Comment on professional designations in Feb 2012
January 24th, 2012
Public comment is called on forthcoming SA NQF recognition of engineers, health, HR, financial risk managers, and some professional bodies, by 20 February 2012.
Professionals, employers, clients and the public may comment on designations, including some relevant to occupational health, safety and environment, like Registered Lift Inspector, Registered Lifting Machinery Inspector, Medical Equipment Maintainer, and some membership designations, like financial Risk Management Practitioner, as listed below.
Changes to the NQF allow registration of professional designations on the framework. Various professional bodies and associations have started a process to re-register themselves and their designations. SAQA calls for comment for the first 10 professional bodies, in a pilot phase to test the new SAQA policy on professional registration:
• Institute of Risk Management South Africa (IRMSA)
• Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA)
• Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA)
• Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa (AHPCSA)
• South African Board for People Practices (SABPP)
• SAICA: Chartered Accountant
• South African Chefs Association (SACA)
• South African Institute for Physics (SAIP)
• FBC: Practicing Advocate
• South African Institute of the Interior Design Professions (IID)
The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) directorate of Registration and Recognition, in accordance with the National Qualifications Act, invites comment from interested parties on its intention to recommend the recognition of the following professional body and the registration of its designations on the NQF.
Comment should reach SAQA by 20 February 2012, at Director of Registration and Recognition, Jody P Cedras, SAQA Postnet Suite 248, Private Bag X06, Waterkloof, 0145, or fax 012 431 5144, or professionalbody@saqa.org.za
Institute of Risk Management South Africa (IRMSA) designations
• Risk Management Member
• Risk Management Associate
• Risk Management Fellow
• Risk Management Practitioner
• Risk Management Professional
IRMSA designations refer to financial risk or pure risk, not to occupational risk, occupational safety, health, environment and quality (sheq) risk, or operational risk. Some safety or sheq managers also practice financial risk management, although they are a small minority in either discipline.
Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) designations
• Professional Engineer (Pr Eng)
• Professional Engineering Technologist
• Professional Certified Engineer
• Professional Engineering Technician
• Registered Lift Inspector
• Registered Lifting Machinery Inspector
• Medical Equipment Maintainer
Safety engineering is not included in the forthcoming recognition, although some specific and narrowly defined safety inspection functions are. Similar construction safety functions may alter be designated by a forthcoming construction safety authority.
Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) designations
• Medical Practitioner
• Dental Practitioner
• Dental Therapist
• Psychologist (PS)
Occupational medical practice is not yet proposed to be recognised in the NQF, but some designations are recognised in the current system, like occupational medical practitioner, and functions in occupational health nursing and occupational hygiene, like medical examinations, exposure management, or medical surveillance.
Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa (AHPCSA) designations
• Registered Homeopath
• Registered Chiropractor
• Registered Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Practitioner
• Registered Acupuncturist
• Registered Unani Tidd Practitioner
• Registered Phytotherapist
• Registered Naturopath
• Registered Ayurvedic [therapist]
• Registered Osteopath
• Registered Therapeutic Aromatherapist
• Registered Therapeutic Reflexologist
• Registered Therapeutic Masseur
Some of these functions are relevant to occupational health, like wellness and rehabilitation.
South African Board for People Practices (SABPP) professional designations
• Human Resource Technician
• Human Resource Associate
• Human Resource Practitioner
• Chartered Human Resource Practitioner
• Master Human Resource Practitioner
HR practice includes some functions relevant to occupational sheq, depending on organisational functions structures, like medical examinations, records, confidentiality, wellness, drug and alcohol abuse management, training, ergonomics, or rehabilitation after injury or illness.
South African Chefs Association (SACA) designations
• Commis Chef
• Chef de Partie
• Head Chef
• Executive Chef
Chef designations include several functions relevant to public health, occupational health and safety, and environmental management.
• APPETD conducts a workshop to discuss and compile comment on the Proposed NQF Qualification Sub Frameworks and DHET Green Paper, on 3 February 2012. Contact admin@appetd.org.za
• Comment on recognition of professional bodies and professional designations, should reach SAQA by 20 February 2012, at Director of Registration and Recognition, Jody P Cedras, SAQA Postnet Suite 248, Private Bag X06, Waterkloof, 0145, or fax 012 431 5144, or professionalbody@saqa.org.za
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