NQF has a future!

[garthu]

Certainly not going to slap.. rather praise that comment

Agree 100%. In the standards we had to do for qualification in real estate, one of the things that stood out for me is the english language/definitions alone were alot to cope with - not everyone, who might be quite capable in the industry, would be able to cope with the high level, above matric, languauge that was used. Also macro/micro economy. A fairly deep understanding was required. Didn't get it, didn't make sense. Ground level education would have made far more sense. Very little on the ethical standards/laws. You can slip through with a distant understanding of the laws, BUT that makes up 90% of the business.

Also did another unit based qualification that really didn't make sense most of the time, hard as hell, but content was wrong!

[Chatmaster]

*I'm waiting to be slapped for that comment but whatever the flak, it was worth it.

You are spot on with that remark Dave. One of the major issues I have with the entire SAQA, NQF, SDF Umalusi, DHE, SETA etc. is the fact that the people compiling these Unit Standards are often people that has never worked in the particular industry. Now let's say for example I wish to create a qualification for Internet Marketing, I have several problems, in finding the appropriate Unit Standards to compile the qualification, secondly the NQF levels that limits me through the SETA's are also a problem, especial as certain US are at NQF 6 levels, which can be a headache to get approved, not to mention the fact that I have to get a memorandum of understanding between the ISETSETA and the Services SETA because some of the Unit Standards are with different SETA's.

Further more if you go and look at existing qualifications you will find the same issue, where for example a Marketing Management qualification contains a Unit Standard where the individual are actually taught how to physically design a website opposed to how to manage the outsourcing of the design.

There are so many of these examples it is sickening. The NQF is a fantastic concept and I am a full supporter of it, but there are many issues with it still. It is also a serious pity that the Universities doesn't seem to agree with me.

[insulin]

You are right in every respect regarding this system. However most companies remain arrogant to this system because if they don’t recognise it they get good qualified workers to work for them for little pay and no benefits.

Thus profiting on skilled labour that is working for less money. This is what is happening right now. Point blank we say your qualifications are meaningless thus you work for R3000 per month and yet the skills are worth much more than that. So what to do. Complain about? You will not change their minds because profit dictates that they must remain naive.

So what do we do? There is nothing we can do because we don’t make the laws. No... People with money make the laws. As long as this fact remains fact then education and training will suffer dearly thus robbing the nation of skill and intellect.

And robbing the individual from a sustainable lifestyle. In the end we will see more teenage suicides, suicides, alcohol abuse, drug abuse and crime. I really don’t see a sustainable future...

I see a people that will be intellectually r@ped and left for dead.