Services SETA to Cease Accepting Accreditation Applications for Historical Qualifications by 31 August 2022

Following consultation with the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO), the Services SETA hereby notifies Skills Development Providers and Stakeholders that it will cease accepting accreditation applications for pre-2009 qualifications and unit standards (historical qualifications) by 31 August 2022.

The Services SETA is securing additional resources to process all pending accreditation applications before the end of the current financial year, that is, by 31 March 2023. Applicants will be granted reasonable time to remediate gaps in their application, failing which their application will be cancelled.

As per QCTO circulars, other implications of transitional arrangements are as follows:

• Historical qualifications on the Occupational Qualifications Sub-Framework (OQSF) expire on 30 June 2023.
• The learner enrolment end date for historical qualifications is 30 June 2024.
• The learner achievement end date for historical qualifications is 30 June 2027.

Skills Development Providers are encouraged to apply to the QCTO for accreditation of registered Occupational Qualifications, Part Qualifications and Skills Programmes. To date, 26 Occupational Qualifications falling under the scope of the Services SETA have been registered and a further 31 are in-progress. Future Discretionary Grant funding opportunities will be directed to Occupational Qualifications.

The Services SETA plans to offer workshops to assist its supply-side in navigating this transition ultimately intended to strengthen skills development relevance and work experience for improved employability of qualified learners.