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Development of new Scaffolder Qualification: IWH calls for support
In April the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO), in close collaboration with the Institute for Work at Height (IWH), staged a Pre-Scoping Meeting in Gauteng, where the construction industry participated in the development of the new proposed Scaffolder Qualification, OFO code: 641902.
The meeting was well attended with brisk discussion and constructive flow of comment and participation throughout.
Following this pre-scoping meeting, the IWH was authorised by the QCTO to develop a “parent qualification” for the scaffolding industry covering the following disciplines:-
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Access scaffolding;
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Falsework;
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Suspended access equipment; and
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Lightweight climbing equipment (ladders and towers).
This qualification, or combinations of its constituent parts, makes up part-qualifications (specialisations of individual skills)and will become the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) registered qualification that – according to the official definition of “competent person” – will be the required qualification for declaring a person as being “competent”.
The IWH invites all active members of the industry to participate and contribute towards this new occupational qualification and have a say in:
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what it contains;
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how long it will take to train persons;
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how many exit points are built into it (to cater for career path planning); and
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how and by whom the quality assurance assessments will be carried out.
In addition, the IWH has extended a call to stakeholders in the construction industry for financial and technical support to allow this programme to be implemented without delay.
“We need to raise funds to cover the development cost and we have already received some financial support from specialist suppliers within the broader industry,” says Dr Alti Kriel, CEO of the Institute for Work at Height. “We need to raise around R300 000 for the development of this parent qualification.
“During the early development phase we expect IWH to be nominated as the QCTO Assessment Quality Partner (AQP),” continued Kriel.
To participate in, and contribute to this important cause, contact Dr Alti Kruger at the IWH on: Tel: +27(0)11 450 1804 or 450 2896 Email: manager@profbody.co.za