO accepted the SETA’s application, stakeholders met to help develop and create the curriculums, and these are coming out the oven soon. Watch this space! (Contact me to get involved).
Once that had gained sufficient momentum I turned my effort to fire. Barely any progress has been made there, but I have not put all that much effort in either, it has been lowest priority of the three. But there is progress. I will release an update soon. I was also involved in the Spiro skills program curriculum which is established, and audio and vision are on their way (draft curriculums already exist).
The proof is in the pudding. There are success stories to show this works. First aid was well on time. OHS will be late but I believe SDP’s will be better off going with the new QCTO OHS programs than trying to claw their way back to SETA accreditation for OHS, although this will depend on who and where they are (long expired, recently expired, or new applicant). Sure, this suggestion may be far too late, and the SETA who quality assures the courses you train may be completely unwilling to help, so this recipe might not work for everyone. It has, however, definitely worked for the niche Lime Green serves.
Quick note on how many OHS programs there really are: There are not really that many OHS programs to replace, HWSETA used to have a system whereby new applicants would have to select some existing unit standards, call it a new skills program, and then apply for it as a unit which would get an “HWXXX” number. This created the misconception (at HWSETA and QCTO) that there are hundreds of OHS programs, but there are not. It is just a few unit standards being used in hundreds of OHS programs (sometimes even having exactly the same unit standard composition as another program but being called different names). Its a bit like saying there are 20 toppings, and they made 200 pizzas out of those 20 toppings, so we need 200 toppings. No, we just need about 20 toppings. Hope that makes sense. But bottom line is, there are not too many QCTO OHS short courses needed to replace the actual and true number of OHS unit standards there were before.
If you disagree with me that is understandable. Please see the context of this article, and I understand not everyone will like this cake. This cake also takes a very long time to bake. It may be too late for you to start, you might not have the resources to sacrifice to achieve what should not really be your responsibility, or you may have such a long and wide prospectus that it’s just not viable to focus on just one or a few courses. Or, you managed to keep your SETA accreditation live and you feel well positioned for the change.
But if you agree with me, please follow the recipe. It is described in the 10 point list at the bottom of the page in this article.
You must go through a SETA. You can go through a professional body, but I recommend rather doing that in support of a SETA.
Again, there are success stories. With first aid, we succeeded, and in time! With OHS we are on point 8 of 10. With basic firefighting we are on point 3. Where are you with your program?
I encourage you to help the QCTO rather than fight them. I have to agree that it is unthinkable for QCTO, SAQA, and the SETA’s to treat SDP’s this way. They are not keeping the public informed and they have started way too late. I agree with everyone on that. I even suggest you do sign petitions to extend unit standards. But most of all, I recommend you just help QCTO establish these programs as your primary effort. Going through the door is better than throwing a brick through the window.
