Issues to consider before enrolling for any Learning Programme

For your own protection and information, consider the following before you enrol on any learning programme.

Questions about your provider

1. Is my provider accredited?

Providers of education must be accredited by a relevant quality assurance body. The accreditation process ensures that providers are adequately equipped to offer learning programmes. The two main education and training quality assurance bodies in South Africa are:

• Umalusi, the quality assurance body for General and Further Education and Training; and
• The Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC), the quality assurance body for Higher Education and Training.

The various Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) also have the right to accredit providers that offer unit standard-based qualifications. However, these providers must also be accredited by Umalusi.

What should I do?
Ask your provider for its official accreditation number. Keep in mind that all providers should currently be at least provisionally accredited. If you are unsure if a provider of General or Further Education is accredited by Umalusi, go to http://www.umalusi.org.za, click on the Accreditation link, and then click on the link Search Accredited Providers.

2. Is my provider registered with the Department of Education?

Providers of education must also be registered with the Department of Education. All Higher Education providers must currently be registered with the DoE. All General and Further Education providers must currently be in the process of registering with the DoE.

What should I do?
If you are planning to enrol with a provider of Higher Education, ask your provider for its official DoE registration number. For a list of registered private Higher Education institutions, go to http://www.education.gov.za/.

If you are planning to enrol with a provider of General or Further Education, ensure that your provider has applied for DoE registration. Keep in mind that all providers of Further Education must be at least provisionally registered with the DoE by 1 January 2008.

Questions about your Learning Programme

What type of learning programme do I want to enrol on?
First of all, you need to know whether you want to enrol on a formal or a non-formal learning programme.

Formal programmes
Formal programmes have the following characteristics:

• They are national qualifications.
• They are registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).
• They have formal SAQA ID numbers.
• They have a fixed credit value and are pitched at a fixed NQF Level.
• A provider must get programme accreditation before it can claim to be offering these formal NQF qualifications.

When you successfully complete an accredited national qualification, your credits will be uploaded to the National Learner Records Database (NLRD). Keep in mind that formal short courses (for which you will receive credits on the NLRD) are called skills programmes. An example of a formal national qualification is the National Certificate in Early Childhood Development at NQF Level 4, SAQA ID 23116.

Non-formal programmes
Non-formal programmes are all other programmes that are not formal national qualifications. We have identified three main types of non-formal programmes:

1. Formal-in-progress programmes
2. Agent programmes
3. Non-formal provider programmes

1. Formal-in-progress programmes

Some providers that were already offering learning programmes when the new regulatory process started, now find themselves in an interim period where some of their programmes are in the process of being formalised. This means that they have aligned the programme to the NQF and are in the process of submitting the programme for accreditation, but the programme has not yet been formally accredited. During this interim period, the following must be kept in mind:

• The provider cannot claim that it is offering a formal national qualification.
• The provider can state that its programme is NQF-aligned (or unit standard-based, if that is the case). However, keep in mind that although the programme is NQF-aligned, it does not give you (as a learner) the benefits of an accredited national qualification.

Please note: No provider can guarantee you that you will eventually receive national credits on these formal-in-progress programmes.

2. Agent programmes
Some providers offer programmes where the final assessment is managed and the certification is done by another body. The provider only delivers the teaching of the programme. These are called agent programmes. Examples include MSCE studies through Microsoft (you write a Microsoft exam and receive a Microsoft award), or an Estate Agent certificate (you write an exam set by the Estate Agents Affairs Board and receive your certificate from them).
3. Non-formal provider programmes

We have identified five types of non-formal provider programmes:
1. Self-employment programmes
2. Orientation programmes
3. Self-enrichment programmes
4. Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programmes
5. Non-formal Occupational programmes
1. Self-employment programmes

Some providers offer programmes whose main purpose is not to teach you how to enter the job market, but rather how to start your own business or make money while working from home. Examples of self-employment programmes include a Certificate in Creative Writing, Certificate in Home-based Catering, and Certificate in Managing Your Own Garden Services Business.
2. Orientation programmes

Orientation programmes are aimed at introducing you to a new career. These programmes do not teach you enough to empower you to look for a job with your certificate, but they orient you to a specific career and they act as the foundation for further studies. Their value lies in their introductory nature, which means they are usually shorter programmes that allow you to "test the water" of a new career, without having to enrol in a full expensive programme. Examples of orientation programmes are a Short Course in Bookkeeping, Certificate: Introduction to Electrical Studies, and Certificate: Introduction to Modelling.
3. Self-enrichment programmes

Some people want to study something interesting without having to write formal exams or without the need to acquire a workplace-based skill. Self-enrichment programmes fill this need, and include programmes such as a Certificate: Introduction to Art and Certificate in Personal Beauty Care.
4. Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programmes

If you are already in a specific career and want to update your skills or learn new skills related to your career, then you can enrol on a CPD programme. These are usually short programmes that teach you very specific skills. Examples include programmes such as a Short Course in AIDS Risk Management, and Short Course in Managing Diversity in the Workplace.

Please note: Some professionals, such as General Practitioners (doctors), have to study formal CPD programmes as a requirement to be registered practitioners. These are not the same as the non-formal CPD programmes above.

5. Non-formal Occupational programmes

In theory, no occupational programmes should be non-formal. In other words, all formal occupations should have a formal pathway on the NQF. However, some people find formal employment in certain fields where formal qualifications do not yet exist on the NQF, or might never exist on the NQF, or where a new occupational field has been created. These are called non-formal occupational programmes. Examples include a Certificate in Au Pair and Certificate in Business Coaching. These programmes will remain non-formal until a formal version of them (that a provider can train towards) appears on the NQF.

What should I do?
Firstly, decide if you want to study a formal or non-formal programme. If you want to study a formal national qualification, make sure that your provider is accredited to offer the programme.

If you want to study a non-formal programme, make sure that you choose a provider that you can trust.