Learning Programmes Policy

w.e.f. August 2011

Purpose of Policy

The purpose of the policy (and the presentation) is to share information,

capacitate and empower all stakeholders on the FP&M ETQA.

Learnerships

Learnership Implementation

• Companies must have a selection and recruitment policy for learners in place aligned to the NSDS III equity requirements

• Learner/s must meet the entry requirements of the Learnerships as specified in the entry requirements of the Learnership qualification.

Registration of Learner/s• A learner must be formerly inducted by the Employer,

Provider and the FP&M SETA on commencement of the Learnership

• A learner will only be deemed registered on a learning programme once:

• A learnership agreement is accurately completed and signed by all relevant parties;

• The completed/signed learnership agreement with all required supporting documentation is submitted to the FP&M SETA within 30 days of the induction;

• The FP&M SETA has approved the learnership agreement on the MIS and generated a contract number

Registration Restrictions

• A Learner cannot be registered on more than ONE Learning programme at the same time;

• A Learner cannot be registered on more than ONE Learnership against the same Qualification title

• For the purposes of horizontal progression, learner/s must be registered against the core or electives of the qualification, via the skills programme route.

• Learnership agreements can only be backdated 1 calendar month.

Learner Allowances

• Unemployed (Section 18.2) learner/s are entitled to a prescribed allowance as set out in Sectoral Determination No.5: Learnerships, par 3;

• Learners can only be paid according to the Learnership allowance rate once the Learnership agreement is signed.

• Learner allowances will be reviewed annually by the Department of Labour.

Learner Allowances

Exit level of learnership

Credits already earned by

learner

Percentage of qualified wage to

be paid as allowance

Minimum allowance per

week

NQF 1 or 2 0 – 120 35% R230.82121 – 240 69% R461.63

NQF 3 0 – 120 17% R230.82121 – 240 40% R434.73241 – 360 53% R711.70

NQF 4 0 – 120 13% R230.82121 – 240 25% R461.63241 – 360 53% R711.70361 – 480 56% R1,038.68

NQF 5 to 8 0 - 120 8% R230.82121 – 240 18% R500.09240 – 360 27% R748.23361 – 480 38% R1,054.09481 – 600 49% R1,346.44

Learnership Duration• All Learnership programmes must be completed

within the notional hours of the qualification from the enrolment/registration of the learner/s, e.g. 120 credits = 12 months, 240 credits = 24 months

• A learning pathway (timetable) linked to a credit accumulation schedule and timeframes must be compiled and supplied for each leaner;

• Any provider not able to complete a Learnership programme within the stipulated notional hours, must request an extension of not more than three months, in writing from the FP&M ETQA before the contractual end date;

Learnership Duration

• All requests for extensions must include a revised learning pathway (timetable) linked to a credit accumulation schedule and timeframes for completion for each learner;

• Should the Learnership programme not be completed by the end of the approved extension period, the Quality Learning Committee reserves the right to determine a procedure to ensure that the learner completes his/her qualification.

Certification

• The FP&M SETA will certify all learner/s who were deemed competent and have met the Learning programme requirements through a verification process.

• The certificate of achievement will be issued to a learner who has completed and been found competent for all unit standards comprising a Learnership or full qualification.

• A statement of results will accompany the Certificate of Achievement outlining the scope of unit standards in relation to the Learnership that the Leaner has achieved.

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeship Implementation

• Companies must have a selection and recruitment policy for learners in place aligned to the NSDS III equity requirements

• Learner/s must meet the entry requirements of the Apprenticeship as specified in the entry requirements of the Apprenticeship Trade Qualification.

• An Apprentice must be formally inducted by the Employer on commencement of the Apprenticeship

Registration of Apprentices• An Apprentice will only be deemed

registered on an Apprenticeship programme once:– An Apprenticeship application is accurately

completed and signed by all relevant parties;– The completed/signed Apprenticeship application

with all required supporting documentation is submitted to the FP&M SETA within 30 days of the induction of the Apprentice onto the Apprenticeship;

– The FP&M SETA has approved the Apprenticeship on the MIS and generated a registration number;

Registration of Apprentices• An Apprentice will only be deemed

registered on an Apprenticeship programme once:– The Apprenticeship agreement is accurately

completed and signed by all relevant parties;– Three original copies of the agreement are

submitted to the FP&M ETQA for processing– Two original copies of the Apprenticeship

agreement are sent back to the company for the company’s records and the Apprentice’s record.

Apprentice Wage RatesMinimum Wage Scales for Apprentices - Printing & Packaging Sector

2013Increase 5% 2014

5% Increase Daily Weekly Monthly

PHASE 1 & 2: R 946.97 R 47.35 R 994.32 R 198.86 R 994.32 R 4,305.40

PHASE 3: R 1,056.37 R 52.82 R 1,109.19 R 221.84 R 1,109.19 R 4,802.79

PHASE 4: R 1,449.51 R 72.48 R 1,521.99 R 304.40 R 1,521.99 R 6,590.20

Minimum Wage Scales for Apprentices - Textiles Sector

Year 2013 RPH Increase 7% 2014 RPHDaily rate 9 hours

Weekly rate 45 hours

Monthly rate x 4.333

First 21.36 1.50 22.86 205.74 1,028.70 4,457.36Second 23.50 1.65 25.15 226.35 1,131.75 4,903.87Third 28.02 1.96 29.98 269.82 1,349.10 5,845.65

Apprenticeship Duration

Section 13 (12):• Apprenticeships must be completed in a

minimum of 36 to 42 months from the date of the indenture of the apprentice/s

• The Employer of any Apprentice who is not able to complete the Apprenticeship programme within the contractual period, must request an extension of not more than six months, in writing from the FP&M ETQA and not less than 6 months before the contractual end date.

Apprenticeship Duration

Section 13 (12):• Should the Apprenticeship programme not be

completed by the end of the approved extension period the contract will be terminated by the FP&M ETQA

• An apprentice whose contract has been terminated may apply for a Section 28 trade test to become a qualified artisan.

Section 28 (to be phased out from April 2014):

A candidate applying for a Section 28 Trade Test must comply with the following criteria:• A minimum of four years experience doing

the work of an artisan in the relevant trade• The relevant trade theory subject at N1 and

N2 successfully completed

Apprenticeship Duration

Certification

• The FP&M SETA will certify all Apprentices who were deemed competent and have met the Apprenticeship programmerequirements through a verification process.

• A Trade Certificate will be issued to an Apprentice who has been trade tested and found competent in the full aspect of the specified trade in which the Apprentice was registered.

SKILLS PROGRAMMES

Skills Programme Implementation

• Companies must have a selection and recruitment policy for learners in place aligned to the NSDS III equity requirements

• Learner/s must meet the entry requirements of the Unit Standard / Skills Programme as specified in the entry requirements of the Unit Standard / Skills Programme

• A learner must be formally inducted by the Employer/Provider and the FP&M SETA on commencement of the Skills Programme

Registration of Learner/s

• A leaner will only be deemed registered on a Skills Programme once:– The completed/signed registration form with all

required supporting documentation, is submitted to the FP&M SETA within 30 days of the induction of the learner onto the learning Programme;

– The FP&M SETA has approved the learning registration on the MIS and generated a learner registration number

Registration Restrictions

• A Learner/s cannot be registered on more than ONE Skills Programme at the same time;

• For the purposes of horizontal progression learner/s must be registered against the core or electives of the qualification, via the skills programme route.

Learning Programme Duration• The notional hours specified as per the credits of

the clustered unit standards but:-– Must not be completed in less than 66% of the

notional hours stipulated and;– Must not exceed 150% of the notional hours

stipulated;– No extensions will be granted for Skills

Programmes – The Quality Learning Committee reserves the

right to determine a procedure to ensure that the learner completes his/her Skills Programme.

Learning Programme Duration

EG. 10 CREDITS = 100 NOTIONAL HOURSMIN DURATION (66%) NOTIONAL HOURS MAX DURATION (150%)

66 HOURS 100 HOURS 150 HOURS

Statement of Results

• The FP&M SETA will issue a Statement of Results to all learner/s who were deemed competent and have met the Learning programme requirements through a verification process.

Cancellation of Learners

Attrition and Cancellation of Learners

1. Notification of cancellation of Learnership Agreements must be done in writing to the FP&M ETQA within 14 days as outlined in the Learning Agreement / MOU / MOA.

2. The ETQA will issue learner/s with a statement of results for credits achieved upon verification of portfolios of evidence.

3. Replacement learner/s will only be considered within the first three months of the Learnership Programme. Replacement learners will not be considered for Skills Programmes and Apprenticeships.

Assessments

Assessments - Apprenticeships• Theoretical (Knowledge) Assessments are

conducted in a written format except in the case of special needs.

• Practical Assessments and completion of Work Experience log books.

• Trade Test/External Summative Assessment• The SETA is responsible for the setting of

Theoretical and External Summative Assessments• External Summative Assessments will be

conducted in an approved assessment centre • Theoretical Assessments will be conducted by an

accredited Provider

Assessments – Learnerships & Skills Programmes

• Only Summative assessments will be recognised as official assessments in the POE, as compiled in the prescribed manner, submitted for verification

• Formative assessment must, however be conducted to enable the assessor to determine if a learner is ready for Summative Assessment

• All components of the Learning Programme must be assessed by a registered constituent Assessor as per the scope of registration.

• All assessment results must be uploaded to the FP&M SETA MIS.

Moderations

Moderation - ApprenticeshipsTime Based• An ETQA appointed moderator observes the

assessment process and compiles a moderation report in a prescribed format.

• The moderation report will be submitted electronically to the ETQA

Competency Based• An ETQA appointed moderator moderates the

assessment portfolio and compiles a moderation report in a prescribed format.

• The moderation report will be submitted to the ETQA with the assessment portfolio.

Moderation – Learnerships and Skills Programmes

• The ETQA prescribes that a minimum of 10% of learner POEs must be moderated.

• All components of the Learning Programme must be moderated by a registered constituent Moderator

• The moderation report must be compiled in the format prescribed by the ETQA and sent electronically to the ETQA before a verification audit is scheduled

• The moderations must be uploaded to the FP&M SETA MIS by the provider.

Verifications

Verification

• A verification will only be scheduled once the assessments and moderations have been uploaded to the MIS.

• Verifications will be conducted:• for the duration of the Learning programme, • twice a year for skills programmes• a minimum of three times for Learnerships.

• Linked to tranche payments as stipulated in the MOA

Questions?

Thank You