FLC training supports NQF [National Qualifications Framework (NQF) qualifications and unit standards | Western Cape Government] objectives. These include achieving redress; providing access to meaningful learning; and facilitating the attainment of qualifications. Importantly, it also provides a basis for lifelong learning. Lifelong learning recognises that as humans, we naturally want to explore, learn and grow. This is so that we can improve our quality of life and sense of self-worth by achieving personal goals that inspire us. The four pillars of lifelong learning include learning to know; to do; to be and to live together. Refer to UNESCO’s definition of lifelong learning: https://learningportal.iiep.unesco.org/en/glossary/lifelong-learning#:~:text=definition,UNESCO.
There are many South Africans who are skilled and experienced workers. However, they cannot learn for a national qualification because their literacy and numeracy skills are not up to standard. This prohibits them from achieving their full potential in the workplace and in society at large. It also prevents companies from upskilling their staff. For example, only qualified plumbers, electricians and fire technicians may issue certificates of compliance. This certifies that their installations are, indeed, fit-for-purpose and safe for occupants of buildings and the public. Without these certificates, the workmanship is uninsurable, while also placing property owners at severe risk of both civil and criminal liability. Therefore, many consumers will insist on only working with qualified tradespeople or companies that employ these professionals.
FLC training geared at unemployed
Certainly, quality FLC training is also geared at the many unemployed South Africans who want to learn a trade. They are unable to do so because their foundational skills are not up to standard due to poor schooling or having not completed their basic education. This is a stumbling block for many unemployed individuals. Without a qualification, they will remain jobless. Some will be able find low-paying, ad-hoc work in the informal sectors with scant opportunity for growth and development. Incidentally, this is where many talented and industrious individuals learnt their trade without any formal training.
Over the years, they have honed and refined their craft to the point where they are skilled and experienced tradespeople. However, their lack of “papers” prevents them from finding secure employment that also pays their true worth. Many of these individuals can be seen advertising their services outside leading building retail outlets. Skills on display range from plumbers, electricians and carpenters through to bricklayers, plasterers, tilers and painters. It is an extremely competitive way of surviving. Most of these individuals provide their services at cutthroat, unsustainable rates simply to secure work for a few hours. Scant regard is really given to their skills and experience by consumers or trades-based companies that recruit cheap labour in this manner.
Quality FLC training
Quality FLC training provides a way of harnessing this talent to grow sustainable businesses.
Notably, more than 86% of all individuals working as plumbers in the country are not qualified to do so. More than half of this industry’s total workforce operates in the informal sector, while there is an acute shortage of qualified plumbers in the country. This has also resulted in stiff competition between the formal and informal industries, threatening the very sustainability of both. It is, therefore, critical that those who want to join the formal industries have the opportunity to do so by being able to access an education.
Qualifying these informal tradespeople will also raise the quality of services provided to their many customers in the townships, informal settlements and rural areas. They too need compliant workmanship that performs as intended and in a healthy and safe manner.
FLC training helps companies
By equipping South Africans with the skills that they need to pursue artisan training, FLC training helps companies to address technical skills shortages.
To attend to the dire shortage of qualified tradespeople, South Africa needs at least 60% of school leavers to pursue artisan-type training. The NDP has set an ambitious target of developing 30 000 artisans by 2030. Refer to https://www.gov.za/issues/national-development-plan-2030. Even if this target is met, there will still be a shortage of these essential skills, according to some experts.
Therefore, the artisan development agenda needs to be broadened to also include the many individuals who have not completed matric. Learners who are in possession of an ABET Level 4 certificate with English or Maths Literacy will cope with FLC training. For many individuals, it is a logical step after ABET. ABET taught them how to read, write and do basic calculations at a NQF Level 1. FLC training, on the other hand, imparts the knowledge that they need to use these skills to continue learning to reach NQF Level 4.
ABET Level 4 is equivalent to a NQF Level 1. Therefore, individuals who have completed Grade 9 can also enrol for FLC training. Individuals who have finished ABET Level 3 may also complete FLC, although it may take them a bit longer to do so. Thus, it is advisable that these individuals first undergo a placement assessment to determine if they will cope with FLC training. Some individuals may have to first complete ABET Level 4 because their English literacy and numeracy skills are simply not yet up to standard.
FLC training is mandatory
FLC training is mandatory for new QCTO-registered occupational qualifications in relevant engineering fields. These occupational qualifications will replace existing NATED report N1, N2 and N3 programmes that are provided by TVET colleges. This is part of a drive by the DHET to ensure that technical skills training is closely aligned with the skills needs of a rapidly changing economy. Modern employees need to be creative and able to think critically. They must also possess interpersonal skills, as well as be able to write, present and negotiate. Furthermore, employees in the modern workplace must have an ability to present a reasoned argument, as well as ask the correct questions and seek out the answers.
Between 2011 and 2020, 172 805 artisans wrote their trade tests. The top 22 trades represent 90,7% of the total trade test passes. They include electricians, diesel mechanics, welders, mechanical fitters, boiler makers, plumbers and fitters and turners. This in addition to automotive motor and heavy equipment mechanics, millwrights, riggers, hairdressers and instrument mechanicians. Add to this chefs, transportation electricians, bricklayers, panel beaters, melters, carpenters and vehicle painters. This is in addition to metal machinists and refrigeration mechanics.
Benefiting from FLC training
Many youth and black South Africans are already benefitting from quality FLC training.
In terms of demographics, 54% of individuals who pass their trade tests are between 25 and 34 years old. 71% are African and 81% male. The dominant share of Africans qualifying as artisans has been a constant trend since 2015. Notably, there has been a slight increase in the number of females qualifying as artisans over the years. In 2020, 22,5% of individuals who qualified as artisans were female compared to 20,4% in 2011. This is important considering the need to ensure gender inclusive workplaces. Unfortunately, many of the trades are still very male dominated.
Notably, individuals aged between 25 and 34 and 35 and 44 account for 87% of all trade test passes. Therefore, most of the qualifying artisans are older youth. In most other countries, people generally pass their trade test at between 20 and 21 years of age. However, from 2015, many individuals aged between 15 and 24 also started qualifying as apprentices. This can be attributed to the national policy focus on youth who are not in education, employment or training.
There has also been a shift in SETA [SETAs of South Africa (nationalgovernment.co.za)] grant policy to prioritise applications that deliberately target youth. This is another driver of this trend. In future, the QCTO will oversee this aspect of training as part of its extended mandate. It is assumed that it will resume this focus, considering high youth unemployment in the country. Many experts agree that qualifying youth as apprentices will help to address this challenge, considered to be South Africa’s greatest risk.
FLC training supports
FLC training also supports government’s focus on developing successful black entrepreneurs.
Equipped with a trade, a lot of these individuals may also be able to pursue self-employment as is the case with so many artisans. Over time, they too may grow robust companies that employ other competent tradespeople.
FLC training registered at NQF
FLC training is a part qualification that is registered at NQF Level 2 and carries 40 credits in total. The two learning areas of FLC training include Foundational Communication and Mathematical literacy. This is considering that they are the foundations for all learning.
Fundamental literacy includes the ability to read, speak and interpret thoughts. They are complemented by a sound understanding of fundamental numeracy, including the ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide.
Individuals who have completed the course, will also have the confidence and expertise that they need to apply language and mathematical skills. They will be able to do so in different real-life situations and contexts, especially those encountered in the workplace. Most trades are technical in nature, requiring visualisation, spatial reasoning and geometric modelling skills. This is in addition to an advanced understanding of the units, systems and processes of measurement. They also require sound communication skills and an ability to work well as part of teams.
FC of FLC training
FC of FLC training imparts the basis of the language of instruction. Individuals who have completed FC can cope effectively with the course content that is presented in occupational training. In South Africa, the formal language of learning and teaching is English. Therefore, learners also need to have a grasp of the language to write their trade test.
Individuals who have completed FC can speak, listen, read and write effectively in English. They will be able to extract information from a text; infer meaning; make deductions; develop logical arguments; and organise their thinking. These are complemented by the ability to extract key messages from an extended piece of writing.
FC consists of the following focus areas:
- Writing
- Speaking and listening
- Visual literacy
- Language structure and use
- Study skills
- Workplace terminology
FC of FLC training carries 20 credits.
FML of FLC training
FML of FLC training is minimum, generic mathematical literacy. This is sufficient numeracy knowledge to cope with the mathematical demands of occupational training. It also provides the foundation for further development of mathematical contexts and concepts that may be specific to an occupation or trade.
Individuals who have completed FML of FLC training can solve problems by responding to information about mathematical ideas that are presented in a variety of ways. They will be able to define the problem; plan how to solve it; and execute their plan. Thereafter, they are able to evaluate the results and justify the methods and solutions that they used to solve it. When solving problems, individuals will apply many skills that they learnt during FML. These include locating relevant information; ordering; sorting; comparing; counting; estimating; computing; measuring; modelling; interpreting; and communicating.
FML of FLC training focuses on the following:
- Number and quantity
- Finance
- Data and chance
- Measurement
- Space and shape
- Patterns and relationships
FML of FLC training carries 20 credits.
Custodian of quality FLC training
The QCTO [QCTO Home of skills assurance] is the custodian of quality FLC training.
As early as 2010, the QCTO was being primed to handle all of SAQA’s [https://www.saqa.org.za/] occupational-related qualifications. This process is expected to be completed in 2023 and will have far-reaching implications on the training system and industry.
Transferring occupational-related qualifications from SAQA to QCTO makes sense. This is considering the QCTO’s specific focus on occupational qualifications. SAQA, on the other hand, has always had a broader mandate that covers all education and training. Its focus on occupational qualifications has, thus, been diluted.
Importantly, the QCTO has also always been more closely aligned with the DHET [https://www.dhet.gov.za/] than SAQA.
QCTO-accredited FLC training
Triple E Training is a leading provider of QCTO-accredited FLC training.
We were among the first to provide this type of training and to have our FLC training accredited by the QCTO. The accreditation was based on our many years of experience providing FLC. This includes the comprehensive training material and quality assurance procedures that we have developed specifically for FLC training. The overall quality of instruction that learners receive from our skilled and experienced facilitators also helped us to secure our accreditation. These have been widely adopted throughout the training industry as the norm for FLC training.
Learn more about Triple E Training and our quality FLC training, as well as other state-of-the-art adult literacy and numeracy training solutions. www.eee.co.za
