Defining a Learnership

A Learnership is defined as a work-based route for learning and gaining qualifications. It includes both structured work experience and structured theoretical learning.

Purpose of Learnerships

Learnerships offer a delivery method in which education and training can become more responsive to the needs of employers, learners and the social and economic needs of South Africa.

Some of the labour markets issues that Learnerships seek to address are:

  • The decline in levels of employment in South Africa;
  • Unequal access to education and training, and employment opportunities;
  • The workplace skills shortage amongst workforce entrants.

Company Advantages of Running a Learnership

Some of the following advantages could be derived from adopting Learnership programmes:

  • Well and appropriately skilled employment pool (existing employees and new entrants)
  • BBBEE points allocated under the Skills Development Element
  • Financial benefits – (Learnership grants from SETA)
  • Tax Rebates – Section 12H
  • Productivity increase due to higher skilled workers

ICT Stream

Qualification ID: 67465

Duration: 12 Months

Delivery Methods: Full 3 Month Classroom delivery and Applicable workplace experience required

 

The purpose of this qualification is to build a foundational entry into the field of Computer Sciences and Information Technology, specifically into the field of Systems Support, covering basic knowledge needed for further study in the field of Systems Support at Higher Education Levels.

The qualification can be acquired in the traditional way of formal study as well as in the workplace, through learnerships. Acquiring the qualification through learnerships has the potential of addressing the problems of the past, where newly qualified people getting into the industry struggled to get employment, because they were required to have practical experience. The workplace experience can now be gained while acquiring the qualification through the various learnership schemes that are planning to use this qualification.

A Qualifying learner at this level will be a well-rounded entry-level Systems Support professional with a good fundamental knowledge of the Information Technology field, coupled with interpersonal and business skills, allowing for specialisation in one of the following Systems Support fields:

  • Hardware and Infrastructure Support for Personal Computers
  • Hardware and Infrastructure Support for Office Products
  • Data Communications and Networking

Office Administration Stream

Qualification ID: 67465

Duration: 12 Months

Delivery Methods: RPL* 6 Day Classroom Based Contact Sessions and Applicable workplace evidence or Full 3 Month Classroom delivery and applicable workplace experience required

 

The National Certificate for Business Administration is designed to meet the needs of the individuals who are involved in the Administration function within any industry or non-commercial venture/ organisation.

This Learnership consists of 6 main objective modules,these 6 modules are:

  • Team Management
  • Managing Reception
  • Events Management
  • Business Numeracy
  • Office Management
  • Business Communication

 

On achieving this qualification, the learners will have proven that they are able to:

 

  • Gather and report information
  • Utilise technology to produce information
  • Coordinate meetings, minor events and travel arrangements
  • Plan, monitor and control with an information system
  • Maintain an event booking system
  • Participate in meetings and process documents and communications related thereto
  • Plan and conduct basic research in an office environment
  • Set personal goals
  • Function in a team and overall business environment
  • Demonstrate an understanding of employment relations

The structure of this Unit Standard-based Qualification makes the Recognition of Prior Learning possible. If the learner is able to demonstrate competence in the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes implicit in this qualification the appropriate credits should be assigned to the learner. Recognition of Prior Learning will be done by means of Integrated Assessments.

Qualification ID: 61595

Duration: 12 Months

Delivery Methods: RPL* 6 Day Classroom Based Contact Sessions and Applicable workplace evidence or Full 3 Month Classroom delivery and applicable workplace experience required

 

This Qualification is for any individual who is or wishes to be involved in the Administration function within any industry, or non-commercial venture/organization.  It is also the building block to advance the learner into the National Certificate in Business Administration Services: NQF Level 5.

The Core Component of the Qualification offers the learner knowledge and skills in the Management of Records, Comprehension of written and verbal texts, Business Writing, Problem Solving, Ethics, Cultural Awareness, Self-Management and Self Development, Project Teamwork and Business Policies and Procedures.  The Qualification through its Elective Component enables the learner to specialize in areas of Administration such as Reception, Executive Administration, Financial Literacy, Relationship Management, Legal Knowledge, Communication, Project Administration and Support, Call Centre Administration and Human Resources.
Learners working towards this Qualification will find that the acquisition of competence in the Unit Standards, which make up the Qualification, will add value to their jobs.  This Qualification is intended to enhance the provision of service within the field of Administration within all business and non-commercial sectors.  The Qualification ensures progression of learning, enabling the learner to meet standards of service excellence required within the Administration field of learning, through building day-to-day Administration skills as well as general operational competencies.  It will provide the broad knowledge, skills and values needed in the Administration field for all business and non-commercial sectors and will facilitate access to, and mobility and progression within, education and training.

Qualifying learners could follow a career in:

 

  • Secretarial services
  • Reception services
  • Switchboard operations
  • Financial Administration
  • Banking Administration
  • Personal/executive assistant services
  • Technical assistance
  • Typing
  • Data capturing
  • Systems administration
  • Human Resources administration
  • Basic Contracts Administration
  • Legal Secretarial services
  • Reception supervision
  • Change administration and management
  • Relationship management
  • Project coordination

Project Management Stream

Qualification ID: 50080

Duration: 12 Months

Delivery Methods: RPL* 6 Day Classroom Based Contact Sessions and Applicable workplace evidence or Full 3 Month Classroom delivery and applicable workplace experience required

 

Project management is the practice of initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing the work of a team to achieve specific goals and meet specific success criteria at the specified time.

Enrolling for this qualification will allow learners to work within a project management team or using the project approach to their business. These projects may be technical projects, business projects, government projects or community development projects and will cut across a range of economic sectors.

Learners who successfully complete the Project management qualifications will have the relevant skills, knowledge and attitude to function more effectively and in a professional manner, add value to their current position within the company by implementing policies and procedures.

Learners may advance their career opportunities further into project administration, support services or management within an organisation, in all sectors.

The learners who achieve this qualification will be able to demonstrate competencies in project management relating to initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing. Overall, this qualification will ensure that learners are capable of:

  • Work with others to undertake or support the project management activities.
  • Assist the project manager and/or project team by contributing and participating in planning, execution and control activities.
  • Provide support to the administration of a project.
  • Supervise a project team of a small project to deliver project objectives.
  • Support the project environment and management activities to deliver project objectives.
  • Describe and apply specialised technical methods, tools and techniques to a project to deliver project objectives.

Supervisory & Management Stream

Qualification ID: 57712

Duration: 12 Months

Delivery Methods: RPL* 7 Day Classroom Based Contact Sessions and Applicable workplace evidence or Full 3 Month Classroom delivery and applicable workplace experience required

 

This qualification is intended for junior managers of small organisations, junior managers of business units in medium and large organisations, or those aspiring to these positions. Junior managers include team leaders, supervisors, foremen and section heads.

The focus of this qualification has been designed to enable learners to be competent in a range of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values including:

  • Gathering and analysing information.
  • Analysing events that impact on a business and its competitive environment.
  • Complying with organisational standards.
  • Motivating an individual or team.
  • Negotiating in a work situation.
  • Understanding the role of business strategy as it applies to junior management.
  • Managing the budget within a specific area of responsibility.
  • Applying management principles and practices within a specific area of responsibility.
  • Managing work unit performance to achieve goals.
  • Behaving ethically and promoting ethical behaviour in a work situation.
  • Demonstrating understanding of the consequences in a work unit of HIV/AIDS.

The learners who achieve this qualification will be able to demonstrate competencies in management relating to Planning, Organising, Leading, Controlling and Ethics. Overall, this qualification will ensure that learners are capable of:

  • Developing plans to achieve defined objectives.
  • Organising resources in accordance with a developed plan.
  • Leading a team to work co-operatively to achieve objectives.
  • Monitoring performance to ensure compliance to a plan.
  • Making decisions based on a code of ethics.

DELIVERY METHODS

*What is RPLRecognition of Prior Learning is the acknowledgment of skills and knowledge obtained through learning achieved outside the formal education and training system and includes work and life experience as well as paid and volunteer work.

RPL recognises any prior knowledge and experience and measures it against the exit level outcomes of the qualification in which candidates are enrolled onto.  The candidate may not need to complete all of a training program if she or he already possesses some of the competencies taught in the program and meet the minimal entry requirements.

 Full 12 Month: A full 12 Month Learnership delivery method is comprised of 30% theoretical training  and 70% practical training experience component in order to obtain the respective qualification. Both Theoretical (3 Months Classroom training) and workplace (9 Months practical workplace experience & evidence) exit level outcome competencies’ are to be assessed and moderator and allocated against the qualifications’ set credit structure in order for the respective learner to be found competent.