CAT Learnerships are making a difference
A selection and recruitment process that was open to all Courier Freight Group (CFG) employees (based in Isando, Johannesburg) for both the ACCA and CAT qualifications unearthed huge potential and skills from unexpected areas.
Ms. Wilma Steyn, a hard working married mother, based at the Operations Division, for almost 8 years, grabbed the opportunity that was availed to her and registered for the CAT learnership programme. She proved to be a classic example of how, through hard work and determination, one could triumph against all odds. She scored an average of 70% in her first three examinations, including Paper 5.
Asked why she got interested in the programme, Wilma said "I think it is great to get the acknowledgement of previous and current practical experience together with a formal qualification that is recognized wordwide."
Asked on what skills she gained so far, she said "Through the program, I have learned a lot especially from Paper 5, on supervisory skills. I am now able to recognize a lot in the normal day to day work situation e.g the different management styles, the stages the team goes through and increased awareness of common mistakes from an auditing point of view. You learn to do things the right way without the wrong short cuts. I think that this is the perfect basis to move on to the professional course.!"
Wilma does administration work for the Transport department and this includes the financial side of operations. Though she is currently in a non-financial department, she gets support, if needed, from the financial and training department. Mentoring from her line manager also serves as a valuable resource.
The CAT qualification's open entry is proving to be of benefit to people who thought they never stood a chance in the accountancy field.
Congratulations, Wilma, and keep up the good work.
A word of gratitude also goes to CFG for investing in its human potential. CFG is an ACCA Platinum Accredited Employer.
What is a Learnership?
A Learnership is a work-based approach to learning and gaining qualifications and includes both structured work experience (practical) and structured institutional learning (theory).
Criteria, as set out in the Skills Development Act, indicate that a learnership must:
- Include a structured learning component
- Include practical work experience
- Lead to a qualification
- Relate to an occupation
Why Learnerships were established
The Skills Development Act and Skills Development Levies Act were devised to implement structures and processes to transform skills development in SA. A critical look at how employers and training providers have provided education, training and work experience in the past indicates that education and training provision has not always linked theory and practice.
Learnerships are intended to address the gap between current education and training provision and the needs of the labour market and are often seen as the crux of skills upliftment in terms of the Skills Development Act. Learnerships seek to address the following labour market issues:
- the decline in levels of employment in South Africa
- the unequal distribution of income
- unequal access to education and training, and employment opportunities
- the effects of race, gender and geographical location on advancement
- the skills shortage amongst the labour force
Why are Learnerships Important?
- The programme is outcomes-based
- The learner interacts within the working environment (practical)
- The learner interacts with clients and obtains an understanding of workplace dynamics
- Assessment occurs at various stages and is based on the learners' competence (learner centered)
- The qualification is recognised both nationally and is benchmarked against international standards
To register on a learnership, the student follows the same process as registering with ACCA, however the concerned student must enlist the services of an employer directly or approach Recruitment Agencies to assist in placing them on an Accounting Learnership with any size organization.
ACCA have two Learnerships that are registered with the Department of Labour, i.e. Certified Technician Leanership at NQF Level 5 as well as the ACCA Professional Learnership at NQF Level 7.
FASSET is one of the 25 Sector Education Training Authority (SETA) which has been tasked by Skills Development (1998) & Levy (1999) legislation through the Department of Labour & Education to identify key skills shortages and implement Learnerships as a vehicle to equip previously unemployed individuals with relevant skills for the finance, accounting and management consulting fields, but also to create skills pools for the economy.
Students can contact any organization in any sector or Recruitment Agencies request to be placed on a Learnership.