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Qualifications get all the attention and unit standards don’t

To actually extend a unit standard or qualification three parties need to agree. SAQA, QCTO, and the SETA under that course’s SIC code. As things stand, qualifications are getting all the attention and the unit standards are getting none Are you complaining enough? And can you help capture a unicorn?

CONTEXT

CONTEXT: Lime Green serves a niche client base who train first aid, OHS, fire, and related short courses. Please understand this article in that context.

FIRST READ THIS

This article relates to and follows this article: Have SETA’s made any concessions for program extensions?

AN EXTENDED UNIT STANDARD REMAINS A UNICORN

There are written agreements between SETA’s, SAQA, and the QCTO. Extending agreements need approval by all three of these organisations. If a SETA agrees to extend it that good, but it is not enough. If QCTO and a SETA agree, that is better, but still not enough.

For any unit standard to be extended in any way that has real meaning to a SDP and a learner, it needs to have been given a NEW “last date for enrolment” that is in the FUTURE, not the past. And that new date must be given by SAQA, and must appear on the SAQA website, on the page associated with that unit standard.

It looks like this (pic below). If yours does not look like this, it is not extended. If the program (qualification or unit standard) does not have this new date, the extension you have received is kind of an “extension in theory”.

I have not yet seen even one unit standard that has been extended in this way, by SAQA. If you find one of these unicorns, please send me the unit standard number so I can verify that you have captured this extremely elusive creature (also, that is why the pic is of a qualification, not a unit standard, because no unit standards are extended (yet…that I know of)).

THE CONVERSATION IS STILL STUCK ON QUALIFICATIONS, BUT AT LEAST THERE IS A CONVERSATION

Because the gravity of this has now finally hit, SDP’s are having lots of conversations with their SETA’s. That is a good thing, and needs to continue. Please don’t leave this article informed, and then not tell your SETA that you need your unit standards extended. Because this article will then have had the opposite effect it was intended to have. Please email your SETA and ask them what is going on with the programs you need to train. Ask them where your official unit standard extension is for any program that has not yet been developed into a QCTO skills program.

So, while SETA’s and QCTO have definitely started seeing this (disaster) for what it is, they are still working only with qualifications, and even on that, they have a ways to go because most do not have new SAQA last date for enrolments.

Thanks Billy at PRSafety.co.za who has shared some conversations he is having with SETA’s via email. These conversations show that even when a person asks QCTO or a SETA specifically about unit standards within a qualification (putting “unit standard” in bold text) the response from the SETA or QCTO is always about qualifications and not unit standards.

BE BETTER AT COMPLAINING AND DO IT MORE

I have placed a few articles on this website about this, most notably this one: Being productive in the unit standard to QCTO chaos.

I got a hiss or two back from that one, but I still stand by what I said there. I want to do a quick analysis of the 6 points I raised in that article from early May 2024 (see the points halfway down the page of that article and compare here).

  1. There is a big “if” as to whether unit standards will be extended. This was true. To date not one has been extended. They may in future, but to date still not even one has a true extension.
  2. If they are extended, SAQA, QCTO, and the SETA’s will take time to meet on this. This is true, there is healthy debate about qualifications, but unit standards have not been actioned by all three; SAQA, QCTO, and the SETA.
  3. If government departments sign new agreements it will take ages for the SETA’s to start up again. Again true. SETA’s are only starting to open the way for various types of applications.
  4. There will be a massive backlog of SDP applications. Partially true. New SDP’s are waiting to be able to apply, but many have simply given up on the idea. Maybe they decided to open a flower shop instead…
  5. There would be a massive backlog of renewals that existing SDPs will demand priority on. Again true, but they are frustrated as they are forced to either apply for a full qualification they do not want, or they get extension for a unit standard that has not been extended in the true sense anyway.
  6. There will be tons of correspondence sent to SETA offices looking for information. Again true, there has been a massive uptick but this is a good thing. Please send your SETA more requests to extend your specific program.

Ok, this was all obvious, we all mostly knew this, but please start complaining more. The QCTO and the SETA’s did not know the size of the problem. That cannot be blamed on SDP’s who have enough on their plate. But to be proactive, complaining is necessary.

How to complain:

  1. Complain to the correct SETA as per the SIC code of the program you need
  2. Complain to the correct person (the SETA ETQA and include the QCTO person who is relevant, like Lufuno)
  3. Complain about the specific program you need (general complaints are nowhere near as effective)
  4. Complain together with other stakeholders (e.g. your competitors) even if you do not like them.
  5. Complain often, repetition works.
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