A Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO)-accredited [QCTO Home of skills assurance]
FLC college teaches your employees foundational skills. Employees with literacy and basic numbers skills are ready to enrol for occupational training at a National Qualifications Framework Level 2 to 4. Refer to Fact-Sheet-SAQA-FPI.pdf.
Having completed FLC English/FLC Literacy, they are fluent in English. Employees can, therefore, cope with the official language of learning and teaching and write their trade test in English. Employees also need to master this language to successfully navigate the practical and work-based components of occupational training. This is considering extensive use of English in the workplace as it also the formal language of work.
Employees who hold an occupational FLC qualification will have also attended FLC Mathematics/FLC numeracy classes to hone their basic numeracy skills. These are the basis upon which technical proficiencies relevant to specific trades are developed. Moreover, employees who have completed FLC Numeracy have had ample practice in logical, critical and creative thinking. This facilitates decision-making and problem-solving.
Therefore, it is now compulsory for employees to hold an occupational FLC qualification if they want to complete any of QCTO’s new courses. These were developed with industry to address the skills needs of the South African economy. The QCTO also considered the large potential impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on industry and traditional “blue-collar”-type work. These courses ensure that employees are equipped with relevant skills in an economy that continues to undergo digitilisation, automation and mechanisation The Occupational Qualifications are divided into three components. These include theory, practical and a work-based sections. The latter ensures that learners gain important experience and are, thus, “work ready” when they have completed the course. Refer to https://www.qcto.org.za/for-learners.html for more information on the QCTO’s new occupational training courses.
FLC college teaches “soft” skills
A QCTO-accredited FLC college also teaches “soft” skills. These complement the technical or “hard” skills that vary from one trade to next and that are learnt during occupational training.
“Soft” skills have become increasingly important in a modern economy. As industry continues to automate and mechanise, “soft” skills will grow in demand. This is considering that technology cannot replace “soft” skills. Machines can perform mundane and repetitive tasks, but they are unable to replicate human traits, such as empathy, creativity and critical thinking. When a plumber or electrician are called out to assess a problem, they are expected to also empathise with a customer.
As professionals, they then apply critical thinking skills to diagnose the problem quickly and efficiently. Based on their performance, the customer will decide to use their services, or consult another service provider for a “second opinion”. A personalised approach is much more valuable than a “chatbot” on a website that provides generic responses. As sales managers and directors often drum into their staff in meetings, “people buy people”.
In some trades, “soft” skills are indispensable. For example, tradespeople working in the construction sector need good communication skills. They use these proficiencies to share information effectively and work well with other team members. Effective communicators can share ideas and discuss project requirements. They can also coordinate to get the work done according to scope, specification and budget. When all team members are communicating effectively, the risk of mistakes as a result of misunderstandings are reduced. Good team players also help to develop a positive work environment that is necessary to achieve common goals. Excellent team dynamics between all members of a professional team usually leads to a successful outcome. Moreover, employees learn from one another and share their knowledge.
Attending a FLC college
Attending a FLC college, your employees also learn important interpersonal skills. These are acquired during FLC English/FLC Communication classes. Construction tradespeople will also use these skills to interact in a constructive and appropriate manner with foremen and site supervisors. In extenuating instances, they may even have to account directly to the principal contractor, architect, engineer or implementing agent of a project. Employees who have completed compulsory FLC training are responsive and professional and will use every opportunity to develop positive relationships.
Importantly, good communicators on construction sites are also healthier and safer workers because they can follow health and safety protocol. This is irrespective of whether it has been communicated in writing or verbally. Better equipped to prevent accidents that lead to injuries, such as falls, trips and slips, they can focus on getting the job done.
Having completed FLC Mathematics/FLC Numeracy classes, employees are quick on their feet. They can overcome challenges on the job and find solutions that progress projects towards completion. As good problem-solvers, they perform their jobs efficiently – even when issues arise. Employees with basic numeracy skills/basic numbers skills have good attention to detail. They remain focused; stay organised; and dedicate equal attention to small and large tasks to perform accurate work. Working to tight deadlines, employees who hold an occupational FLC qualification know how to plan and organise their time to keep to schedules. They can prioritise the correct tasks and stay focused to ensure that the hours that they spend on the job are productive.
Skills learnt at FLC college
Equipped with foundational skills that are learnt at a FLC college, your employees can also keep on learning. This enables them to expand their skillset so that they can grow within their specific trade. For employers, this also improves productivity and efficiency. Having a very adaptable workforce also enables companies to respond quickly to new trends and market demands. Adaptability is a highly sought-after “soft” skill considering the rapid rate at which industries are being “disrupted” by technology.
Professional tradespeople will remain relevant if they stay abreast of the latest technologies and trends. For example, plumbers now need to know how to install, maintain and repair “smart” plumbing fixtures and fittings. These are very popular because they enable homeowners to control and monitor their water use to reduce their monthly tariffs. It is also no longer enough to be able to issue a certificate of compliance for a standard geyser installation to stay in business. Plumbers must now also be equipped to install solar-water heaters in a manner that is fit-for-purpose and safe for use.
Employees who hold a FLC occupation qualification and have the technical proficiencies to perform their jobs well, will also have a strong work ethic. This means that they will arrive at work on time; put in consistent effort; and pursue project delivery excellence.
FLC Communication at FLC College
The FLC Communication/FLC English taught at FLC college imparts the knowledge of language and thinking processes required to communicate effectively in the workplace. Employees who attend FLC Literacy classes are given ample practice in speaking, listening, reading and writing effectively in English. They use these skills to comprehend and convey meaning in a logical and orderly manner. Employees who hold a FLC occupational qualification will be able to extract relevant information from a text. They can also infer meaning; make deductions; develop logical arguments; and organise their thinking.
Tradespeople use reading skills widely to, for example, understand what materials to use that have been communicated in reports, memos and manuals. Electricians, for instance, read to understand electrical engineering design specifications that detail requirements for how electricity will be delivered to a premises. However, most trades require an ability to scan for information or overall meaning in written text and read to understand and learn. Irrespective of the sectors in which they operate, most tradespeople can also compare information from several sources or complex and lengthy texts. As part of their jobs, for example, carpenters will interpret blueprints to verify measurements and correct mistakes or complete omissions.
To be successful, most tradespeople need to be able to read signs, labels or lists and understand information on graphs or charts. In many instances, they must also possess the ability to create or read schematic drawings with notes. Employees who have completed compulsory FLC can read for meaning, a skill honed during FLC Literacy/FLC English.
Tradespeople also regularly communicate in writing. They write to organise; inform or persuade; request information or justify a request; summarise; and compare information. Following a catering event, chefs, for example, will prepare documentation, recording what was served, quantities, prices, range of services provided and dates.
FLC English at FLC college
Having completed FLC English/FLC Communication at FLC college, employees can also use speech to exchange thoughts and information. Irrespective of the industry in which they operate, tradespeople rely on verbal communication skills to provide or obtain information. They also communicate verbally to greet, reassure and persuade team members, managers and customers; resolve conflicts; and lead discussions.
Automotive technicians, for example, use verbal communication skills in many ways to do their jobs. A case in point is when they provide expert opinions regarding the mechanical causes and consequences of vehicle accidents. This information may be required by customers, police or insurance companies. Equipped with “hard” skills and a FLC occupational qualification, your employees will be able to communicate professionally as part of their daily routine. In this way, they also portray your company in a very positive light.
FLC college develops active listeners
FLC college develops active listeners. Active listening skills are especially important for tradespeople who engage with customers, such as heating, ventilation and air-conditioning technicians; electricians; and plumbers.
Active listening skills eliminate miscommunication. When tradespeople listen to their customers, they will ask keen questions to clarify interactions so that communication can occur more easily. This, for example, ensures that they can correctly diagnose problems and find the correct solution quickly and efficiently. In this way, active listening contributes to an improved customer experience and repeat business in fiercely competitive markets.
Listening intently to what clients have to say as opposed to talking over them also helps to conclude deals. This is because employees who listen to clients identify areas of most interest to them based on the direction of the conversation. However, this also requires paying close attention to non-verbal cues, such as body language; eye contact; and tone or voice. These are also skills that are learnt in the FLC Literacy/FLC English subject of compulsory FLC training.
FLC college offers tailored training
A FLC college offers tailored FLC training, including FLC English/FLC Literacy. It specialises specifically in workplace FLC for groups of employees who are being prepared for occupational training at a NQF Level. Compulsory FLC training is undertaken at your premises and planned around your production schedule.
The workplace is an ideal environment in which to teach foundational skills. This is especially when subjects, such as FLC English/FLC Literacy, incorporate terminology and jargon that your employees already understand. In this way, the relevance of the training is reinforced in the minds of employees.
For example, up-and-coming boilermakers should practice their communication skills while using words such as “ashpan”, “boiler stay”, “crinolines” and “drowned tube”. To better prime employees for a welding course, words such as “current density” and “hydrogen brazing” should be incorporated into compulsory FLC training.
In this way, holders of a FLC occupational qualification will seamlessly transition from compulsory FLC training into NQF occupational courses.
FLC Mathematics at FLC college
FLC Mathematics/FLC Numeracy at FLC college teaches minimum mathematical literacy. This is sufficient to provide employees with an adequate foundation to cope with the mathematical demands of occupational training. Employees who possess basic numeracy skills/basic numbers skills will also be able to engage meaningfully in the workplace during work-based training.
Again, an accredited FLC college will be able to offer workplace FLC training. It is not only more convenient for employers, but also enables the FLC college to offer FLC Mathematics/FLC Numeracy that is relevant. For example, employees who intend becoming landscape horticulturalists should solve typical mathematical problems that they will encounter in their fields during FLC Numeracy. They could, for instance, learn how to calculate the correct amount of sand to create a feature. This could be a border of a particular depth around a square surface of a specific size. Future carpenters should learn how to calculate how many studs they will need to frame exterior walls of a specific height and length.
This is in addition to other typical applications that they will perform in their chosen profession. Refrigeration; air-conditioning technicians; and sheet-metal workers could learn how to calculate the length of a diagonal transition elbow during FLC Numeracy/FLC Mathematics.
FLC Numeracy at FLC college
Employees who attend FLC Numeracy/FLC Mathematics classes at FLC college are ready for technical training at a NQF level.
Holders of a FLC occupational qualification will be able to read, write, count, round off, add, subtract, multiply and divide whole numbers. These are used to order supplies; take stock inventory; count parts; and read serial numbers, for instance.
During compulsory FLC, employees also learnt how to work with percentages. These are skills that they will use to read and write tolerances and adjust machine loads. They are also used to describe proportion of maximum capacity or an amount of progress towards completion.
Equipped with basic numeracy skills learnt during compulsory FLC, employees can also read, write, add, subtract, multiply and divide integers. These are used to read temperatures; use survey tools; set up computer-numerical control programmes; and measure air pressure.
Holders of a FLC occupational qualification can also read, write, round off, add, subtract, multiply or divide fractions, as well as multiply or divide by a fraction. This facilitates the taking and recording of imperial measurements; determining tool or material sizes; and calculating quantities.
Holders of an FLC occupational qualification can also convert between fractions, decimals and percentages. This enables them to switch decimal readings on gauges to percent of output. With these basic numbers skills, employees can also convert decimals to fractions to select the correct part or tool size. This is in addition to possessing the knowledge needed to convert quantities of ingredients to decimals to calculate cost.
Compulsory FLC also teaches the basic numeracy skills required to use square roots, powers, scientific notation and significant digits. They are used to calculate power and current in three-phase motors. Square roots are also used to calculate dimensions for staircases. Meanwhile, powers are used to express the volume of tanks.
FLC college’s compulsory FLC training
A FLC college’s compulsory FLC training teaches employees how to read, write, round off, add or subtract, multiply or divide decimals. During FLC Mathematics/FLC Numeracy, employees are also taught how to multiply or divide by a decimal. This enables them to handle money; take and record metric measurements; measure tolerances; and select tool sizes.
In possession of an FLC occupational qualification, your employees will also be knowledgeable in equations and formulas. Therefore, they can solve problems using equations with one unknown quantity. They also possess the basic numeracy skills/ basic numbers skills to also use formulas by inserting quantities and solve quadratic equations. This is used to determine where to place holes; calculate the correct angles for rigging loads; set food prices; and use Ohm’s law to check motor voltage.
Enrolled at FLC college
Enrolled at FLC college, your employees will also be equipped with the basic numbers skills/basic numeracy skills that they need to use rates, ratios and proportions. They will, therefore, be able to compare two quantities with different units and use a ratio evaluating two quantities with the same units. Holders of an occupational FLC qualification will also be able to use proportion comparing two ratios or rates. This knowledge is needed to adjust tyre pressure; mix fuel additives; and adjust ingredients in a recipe to make more servings. It is also used to calculate machine speed and feed rates; read a scale drawing; and calculate airflow rates.
FLC Numeracy/FLC Mathematics also teaches how to convert imperial and metric measurement and to another unit within a measurement system. These basic numbers skills are used to convert units to select wrench sizes; cut lengths of wire; mix colouring agents; and comply with product specifications. They are also used to calculate airflow and understand scale drawings.
During compulsory FLC training, employees learn how to calculate areas, perimeters and volumes. This is to determine the size of an area that needs to be painted, sodded or caulked. These basic numbers skills are also used to determine the volume of gasoline additives or concrete required. Equipped with these basic numeracy skills, holders of a FLC occupational qualification can also conclude the capacity of storage tanks.
Holders of a FLC occupational qualification also know how to apply geometric concepts, such as parallelism, perpendicularity and tangents. These basic numbers skills/basic numeracy skills are used to find the centre of a room to install fixtures. This knowledge is also deployed to cut hair using angles and slopes to fabricate ramps. Knowledge of angles also facilitates the planning of patterns for materials.
A reputable FLC college
In possession of an FLC occupational qualification from a reputable FLC college, employees are also practiced in trigonometry. This enables them to determine the size of an unknown side or angle of a triangle. It is used to calculate angles for a circular staircase and place holes on a part. Equipped with this basic numeracy skill, employees can also make bolt patterns for drilling or machine installation; and find offsets.
Employees who have completed FLC Mathematics/FLC Numeracy of compulsory FLC are also familiar with summary calculations. They can, therefore, calculate averages and rates other than percentages, proportions or ratios. These basic numbers/basic numeracy skills enable them to calculate fuel or power consumption; tool lifespan; and speed and feed rates. They are also used to calculate material production and time required to perform tasks.
Knowledgeable in statistics and probability, employees can draw conclusions. For example, they can estimate how much of something clients use and then predict sales trends. This basic numeracy skill/basic numbers skill is also used to determine probability of equipment and parts failure. It can also be deployed to describe the progress of fabrication and installation tasks.
Qualification from an FLC college
Employees in possession of a FLC occupational qualification from a competent FLC college, can solve problems in real contexts. They do so by responding to information about mathematical ideas that are presented in a variety of ways.
During FLC Mathematics/FLC Numeracy classes, employees learn how to define a problem and analyse and make sense of the information provided. They are then taught how to plan to solve the problem; execute their strategy; and interpret and evaluate the results; the method; and solution. In solving problems, employees will apply an array of skills that they learn during compulsory FLC. These include identifying or locating relevant information; ordering; sorting; comparing; counting; estimating; computing; measuring; modelling; interpreting; and communicating.
Using their basic numbers skills/numeracy skills, they will make sense of the workplace. Learn more about Triple E Training and our compulsory FLC training, one of the first to be accredited by the QCTO for its new courses. www.eee.co.za
