Services Sector Education and Training Association (SSETA)

How does SSETA Fit into the Real Estate Industry?

Services SETA (SSETA)In a nutshell, SSETA delivers the Real Estate NQF qualification material to accredited providers, and awards learners with their Certificate of Competence in that qualification.  SSETA are given this mandate by QCTO who run the Trade and Occupation council under the South African Qualifications Authority.

Who are SAQA, QCTO & SSETA?

For property practitioners, the three organisations most commonly encountered are:

  • The South African Qualifications Authority – SAQA;
  • The Quality Council for Trades and Occupations – QCTO; and
  • The Services Sector Education and Training Authority – SSETA.

These organisations work together, but each has a different responsibility.

In simple terms:

  • SAQA oversees the National Qualifications Framework and registers qualifications.
  • The QCTO oversees the quality of occupational qualifications, training, assessment and certification.
  • SSETA supports skills development in the services sector and performs certain functions delegated to it by the QCTO.
  • The PPRA determines the education and professional requirements property practitioners must meet for their regulatory status.

Who Is SAQA?

SAQA stands for the South African Qualifications Authority, and is responsible for overseeing the National Qualifications Framework, commonly known as the NQF.  The NQF is the national system used to organise and recognise South African qualifications according to their level and complexity.

SAQA’s main responsibilities include:

  • Overseeing the development and implementation of the NQF;
  • Registering qualifications and part-qualifications on the NQF;
  • Maintaining the National Learners’ Records Database;
  • Recording recognised learner achievements;
  • Evaluating certain foreign qualifications;
  • Promoting national standards for qualifications; and
  • Helping ensure that South African qualifications are recognised and trusted.

SAQA does not normally provide training, assess learners or issue occupational certificates. These responsibilities are carried out by the appropriate Quality Council, training provider, assessment centre or other authorised organisation.

The National Qualifications Framework –  NQF

The NQF is a ten-level system used to classify registered South African qualifications.  The level indicates the complexity of the learning; it does not simply indicate the number of years a person has studied.

  • NQF Level 4 includes qualifications at the level of a National Senior Certificate and certain occupational certificates;
  • NQF Level 5 includes higher certificates and certain higher occupational certificates;
  • NQF Levels 6 to 10 cover qualifications of increasing complexity, including diplomas, degrees, postgraduate qualifications, master’s degrees and doctoral degrees.

Two qualifications at the same NQF level are not automatically equal or interchangeable. Their purpose, credits, content and required outcomes must also be considered.

A qualification should always be checked against SAQA’s official database to confirm:

  • Its SAQA identification number;
  • Its correct title;
  • Its NQF level;
  • Its credit value;
  • Its registration status;
  • Its last date for enrolment;
  • Its last date for achievement; and
  • Whether it has been replaced by another qualification.

The Role of The QCTO

The QCTO is the Quality Council of Trades and Occupation and is responsible for qualifications that prepare people for specific occupations or careers.   The QCTO  helps ensure that occupational training is properly structured, assessed and linked to the skills a learner needs in the workplace.  It manages the Occupational Qualifications Sub-Framework, known as the OQSF, which forms part of the National Qualifications Framework.

The QCTO’s responsibilities include:

  • Developing and maintaining occupational qualifications;
  • Recommending occupational qualifications to SAQA for registration;
  • Accrediting Skills Development Providers;
  • Accrediting Assessment Centres;
  • Overseeing occupational training and assessment;
  • Quality-assuring occupational qualifications and skills programmes;
  • Overseeing the External Integrated Summative Assessment; and
  • Issuing occupational certificates to qualifying learners.

The Role of SSETA

SSETA is the Sector Education and Training Authority responsible for skills development across a wide range of service industries.  The real estate and related services sector falls within its scope.  SSETA does not replace SAQA or the QCTO.  It acts as a sector-focused skills-development body and may perform specific quality or assessment functions when authorised by the QCTO.

Services SETA’s main purpose is to identify skills needs and support education, training and workplace development within these sectors.

Its responsibilities include:

  • Preparing and implementing a Sector Skills Plan;
  • Identifying scarce and priority skills;
  • Registering and supporting learnerships and workplace programmes;
  • Supporting internships, bursaries and skills programmes;
  • Allocating eligible training grants and funding;
  • Promoting workplace learning;
  • Supporting the training of employed and unemployed learners;
  • Working with employers and training providers; and
  • Performing certain occupational training and assessment functions delegated by the QCTO.

How SAQA, the QCTO and Services SETA Work Together

Although these organisations have different responsibilities, they form part of one connected skills-development system.

A simplified explanation of their relationship is:

  1. Industry identifies a need for a particular occupational qualification or skill.
  2. Services SETA works with employers, industry representatives and other stakeholders to identify the required workplace skills.
  3. The occupational qualification is developed through the QCTO’s prescribed processes.
  4. The QCTO recommends the qualification to SAQA for registration.
  5. SAQA registers the approved qualification on the NQF.
  6. A QCTO-accredited Skills Development Provider delivers the training.
  7. An accredited workplace provides the required workplace experience, where applicable.
  8. An accredited Assessment Centre conducts the prescribed external assessment.
  9. The QCTO quality-assures the results and issues the occupational certificate to a successful learner.
  10. Where the occupation is regulated, the learner must also meet the requirements of the relevant professional or regulatory authority.

For real estate practitioners, this final regulatory authority is the PPRA.

Who Oversees These Organisations?

SAQA, the QCTO and SSETA fall within the oversight framework of the Minister and Department responsible for Higher Education and Training.

SAQA does not manage the QCTO or Services SETA as its departments. Instead, these bodies work together to implement different parts of the national education, qualifications and skills-development system.

Skills Development Providers

A Skills Development Provider, an SDP, is an organisation authorised to offer training for specified qualifications or skills programmes.

A provider may only offer an occupational qualification within the scope of its QCTO accreditation.

A training provider may issue attendance records, internal results or statements confirming completed modules.   The final certificate for an occupational qualification is issued by the QCTO after all prescribed requirements have been met.

How to Complete the NQF4 Real Estatet OC Qualification

To complete your National Qualification Framework qualifications, you must:

  1. Select the appropriate occupational qualification
  2. Enrol with a QCTO-accredited Skills Development Provider.
  3. The provider registers you for the qualification.
  4. Complete the required knowledge, practical skills and workplace-experience modules.
  5. Receive a Statement of Results from the provider.
  6. Complete and pass the External Integrated Summative Assessment, known as the EISA.
  7. Receive the occupational qualification certificate issued by the QCTO.
  8. Submit the qualification certificate to the PPRA.
  9. Complete the remaining PPRA practical training and professional examination requirements.
  10. Apply to the PPRA for your status to be upgraded.

The practitioner does not enrol for the qualification directly with Services SETA.  The practitioner enrols with a Skills Development Provider accredited by the QCTO to offer the specific occupational qualification.

Before paying a provider, the practitioner should confirm:

  • The provider’s current QCTO accreditation;
  • The exact qualification title and SAQA identification number;
  • That the qualification appears within the provider’s approved scope;
  • That the qualification is open for enrolment;
  • Whether the provider is approved for online or face-to-face delivery;
  • How the required workplace experience will be completed;
  • Where the external assessment will take place; and
  • All training, assessment and certification costs.

Registration with SSETA

Learners enrolment documents will include:

  • A South African identity document or other valid identification;
  • Proof of previous qualifications;
  • The learner’s PPRA details and Fidelity Fund Certificate;
  • Confirmation of employment or workplace placement;
  • A signed enrolment agreement; and
  • Any additional documents required by the qualification.

The provider then registers the learner for the occupational qualification in accordance with the QCTO’s requirements.

The learner should request written proof that they have been formally registered for the correct qualification.

Completing the Occupational Qualification

The occupational qualification contains three connected components:

  • Knowledge modules: What the learner must know;
  • Practical skills modules: What the learner must be able to do; and
  • Work-experience modules: What the learner must complete and demonstrate in a suitable workplace.

The accredited provider delivers and assesses the knowledge and practical components. The approved workplace provides the required work experience and supporting evidence.

All three components must be successfully completed before the learner may proceed to the final external assessment.

Internal Assessment

During the course, the learner completes assignments, projects, practical activities and workplace evidence.

The Skills Development Provider is responsible for:

  • Assessing the learner’s work;
  • Providing guidance and feedback;
  • Identifying outstanding requirements;
  • Internally moderating the assessments;
  • Maintaining the learner’s assessment records; and
  • Reporting the learner’s achievements through the required system.

Once the learner has successfully completed all three components, the provider issues the required Statement of Results.

External Integrated Summative Assessment  –  EISA

After completing the knowledge, practical and workplace components, the learner must complete the External Integrated Summative Assessment, the EISA.

The EISA:

  • Is conducted through a QCTO-accredited Assessment Centre;
  • Tests whether the learner can combine and apply everything learned;
  • Is separate from the provider’s internal assessments; and
  • Must be passed before the occupational certificate can be issued.

Register with the PPRA → choose the correct occupational qualification → enrol with a QCTO-accredited provider → complete the knowledge, practical and workplace modules → receive a Statement of Results → write and pass the EISA → receive the QCTO certificate → submit the qualification to the PPRA → pass the applicable PDE → apply for a PPRA status upgrade.

Services SETA acts as the Assessment Quality Partner for the real estate occupational qualifications and oversees specified external assessment functions under delegation from the QCTO.

Let Us Help You Find the Correct Pathway

Understanding the roles of SAQA, the QCTO, Services SETA and the PPRA can be confusing particularly while real estate education requirements and qualifications are changing.

PPs helps property practitioners understand the education and compliance requirements that apply to their current status and future career plans.  Whether you are entering the industry, upgrading to Non-Principal status or preparing to become a Principal Property Practitioner, we can help you identify the correct route and avoid unnecessary delays.

Contact Us

Not sure which qualification, practical training or examination pathway applies to you?

Contact PPs before you enrol or submit your application. We will help you understand the process, identify the requirements that apply to your intended PPRA status and guide you towards the correct next step.

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Disclaimer:

This information was accurate at the date of publication. However, legislation, policies, qualification registration periods, enrolment dates and regulatory requirements may change without notice. This content is provided for general information and should not be regarded as legal or educational advice. Always confirm the latest requirements with SAQA, the QCTO, Services SETA and the PPRA before acting.