Career Choosing
Frequently Asked Questions about the QCTO.
What is the QCTO?
The Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) is a Quality Council established in 2010 in terms of the Skills Development Act (Act 97 of 1998) as amended in 2008.
The QCTO also offers guidance to skills development providers (private and public) and assessment centres who must be accredited by the QCTO in order to implement occupational qualifications. The QCTO is responsible for quality assurance and the oversight of the design, accreditation, implementation, assessment and certification of occupational qualifications, part-qualifications and skills programmes.
The Vision of the QCTO is to qualify a skilled and capable workforce.
The differences between the QCTO and SETA
One of the key differences between SETA and QCTO qualifications is that QCTO qualifications are standardised across all sectors. This means that a qualification obtained in one sector is recognized in all other sectors. Other key differences include:
QCTO Qualification
The Qualification are comprised of three components.
- Knowledge component – classroom sessions exploring theory.
- Practical component – includes simulated workplace training subject to assessment by accredited workplace assessors.
- External Integrated Summative Assessment – a final exam written at an Accredited Assessment centre.
Duration: The duration of QCTO learnerships will depend on the number of credits for specific qualifications.
WHAT IS EISA’?
The External Integrated Summative Assessment (EISA) is an integral and critical component of
the QCTO’s quality assurance system. It is a single national assessment leading to the awarding of an Occupational Certificate. EISA ensures that the assessment of occupational qualifications, part qualifications and trades is standardised, consistent and credible.
EISA is conducted by applying nationally standardised assessment instruments which are developed and administered bye QCTO approved Assessment Quality Partner (AQP). EISA for a trade is what is commonly known as a Trade Test.
For learners to qualify for entry to EISA:
they must provide proof of completion of all required knowledge, practical and work experience modules as stipulated in the qualification. The statement of result’s obtained from the Skills Development Provider serves as proof that the candidate has satisfied all the requirements to be admitted to sit for EISA.
In summary, the QCTO is responsible for the following:
- Establishment and management
To effectively and efficiently manage the OQSF in order to set standards, develop and quality assure national occupational qualifications for all who want a trade or occupation and, where appropriate, professions.
Choosing a career:
There are five stages of career planning.
Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions that you will make in your life. It is important to plan your career. In order to help you develop a career plan, you need to go through all the stages of career planning to effectively map out your path to success.
The more information you have on hand and can identify, the better and more unique your plan will be.
It’s important to map out a career that is relevant to and appropriate for your unique wants and needs.
Stage 1
Self-assessment
- Learning about myself.
- Having a clear picture of your unique talents, interests, values and skills will be the base of your career-planning.
This is a great start to knowing yourself.
Stage 2
Exploring Options
- Learning about available opportunities for work and education.
- Once you have a clear idea of your interests, skills and the things you value, you can start exploring options.
- Gather information through research about occupations of the world, education and training opportunities or consultations regarding Psychological Assessment.
Stage 3
Making Decisions.
- Deciding on my future path
- Once you have explored your options, the next step is narrowing regarding Psychological Assessment.
- Write down the work and/or training field on which you would like to focus.
- Take time to analyse the options you have explored and make decisions about what path you want to pursue.
Stage 4
Setting Goals and Creating your Career Plan.
- Setting my plan into action.
- Keep in mind that you may have to make some changes to keep yourself on track or set a new course when unexpected opportunity arises.
Stage 5
Implementing your Plan.
- Creating a plan
- You have identified your career.
- Now identify the steps you need to take to start moving towards your chosen field.
- Prepare an action plan and chart your course.
