The NQF and Skills Development inseparable and on track

1. The NQF and Skills Development �inseparable and on track Department of Labour National Skills Development Strategy Conference Samuel B A Isaacs Executive Officer South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) 26 September 2002

2. The SAQA Mandate To oversee the development and implementation of a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) in terms of the NQF objectives which are to: Create an integrated national framework for learning achievements Facilitate access to, and mobility and progression within, education, training and career paths Enhance the quality of education and training Accelerate the redress of past unfair discrimination in education, training and employment opportunities and thereby, Contribute to the full personal development of each learner and the social and economic development of the nation at large.

3. The National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) objectives: Developing a culture of high quality life-long learning Fostering skills development in the formal economy for productivity and employability Stimulating and supporting skills development in small business Promoting skills development, employability and sustainable livelihoods through social development initiatives Assisting new entrants into employment

4. Implementation Plan for Tirisano, 2001 - 2002 Programme 1: HIV/AIDS Programme 2: School effectiveness and Educator Professionalism Programme 3: Literacy Programme 4: FET Programme 5: Organisational Effectiveness of the National and Provincial Departments Programme 6: Values in Education

5. The HRD Strategy consists of five strategic objectives Improving the foundations for human development Improving the supply of high-quality skills (particularly scarce skills) which are more responsive to societal and economic need Increasing employer participation in lifelong learning Supporting employment growth through industrial policies, innovation, research and development Ensuring that the four strategic objectives of the HRD Strategy are linked �A nation at work for a better life for all�.

6. SAQA�s Role and Responsibilities SAQA ensures that our nation has: A standards setting system A quality assurance system A comprehensive information system � the National Learners� Records Database (NLRD)

7. What are the links? Learnerships and skills programmes are underpinned and supported by: The qualifications and standards registered by SAQA on the NQF The quality assurance processes of ETQAs Learner data and achievements captured on the NLRD

8. NSDS Objective 1:Developing a culture of high quality lifelong learning 193 NQF-registered qualifications linked to 285 learnerships NQF-registered standards linked to skills programmes RPL policy 25 SETAs accredited as ETQAs NLRD ready to receive learner achievements data

9. NSDS Objective 2:Fostering skills development in the formal economy for productivity and employment growth Further generation of standards and qualifications linked to learnerships and skills programmes � joint implementation plans Ongoing monitoring and auditing of ETQAs

10. NSDS Objective 3: Stimulating and supporting skills development in small businesses Numerous applicable business qualifications and associated unit standards already registered on the NQF Further generation of small business qualifications and unit standards � joint implementation plans

11. NSDS Objective 4:Promoting skills development for employability and sustainable livelihoods through social development initiatives Appropriate standards generated and registered on the NQF � joint implementation plans RPL Quality assured education and training provision

12. NSDS Objective 5:Assisting new entrants into employment NQF-registered qualifications linked to learnerships RPL for access to available qualifications, employment and further learning NLRD data for monitoring and future planning

13. The success factors Systems are in place Joint implementation plans Tight project management Open communication Practices are embedded Risk management Results-based management Understanding of systemic change

14. Michael Fullan:Change Forces: The Sequel Ideas without moral purpose are a dime a dozen. Moral purpose without ideas means being all dressed up with nowhere to go. Power without ideas or moral purpose is deadly. Moral purpose & ideas without power means the train never leaves the station. The interactive systems I described �.. the deep meaning of collaboration to obtain substantial results � are precisely systems that gain their tremendous energy through the fusion of intellectual, political and spiritual purpose.

15. The NQF Provides a vision, a moral purpose Provides a basis for systemic change, setting up a platform for the development and implementation of great ideas Has legitimacy, transparency & political power

26. The NQF and Skills Development �inseparable and on track Samuel B A Isaacs Executive Officer South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA)