| Choosing the Right Qualifications |
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| After choosing your field of study, knowing where and how to get the
most suitable qualifications is the next step. |
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| Ensuring that your choice of provider – university, technikon,
technical college, or private educational provider – is accredited and
offers recognised and accredited training is essential! |
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| Important questions to ask when choosing where to study |
- Does the training provider offer qualifications registered on the
National Qualifications Framework?
- Is the training provider accredited with the relevant
accreditation agencies?
- Can they produce supporting documentation as proof?
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| Useful Facts |
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| Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC): Ensures that the level
and quality of provision is suitable for Higher Education. |
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| UMALUSI: Ensures that the level and quality of provision is suitable
for Further and General Education. |
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| Tourism, Hospitality and Sports Education and Training Authority
(THETA): Quality assures all providers that deliver training & conducts
assessments that fall within their scope: Tourism, Hospitality,
Conservation, Sport, Recreation & Fitness, Gambling and Lotteries. |
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| What types of qualifications are available? |
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| Degrees: 3 to 4 years of Higher Education, often very theoretical,
e.g. BA in Tourism. BTech Degrees offered by Technikons as fourth year
to complete after National Diploma. |
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| National Diplomas: 3-year qualifications offered by Technikons at
Higher Education level, both theoretical and practical e.g. Diploma in
Hospitality Management. |
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| Diplomas: 2-year qualifications offered by any accredited provider
at Higher Education level, both theoretical and practical e.g. Diploma
in Accommodation Services. |
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| Certificates: 1- year at Higher/ Further Education level offered by
any accredited provider, can be very practical and skill orientated e.g.
Certificate in Tourist Guiding. |
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| Vehicles to obtaining National Qualifications |
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| Learnership: A learnership consists of a structured learning
component; it includes practical work experience of a specified nature
and duration; leads to a qualification registered by the South African
Qualifications Authority (SAQA) and to a related occupation; and the
intended learnership is registered with the Director-General in the
prescribed manner. |
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| Skills programs: Occupationally based programmes presented through
accredited providers, and when completed will constitute a credit
towards a qualification registered on the National Qualifications
Framework. |
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| Where do I want to study? |
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| University: Higher education, largely academic, with little
practical experience - Degrees |
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| Technikon: Academic and practical tuition that includes compulsory
experiential education in the industry - National Diplomas & BTech
degrees. |
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| Technical College: Vocation-specific tuition with a great deal of
practical tuition -Diplomas, certificates & skills programs. |
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| Private Provider: Both Higher Education & Training and Further
Education & Training providers must be accredited with the national
authorities, the Higher Education and Quality Committee, UMALUSI, or
SETA’s. |
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| On-the-Job Learning: Work and study at the same time. |
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| What options are available to finance my studies? |
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| Bank Loans: All major banks offer a student loan package to those
who meet their criteria. A parent or friend in employment must sign
surety, meaning that they will be responsible for ensuring that the loan
is paid back. |
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| Bursaries: Tertiary institutions also have bursaries that are
financed by donations or companies. These are not always awarded to
students in the most direct need, but candidates are often interviewed
to make sure they suit the future employment requirements of the
sponsoring company. The student might be required to work for that
company for a specific period after completion of the course. |
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| National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS): The NSFAS provides
student loans of which a certain percentage is written off if the
candidate passes their subjects each year. The rest is paid off once the
candidate starts working. The NSFAS operates from the financial aid
offices of campuses of recognised Technikons and Universities. |
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| Scholarship: Is usually awarded on merit to the students with the
top academic results or a talent in sport and have no strings attached.
The admissions offices of the universities and colleges will be able to
direct you to the scholarships that apply to your chosen area of study. |
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| Flexibility of Qualifications |
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| Each registered qualification comprises numerous building blocks of
learning or ‘unit standards’. These units can be carried across as
credits towards partial completion of other, different qualifications
should you at some stage choose to change career paths or diversify your
field of expertise, therefore ensuring greater employability. This
system is referred to as ‘portability of unit standards’. |
