ETQAs (Education And Training Quality Assurance)

An ETQA is a body that is responsible for ensuring the quality of the delivery and assessment of registered standards and qualifications by education and training providers in its relevant sector.

The current functions of an ETQA are to:

• Accredit providers to conduct assessments against unit standards and qualifications registered on the NQF.
• Promote quality amongst constituent providers.
• Monitor provision of training – conduct quality audit at specified intervals.
• Evaluate assessment and facilitate moderation among constituent providers.
• Register assessors.
• Certify learners.
• Cooperate with relevant moderating bodies.
• Recommend new standards or qualifications to National Standards Bodies (NSBs).
• Recommend modifications to existing standards and qualifications to NSBs.
• Submit reports to SAQA.

Quality Councils

The NQF is a single integrated system which comprises of three co-ordinated qualifications sub- frameworks, for:

• General and Further Education and Training, contemplated in the GENFETQA Act, i.e. the General and Further Education and Training Qualifications Framework (GFETQF)
• Higher Education, contemplated in the Higher Education Act, i.e. Higher Education Qualifications Framework (HEQF)
• Trades and Occupations, contemplated in the Skills Development Act, i.e. the Occupational Qualifications Framework (OQF)

The three Qualification Frameworks will still be part of one NQF.

Each of the three frameworks has a responsible quality assurance council (ETQA):

• The Council on Higher Education (CHE), with its Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC)
• Umalusi for General and Further Education
• Quality Assurance Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) is the new body responsible for the quality assurance of occupational qualifications.

Qualification Framework

The QCTO may delegate specific quality assurance activities to suitable agencies, primarily the SETA’s (Sector Education Training Authorities) and other bodies who choose to work with the QCTO.

The QCTO was established on 23 February 2010, the Board of the QCTO has been appointed and started operation in 2010.