The South African Fluid Power Association (SAFPA) has announced the release of a host of industry-specific certification programmes aimed at standardising and improving training and upliftment within the industry. The new unit standards from the association are all designed to conform to SAQA (South African Qualifications Authority) standards, and therefore adhere to the NQF (National Qualifications Framework) guidelines.
According to SAFPA council member Russell Gill, by formalising fluid power training into various unit standards, the industry will be able to more accurately assist its employees in personal growth as well as judge their capabilities according to their level of progression.
Built on the principles of outcomes-based education, the qualification framework does not require that staff only have theoretical knowledge, but also entails practical work. This means people in the industry with years of experience but no formal certification will be able to attain a specific level of certification with a roadmap to eventually achieving a national certificate recognised by the whole industry.
"Each unit standard has been specifically constructed to ensure the learner is able to fulfil certain functions efficiently, as judged by registered assessors," adds Gill. "This means employers will more easily be able to match people to jobs and to more accurately plan employee advancement by setting goals of certain unit standards that need to be achieved.
"The new education standards will also alleviate past imbalances by making the same level of education available to all, irrespective of past education. And the fact that much of the training is done at the workplace doing things the learner will have to do in his or her job balances the field and opens the door of opportunity to everyone."
By recognising prior learning and focusing on outcomes and competence, fluid power industry workers will find their skills are formally recognised and more easily sellable to other companies. Even learners who have not finished their schooling will be able to attain a national certificate.
People in the industry with existing qualifications will be able to register as assessors. Their job will be to measure the performance and knowledge of learners while 'on the job', ensuring they fulfil the requirements of the various unit standards.
The unit standards were designed in accordance with the NQF, which means that they are simple and easy to understand. They provide assessors with a structured process of gathering facts on what the learner has achieved over the course of each standard - as opposed to what they can remember on a specific day of assessment.
Companies in the industry will also benefit from the new standards as they now have a formal measure of each employee's skills and a recognised path for upliftment.
The new standards also assist SAFPA in achieving its objectives of raising the professional standards of the pneumatics and hydraulics industries; promoting education, training and original research in the pneumatics and hydraulics fields; and to encourage companies to establish their own training facilities, guided by the association's knowledge.
A list of the new unit standards and details on each can be found at www.safpa.org.za.
| Tel: | +27 11 061 5000 |
| Fax: | 086 589 2158 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.safpa.org.za |
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