Assessment College of South Africa (Pty) Ltd

1. Assessment College of South Africa (Pty) Ltd Energy Seta Conference 2007 Why Learnerships Fail

2. Topics of this discussion Why Learnerships fail Implementation process Implementation Suggestions

3. About Assessment College • Monitor and verify providers on behalf of SETA ETQAs • More than 1000 providers monitored TETA Services Seta AgriSeta HW Seta Bank Seta Fasset • We assist corporate organistation to implement learnerships • We Develop assessment Material

4. NQF Impact study Cycle 2 found. . . • Positive impact • Nature of learning programmes • Organisational, economic and societal benefits • Contribution to other national strategies • Moderate impact • Number of qualifications • Relevance of qualifications • Equity of access • Quality of learning and teaching • Assessment practices • Career and learning pathing

5. NQF Impact study Cycle 2 found. . . • Minimal / mixed impact • Effectiveness of qualification design • Portability of qualifications • Qualifications uptake and achievements • Integrative approach • Redress practices • Number of registered assessors and moderators • Number of accredited providers • Quality assurance practices

6. NQF Impact study Cycle 2 found. . . • Key problems • Lack of progression with MoUs • Legislative anomalies, giving rise to dual accreditation • Lack of trust • Overlapping responsibilities of ETQAs • Quality assurance mechanisms being set up for • the sake of compliance rather than to improve quality • Uncertainty about registration with the DoE

7. Practical problems in the process of implementing learnerships • SYSTEMIC PROBLEMS • SETA PROBLEMS • PROVIDER PROBLEMS • QMS • Assessment and Moderation • Learning Programmes • Facilitation

8. Systemic Problems • Differences between DoE and DoL • Developing NQF • Standards and Qualification review process • Conflicting or unclear legislation

9. SETA Problems • Understaffed • Staff Often Lack knowledge and expertise • Changing rules / Goalposts • Poor communication • Inadequate IT systems • No quality management system used • Mixed bag of unit standards • No National Moderation body

10. Provider Problems • Smaller providers often lack: • Physical Resources • Corporate providers often lack: • Commitment • Learning culture

11. Quality management system • Quality management systems - paper exercise • No continues improvement cycle followed • No understanding of audits, findings, Corrective action, Non-conformances

12. Assessment and Moderation • Very few trained designers • Very few properly designed instruments • Trained but not registered assessors and moderators • Unmanageable assessment and moderation practices • Often too theoretically focused • Everybody wants to shift the responsibility of assessment

13. Programme Evaluation • Well developed training material • Often not outcomes based format • Interpretation of unit standards varied • Unit standard alignment often not done • Fundemental unit standards not incorporated

14. Facilitation • Poor or no learner selection • Poor or inadequate physical resources – smaller emerging providers • Facilitator skills varied • Workplace exposure a overall problem • Coach / mentor relationships not enforced

15. Assessment Summary Review the qualification Cluster qualification into skills programmes Design your assessment strategy Define your Evidence requirements Design your learning strategy Develop your assessment instruments Develop your learning material

16. Defining Curriculum and skills set allocation • Cluster unit standards with similar outcomes together • Cluster unit standards that build on one another together (Prerequisite) • Cluster standards with similar embedded knowledge together • Cluster unit standards that can be assessed together. • Exit level outcomes

17. Learnerhsip Management Pack Implementation Suggestions • Integrate, Integrate, Integrate • Plan your assessment strategy first • Determine your organistations level of commit to the process and adjust your strategy • Evaluate your environment and plan for risks • Actively seek assessment opportunities • Share resources with other providers • Outsource fundamentals

18. Implementation Suggestions • Keep the learner and learning in mind • Do not compromise training delivery due to poor unit standards • Select partners that share your values • Employer Selection • Learner Selection

19. Any Questions . . . . Thank you. Gerda Magnus gerda@assess.co.za 011 678 0126