COSÉ Collaboration for Occupational Excellence

1. COSÉCollaboration for Occupational Excellence By Adrienne Bird, Department of Higher Education and Training to SASCE CONFERENCE FRIDAY 29 MARCH 2010 COSE

2. DHET DHET embraces all post-school learning: • Colleges • Universities of Technology • Comprehensive Universities • Universities (of Science) AND • Skills Development (SETAs and NSF) COSE

3. New opportunities to address current problems: ‘Old’ problems: • WIL students displaced by learners on learnerships because of SD grant – so difficult to secure sufficient placements; • Diploma’s incorporating WIL must guarantee that placements will be found (HEQF). This is difficult in above context. COSE

4. New Opportunities Besides ‘internal’ solutions within University sector: • National Skills Development Strategy III; • Quality Council for Trades & Occupations; • COSE Project (Collaboration for Occupational Skills Excellence) COSE

5. (1) National Skills Development Strategy III • New focus on higher level skills needed for economic growth and social development linked to key national strategies; • These higher level skills frequently based on both institution-based AND workplace-based learning; • So, exploration into ways of incentivising partnerships between institutions and workplaces (with special focus at college level but not excluding those at higher levels) • Options still under discussion, but proposal to be tabled to the National Skills Authority in April on ideas in this regard. COSE

6. Funding Framework Key Voted funds Private funds / Levy funds NSFAS “IF” Income R/c Pipeline from school to college to workplace to employment COSE

7. (2) Quality Council for Trades & Occupations • The QCTO provides a framework within which to revisit the entire pipeline of learning for individual occupations (theory, practical and workplace experience & final assessment); • It extends the Professional Body model to other (all?) occupations i.e. what is required for full competence and who shall ‘hold’ the standard for the different occupations (Assessment Quality Partners). It also encourages professional bodies to collaborate, where they exist. • It strengthens the focus on learning required in the workplace (opportunity for WIL if desired). • It completes the ‘triad’ of Quality Councils – now the ‘team’ is able to stretch into the workplace, and the workplace can stretch into the institutions – by agreement. COSE

8. (3) COSÉ Outcomes For each of 10 – 15 priority trades / other priority occupations: • X ‘apprentices’ qualified and employed following integrated programme; • Y trainers trained; • Z college capacity to delivery quality programmes upgraded; ►Institutional capacity to expand future intake laid ►Stakeholders delighted! COSE

9. (3) COSE Project • Collaboration for Occupational Skills Excellence • For a selected number of occupations: • QCTO scoping • QCTO curriculation • Assessment • Translation into ‘qualification / award’ structure (SAQA) • Funding • Continue ‘down’ to the rock face for each occupation: • Trainer/mentor development (standard required, gap in practice, strategies to fill gaps) • Training materials • Institutional learning: Facility requirements (standard required, gap in practice, strategies to fill gaps) • Workplace preparedness and remedies where required • Working partnerships between institutions and workplace COSE

10. Build on ‘Advisory Committee’ model of the old ‘Technikons’ Occupational Profile Committee of Expert Practitioners (appointed by SETAs under QCTO = “QDP”) College/UoT Convenor and occupation-linked faculty network under agreed QC COSE

11. COSE continued • Principal but not exclusive focus on trade and trade equivalent BUT: • UoTs etc will be asked to assist the teams with curriculation work and other relevant areas; • UoTs etc will be asked to work with us on trainer development framework AND to themselves be candidates for development with regards to trainer development initiatives (including access to workplaces to upgrade those who are out of date); • Progression pathways: how to ensure that those who attain trade qualifications are able to progress to higher levels without having to ‘start again’ (we are talking of ‘progression highways’ not progression ‘by-ways’). COSE

12. Remember the old working class ‘highway’? COSE

13. DHET • would welcome your input on this concept: • Do you support the idea? • If yes: • Would you be prepared to help us refine it (with others)? • Would you be prepared to actively participate and optimize the chances of its success? • If no: • Why not? • Do you have alternative suggestions? COSE

14. Thank you COSE