QCTO accreditation for new OHS Skills Programs is coming soon, but they’re not live yet. While their launch is imminent, paying upfront for accreditation or material now is premature and carries risk. A HWSETA update is scheduled for 10 July.
A Note on Recent Advertising: One particular consultant is currently advertising discounted packages for all five approved (but not live ) QCTO OHS skills programs, if paid by the end of July. They also have currently live marketing material that promises “All stages of QCTO applications” done in 1–3 weeks. Mercifully some of their other marketing material states 3-4 months which is closer to reality. Misleading advert shown here.
Many training providers are excited about the upcoming Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Skills Programs that are currently being finalised for registration under the QCTO. That excitement is entirely justified. These programs are much needed and their official launch is indeed imminent. I have been involved and tracking them for two years, so I too am very excited…
However, I’d like to offer a gentle word of caution: paying upfront for accreditation services or learning material for these programs before they are live on the QCTO system is premature and may expose you to unnecessary risk.
I say this not as a critic, but as someone directly involved in the development of these programs. I’ve had the privilege of contributing to the curricula for:
This is also why I’m careful in what I say to prospective clients: because I know that while approval has been granted for upload, these programs are not yet live on the QCTO system.
There is a scheduled meeting with HWSETA on 10 July 2025 (two days from posting this article) during which updates will be provided on the progress and status of these programs. This is a valuable opportunity to get first-hand insight into when the implementation process will be completed, and when it will be possible to proceed with formal applications. Contact me for more and see other July 2025 articles on this website.
While it may seem like a smart way to “get ahead”, here are some important considerations before committing funds upfront:
Even though the programs have been approved and are close to being finalised, the published versions may differ from the last circulated drafts. I’ve seen this before: in both the First Aid and Spirometry programs, huge changes were made between the draft and the final QCTO-published version. If you pay now for learning material or services based on those drafts, you may need to rework them later.
Although curriculum codes exist (e.g. 900411-000-00-00), they are not the same as SP numbers. A valid SP number is what allows applications on the QCTO system to be allocated to QCTO desktop evaluators, and then a SETA or QAP for site visit. The SP number is not the same as the curriculum code. E.g First aid curriculum code 900234-000-00-00 has an SP number of SP230803. The code does not dictate the SP number.
The client-facing part of the QCTO system may accept any number typed in the correct format (e.g. SP123456), but that does not mean there is a real, registered program behind it. An application submitted to QCTO now, at time of writing, cannot contain the SP number of any of the OHS programs since those numbers do not exist yet, and using the curriculum code is not going to link it to the SP number. And you cannot fix it in post either, there is clear evidence of that.
Even if a consultant has written excellent learning material based on the curriculum drafts I’ve shared on this website, there is still no official mechanism available yet to submit an application for accreditation. Until the programs are live in the system, no accreditation application can be processed. With first aid that took many months from approval to upload. We all hope it will be quicker with these OHS programs, but going just on historical data approval to website has meant many months of waiting in the past… I hope I am wrong about the OHS programs, I’ve been tracking this for two years. It would be great to see the final product live!
Final Reminder: I fully support the launch and implementation of these programs and I truly believe they will be an asset to South Africa’s OHS training landscape.
But for now, I gently advise training providers:
Let’s be excited, but let’s also be informed.
