1. How does existing training courses and education programmes differ from that of learnerships?
2. What is a skills programme?
3. How does learnership differ from a skills programmes?
4. Can a learner lump a few skills programmes together and call that a learnership?
5. What value is there for companies to get involved in learnerships?
6. Will a learner have to go through a full learnership if the learner already knows some of the content?
7. What is the duration of a learnership?
8. Is it possible for a learner to receive a certificate of attendance at the end of a learnership?
9. Does the learner have to do practical work experience in order to gain a learnership qualification?
10. Can any training provider conduct a learnership?
11. Are the unemployed the only people that can participate in a learnership?
12. Is there a guarantee of employment at the end of the learnership?
13. Where is a learnership registered? who can register a learnership?
14. How are providers who deliver learnerships accredited?

1. How does existing training courses and education programmes differ from that of learnerships?
In most instances existing training courses and education programmes do not have any practical work experience built in them as part of the learning process. Many training courses and education programmes have not taken into account, Unit Standards, around which to structure the learning. Learnerships will be directly linked to specific unit standards that have been registered and recognized by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). These standards would indicate the outcomes that the learning would deliver and would be expected for the learner to have achieved at the end of the Learning process. A Learnership will culminate in a qualification on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).

Most importantly, a Learnership will be of a contractual nature, which will be in the form of a Learnership Agreement. This Agreement will have to be signed by the three parties which are the Learner, Training Provider and Employer. Rights and obligations for each of the parties concerned will follow. The Learnership will be registered by the Department of Labour and the Learnership agreement will be formally registered with INSETA unlike existing training courses and education programmes.

Training courses and education programmes that have in its structure, the practical work experience component and that may be linked to standards and qualifications on the NQF, will be re-evaluated by INSETA and repackaged / converted to meet the requirements stipulated by the Department of Labour. Only then will the training course or education programme be registered with INSETA as a Learnership.

Currently there are no Learnerships that have officially been registered with INSETA since the Regulations and Guidelines have not been finalized and approved by the Department of Labour.

2. What is a skills programme?
A skills programme consists of a unit standard or a cluster of unit standards that is large enough for the outcome to allow the learner to be employable. This cluster of unit standards when put together makes sense for income generation. Skills programmes do not result in a qualification themselves upon completion, but will lead to a Learnership or qualification.

For example, being able to capture claims data is an important skill but having this skill, may not ensure that sufficient income can be earned. But it also does not require a full Claims Assessor qualification for a person to be employable in a variety of clerical occupations required in many industries.

Skills programmes allow for skills to be acquired that provide immediate access to income generation.

3. How does learnership differ from a skills programmes?
Skills programmes are smaller in size than Learnerships. With a skills programme, learners can learn a specific amount of work, which is a cluster of unit standards instead of having to complete an entire qualification as in the case of a Learnership.

The exit points of skills programmes are in most instances prescribed by the needs of the learners. Very simply, a learner would be able to choose those unit standards of a learnership that make sense to him whilst gradually developing a qualification.

4. Can a learner lump a few skills programmes together and call that a learnership?
In most instances probably not. A series of skills programmes can be completed to obtain a qualification, but this still might not be sufficient to obtain a learnership. Please visit the SAQA website for more information

5. What value is there for companies to get involved in learnerships?
Learnerships can be used to the advantage of companies. Learnerships will be designed to provide skilled people at various levels within companies with an understanding of modern day business processes. Learnerships will not only be implemented for lower entry-level employees but at most levels within organisations, thus increasing productivity and quality enhancement as a result.

In addition employers will be able to claim grants if they provide training that culminates into qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). These grants will be linked to the actual cost of training and not linked to levy payments. It will be possible in most instances for employers to get back more in the form of these grants than what has been paid in levies if the employer assists learners to complete Learnerships.

A sliding scale has been introduced in the funding regulations as far as the grant payments for the Annual Training Reports (ATR) are concerned. It slides from 40% of the levy paid to 25% over the next four years (commencing 2001 – year 2). This will allow for additional money to be made available to benefit employers who are involved in Learnerships.

6. Will a learner have to go through a full learnership if the learner already knows some of the content?
No. Learnership will take into account Learners previous learning as well as relevant experience. This concept is referred to as Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). A system for recognizing as well as accrediting this prior learning will be in place in a Learnership.

7. What is the duration of a learnership?
A Learnership should be twelve months or longer. If the candidate can be recognized for prior learning through the RPL mechanism, the duration of the Learnership for that particular candidate can be reduced. It would be possible for the learner to exit the Learnership earlier provided he/she successfully meets the outcomes of the other outstanding unit standards.

8. Is it possible for a learner to receive a certificate of attendance at the end of a learnership?
No. In the past candidates who attended short courses, in most instances were issued with a certificate of attendance at the end of the course since no assessment or measure of knowledge/skill acquired was in place. With a Learnership on the other hand, the outcome of the learning will be competence, which will be assessed and accredited if successful. This successful learning will lead to a qualification at national level.

9. Does the learner have to do practical work experience in order to gain a learnership qualification?
Yes. Shortcomings of the past is that most Learning interventions failed to link theory with practice and has left most learners with the feeling of incompetence and the lack of a skill when returning to real work environments. Learnerships are intended to overcome the gap between theoretical learning and practical learning. Learnerships provide a system for the combination of structured institutional learning and learning experiences in business. The aim of the Learnership is to enable learners from this system to obtain qualifications which are relevant to the working environment while being recognized nationally.

10. Can any training provider conduct a learnership?
Yes, provided they have the capacity. If the capacity does not exist, for instance where a provider is small, the provider can unite or form alliances with other providers in order to build capacity. In this instance a lead provider will have to be identified.

11. Are the unemployed the only people that can participate in a learnership?
No. The Act makes no mention of unemployed people being the only learners able to participate in a Learnership. Inequalities in past have left a deficit in education and training amongst most groups especially the designated groups. In most instances Learnerships will have to play a redress function for existing employees.

12. Is there a guarantee of employment at the end of the learnership?
No. At the successful completion of a Learnership, the employer that has provided the work place experience is under NO obligation to employ the graduate. This condition will be stipulated in the Learnership agreement. It is therefore vital that options for preparing learners for self-employment must always be considered in the design of Learnerships. Learnerships are intended to provide portability and will develop learners as far as possible in ways which promote employability across occupational fields or workplace contexts.

13. Where is a learnership registered? who can register a learnership?
A Learnership is registered by the Department of Labour. A SETA is the only entity that can submit a Learnership to the Department of Labour for registration provided that a need for a particular Learnership has been identified and does exist. Also the qualification and the relevant unit standards must be registered with the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) or must have been submitted to this body for registration.

14. How are providers who deliver learnerships accredited?
Providers of Learnerships will have to meet the dual requirements for accreditation that will be outlined by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) as well as those of INSETA’s Education and Training Quality Assurance (ETQA) body. These requirements will ensure that providers have the competence to plan, deliver and manage the standards and qualifications for the appropriate Learnership.

1. What is the process for becoming accredited as a provider for NQF registered unit standards or qualifications?
2. Can a provider obtain accreditation from INSETA as long as learners are targetted within the insurance industry?
3. Once an organization is accredited is the provider automatically allowed to provide for credits in all INSETA’s unit standards and/or qualifications?
4. Who is eligible for the Matric concession for fundamentals and when?
5. Can we get the concession to fulfill the FAIS requirements?
6. As a learner, how do I check credits that I have obtained?
7. Who is responsible for uploading the learner achievements in the INSETA SMS?
8. I have 120 credits as a minimum required by the qualification, am I now ready to be certificated for a full qualification?

1. What is the process for becoming accredited as a provider for NQF registered unit standards or qualifications?
To start with, a provider must be registered as an organization and establish its primary focus. A good indication would be to identify the SETA that is registered to quality-assure the NQF qualifications that the provider wishes to focus in. Multi-purpose providers should identify the SETA whose focus mostly coincides with its own as a provider. Prospective providers are requested to firstly read and understand the official criteria for accreditation as laid down by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). Details can be accessed as follows: go to www.saqa.org.za, select “documents” and select “criteria and guidelines for providers”.

2. Can a provider obtain accreditation from INSETA as long as learners are targetted within the insurance industry?
No, the provider has to be providing in the technical subject content of insurance, as contained in INSETA’s unit standards and qualifications. Irrespective of where the learner audience comes from, the delivery and assessment must prepare learners for credits in INSETA’s registered unit standards or qualifications. Providers seeking accreditation with INSETA would need to show that their primary focus as a provider will remain predominantly within the Insurance sector’s technical focus.

3. Once an organization is accredited is the provider automatically allowed to provide for credits in all INSETA’s unit standards and/or qualifications?
No, the provider has to first obtain primary accreditation with INSETA or another SETA, depending on its primary focus. The provider would have to separately apply to be registered with a specific scope of unit standards and/or qualifications that it will focus on as a provider. This is an ongoing process and the provider would have to show capacity for each qualification or unit standard cluster applied for. Evidence of capacity would include suitable learning and assessment material aligned to the unit standard outcomes and outcomes-based methods , qualified and registered assessors and moderators, subject-matter experts, facilitators and a quality-assurance system.

4. Who is eligible for the Matric concession for fundamentals and when?
Any learner who has enrolled/registered for a full qualification/learnership can apply at any stage of their learning for such a concession to the INSETA ETQA through their Accredited Learning Provider/s.

5. Can we get the concession to fulfill the FAIS requirements?
No, the Financial Services Board (FSB) requires the core and elective unit standards in order to meet the FAIS requirements, therefore as a learner you are not allowed to use the Matric concession credits for FAIS requirements.

6. As a learner, how do I check credits that I have obtained?
There are 2 ways:

• Through the statement of credits received from the Learning Provider or
• By contacting the Learning Provider you trained with

7. Who is responsible for uploading the learner achievements in the INSETA SMS?
It is the responsibility of the Learning Provider to ensure that all learner achievements are uploaded prior to verification by INSQA.

8. I have 120 credits as a minimum required by the qualification, am I now ready to be certificated for a full qualification?
YES, if the Learning Provider has followed the rules of combination as required for that particular qualification i.e.

• All core unit standards have been completed
• Correct combination of fundamentals completed and
• The minimum required number of electives completed

1. As an employer paying the 1% skills development levy, do we automatically receive the 50% mandatory grant from INSETA, and what can we use this for?
2. What forms of Discretionary Grant are available to the employers?
3. How does and employer access Discretionary Grants?
4. Can an employer claim training costs paid to a Training Provider after training of employees is completed?

1. As an employer paying the 1% skills development levy, do we automatically receive the 50% mandatory grant from INSETA, and what can we use this for?
No. Mandatory Grants are paid to the employer subject to receipt of timeous and correct WSP/ATR by the INSETA. For this year going forward until further notice, these must be submitted to the INSETA on 30 June 2007.

From the Mandatory grants paid, employers must offset training costs paid to providers who provide skills training to the employer’s company.

2. What forms of Discretionary Grant are available to the employers?
Discretionary Grants are available in the form of:

3.1 Learnership Grants for the employed
3.2 Learnership Grants for the unemployed
3.3 Internship grants
3.4 Bursaries & Vouchers
3.5 Other projects as per INSETA website

3. How does and employer access Discretionary Grants?
To access Mandatory or Discretionary grant funding, there are clear procedures set out on the INSETA website. You are encouraged to read these and identify where funding can be accessed.
Please go to ‘INSETA Funding’ on the website.

4. Can an employer claim training costs paid to a Training Provider after training of employees is completed?
All funding for training requested from the INSETA must be done pro-actively by a Training Provider chosen by the employer. The INSETA will not consider any reactive payments as per INSETA policies, which are listed the website as well. These are all under the Downloads pages on the website.