In an effort to bridge the qualification gap, 312 community development practitioners in the Eastern Cape have graduated with formal qualifications after completing Recognition of Prior Learning courses.
The practitioners, who all have extensive experience in community development, graduated on Thursday at the East London International Convention Centre with an NQF Level 5 Community Development, through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
The Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA) and the Department of Higher Education and Training in collaboration with the Department of Social Development, hosted the graduation ceremony to honour the successful candidates.
In attendance was the Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu and Eastern Cape MEC for Social Development, Bukiwe Fanta.
“This graduation ceremony is RPL in action. RPL makes it possible for people with informal experience to gain formal recognition of their extensive skills and competencies in order to advance their careers. It was heart-warming to witness more than 300 community development practitioners be recognised for the skills that they possess and bring to our communities each day,”Zulu said.
Meanwhile, MEC Fanta said the department is committed to encouraging communities to participate in their own development.
“Today with the graduation of these community development practitioners our dream is coming true,” Fanta said.
HWSETA CEO, Elaine Brass said that HWSETA’s first RPL capacity building project was implemented in 2016 and since then the authority has managed to ensure that 550 training providers are skilled to offer RPL accredited courses within the health and welfare sectors.
“By ensuring that there are training providers accredited to assess RPL we’re facilitating access to education and training for people that might never otherwise have had the opportunity,” Brass said.
The 312 candidates had to complete a series of steps in order to qualify. This included a process of induction, evidence collection, support site visits, observations, and submission of their work in the form of a portfolio of evidence (POE). Assessments and moderation reports were then compiled and HWSETA verified all the POEs and endorsed the process.
In the health and welfare sectors, so far 981 candidates across South Africa have been assessed through RPL, to obtain the Community Development, NQF Level 5 or the Child and Youth Care Worker, NQF Level 4 qualifications.
“By recognising the real-world experience that these practitioners bring to the table we are opening the doors for the candidates to further their studies at higher institutions and to grow within their careers,” Brass concluded.
The South African Council for Social Service Practitioners is in the process of professionalising Community Development Practice. – SAnews.gov.za
