New engineering qualifications proposed for South Africa

The Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) has proposed 13 new occupational qualifications, which are available for public comment.
These qualifications range from National Qualification Framework (NQF) level 3 to level 6 and include four engineering qualifications.
QCTO CEO Vijayen Naidoo published it in a Government Gazette on 14 May 2024.
According to the QCTO, an occupational qualification is a “qualification associated with a trade, occupation or profession resulting from work-based learning.”
The QCTO says that these qualifications yield a high chance of employment due to the element of work experience and that they are industry demand-driven.
Of the proposed qualifications, four are electrical engineering qualifications. All four are NQF level 6 qualifications.
The NQF system is used to rank qualifications.
NQF levels 1 to 4 refer to high school grades 9 to 12, 5 to 7 refer to undergraduate qualifications, and 8 to 10 refer to postgraduate degrees.
All of these engineering qualifications require an NQF 4 (grade 12) qualification with mathematics and science.
As part of the qualification outline, they are compared to similar qualifications in different countries such as Canada and Australia.
The major differences between the qualifications tend to be the entry requirements, often of a lower standard in other countries, and the time it takes to complete the qualification.
However, the overall goal and outcomes of the qualifications tend to be the same.
According to the electrical engineering technician (automation) qualification document, graduates will be able to “conduct research, design, plan and direct the construction, operation and maintenance of electrical systems, assemblies, components and equipment in accordance with relevant standards.”
The public has until 21 days from the publication date to submit comments to the QCTO.
The documents for these specific qualifications can be viewed on the QCTO website.
The proposed occupational qualifications are listed in the tables below.
No. | Qualification/ Part-qualification | Qualification type | Qualification descriptor | NQF level | Credits | Curriculum code | **RHRQ/ RROQ/ RRPQ/ NQR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Qualification | Intermediate occupational certificate | Aircraft composite structures | 5 | 540 | 653202-001-00-00 | RROQ |
2 | Qualification | Higher occupational certificate | Aircraft maintenance mechanic | 5 | 540 | 653201-000-01-00 | RROQ |
3 | Qualification | Intermediate occupational certificate | Freight handling practitioner | 3 | 122 | 432301-004-01-00 | RROQ |
4 | Qualification | National occupational certificate | International trade administrator | 4 | 130 | 333101-003-00-00 | RROQ |
5 | Qualification | National occupational certificate | Road transport supervisor | 4 | 120 | 132403-001-00-00 | RROQ |
6 | Qualification | Higher occupational certificate | Auxillary child youth care | 5 | 194 | 263508-000-01-00 | RROQ |
**RHRQ: Replace historically registered qualification RROQ: Replace registered occupational qualification RRPQ: Replace registered part qualification NQR: No qualification replacement |
No. | Qualification/ Part-qualification | Qualification type | Qualification descriptor | NQF level | Credits | Curriculum code | **RHRQ/ RROQ/ RRPQ/ NQR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Qualification | Occupational diploma | Electronic engineering technician (automation) | 6 | 418 | 311401-001-00-00 | RROQ |
2 | Qualification | Occupational certificate | Electrical equipment maintenance specialist | 6 | 121 | 311401-001-00-01 | NQR |
3 | Qualification | Advanced occupational certificate | Electrical engineering draftsperson | 6 | 159 | 311401-001-00-01 | NQR |
4 | Qualification | Occupational diploma | Electrical engineering technician (automation) | 6 | 431 | 311301-001-00-00 | RROQ |
5 | Qualification | Occupational diploma | Electrical engineering technician (automation) | 6 | 417 | 311501-001-00-00 | RROQ |
6 | Qualification | Advanced occupational certificate | Mechanical designer | 6 | 185 | 311501-001-00-02 | NQR |
7 | Qualification | Advanced occupational certificate | Mechanical maintainer and repairer | 6 | 233 | 311501-002-00-01 | NQR |
**RHRQ: Replace historically registered qualification RROQ: Replace registered occupational qualification RRPQ: Replace registered part qualification NQR: No qualification replacement |