SAQA writing experience ‘prior learning’ rules
SAQA is writing standards for recognition of prior learning (RPL) to translate work experience into training modules towards recognised qualifications.
An SA education and training ministerial task team is translating proposals from an RPL seminar of last year, where specialist comment was gained, into proposals that could be legislated into the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).
Complaints against non-registered training providers could be lodged with SAQA, by employers or learners. The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) is also working with the police and other authorities to close down and charge illegal training providers, while promoting registered further education and training (FET) colleges for vocational training.
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Registration rumours continue
From Yola; I want to know more about the sheq officer registration.
Editor replies; Yola, in response to your query, there is no statutory, mandatory or accepted registration for general sheq practitioners.
OH, hygiene and OH nurses register with Saioh or Sasohn
There are about eight voluntary sheq practice membership bodies;
* Some enviro professionals are members of a voluntary body that is developing international links
* Safety graduates are mostly members of ASSE based in USA, or similar UK or Australian bodies
* Some construction OHS practitioners are members of the voluntary body Achasm
* Minorities of general HSE practitioners are members of the voluntary bodies IoSM or Saiosh
* Some quality managers and sheq auditors are members one of two quality membership bodies,
We are aware of rumours, misinformation and scare tactics by voluntary bodies in support of their membership drives. I do not recommend membership of any of these bodies. Instead, consider your career planning and training strategy, based on the economic sector that you want to work in.
* For sheq legal and compliance specialism, consider Riskmaq at UFS.
* For sheq accounting specialism, consider Unisa BComm Safety.
* For enviro, sustainability or mining inspection, consider Wits Sustainability Centre.
* For general sheq work in any industry, see the draft OHS Practitioner curriculum standard, at diploma level, developed by a voluntary sheq training forum hosted by the MQA, relevant to mining and general industry. The proposed curriculum is posted on Sheqafrica.com. It could be registered with the QCTO by next year, and presented by various registered training providers by 2014.
This new draft curriculum offers to form the basis of voluntary membership registration, or future registration regimes, but its main aim is to become the accepted standard qualification for job advertising and appointments, instead of the current general practice of appointing practitioners with two week courses like Samtrac, Shemtrac, Nebosh and similar short courses.
Yet the length of the proposed curriculum, once translated into courses, remains unresolved and could be somewhere between a three month course to a year course, including theoretical, practice and work experience components.
Meanwhile, you could gain exemptions from some modules by taking current courses, according to your career needs, with registered training providers. Investigate the speciality of each provider, and their presenters, relevant to your sector, job description, and career needs.
Some providers are strong in either OH, hygiene, legislation, mining, behaviour-based applications, or enviro legislation, or auditing.
Consider also the rarity of skills in your chosen field of sheq practice. Sheq auditors may be over-supplied, for example, while BBS, mining or chemicals sheq practitioners may be in short supply. -Editor.
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Complain against product ‘dumping’
Users or companies could complain against ‘dumping’ of inferior or surplus products from other countries, into the South African market, and into African markets.
Some inferior personal protective equipment (PPE) like respirators, safety goggles, boots, gloves or overalls, that do not comply to EC or SABS specifications, have been dumped into African markets in recent years.
• To complain against product dumping, contact the International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) Pretoria office on +27 (0)12 394 3688
Edmond Furter
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