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Introduction

Registered Occupational Qualifications

QCTO plays a pivotal role in addressing the industry’s skills shortages to maximise production.

QCTO delivers occupational trades qualifications that give learners an added advantage in the workplace through practical work experience.

QCTO is moving towards a single Quality Assurance Framework for all qualifications and skills programmes on the OQSF.

QCTO delivers occupational trades qualifications that respond to the country's skills development needs

Foundational Learning Competence Framework

Skills Programmes

Verification of certificates

The QCTO can verify

Trade Certificates issued by the following entities/departments
Department of Manpower
Department of Labour
Department of Higher Education and Training
Former Homelands (TBVC States)
Transkei
Venda
Bophuthatswana
Ciskei

All Occupational Certificates issued since 2016

For verification of certificates other than those listed above, you would need to follow the following procedures

Verify certificates issued by a SETA with the relevant SETA
Verify certificates issued by a Training Board with the SETA that took over the functions of that Training Board
Verify N4 – N6 Certificates, N Diploma certificates and TVET Diplomas with the Department of Higher Education and Training at [email protected]

The QCTO verification process

In order to manage the certificate verification process effectively, the QCTO has implemented approved processes and procedures. A certified copy of the certificate must accompany all applications for verification. The copy must have been certified no more than three months prior submission for verification.

The certificate holder cannot apply directly to the QCTO for the verification of Trade Certificates, but should do so through one of the Verification clients registered with the QCTO.
Should you require information on the processes and procedures to verify a Trade Certificate, as well as information on verification clients registered with the QCTO, please forward your request to [email protected].
Individuals who require documentation for evaluation and submission to the Department of International Relations should submit such request to [email protected] indicating ‘Evaluation’ in the subject line.
Individuals requiring the translation of their Trade Certificate into English should submit such requests to [email protected] indicating ‘Translation’ in the subject line.

The QCTO charges a nominal fee for all verifications completed. The fee may be amended annually in April. Please ensure that you are aware of the current fee when requesting a verification.

The QCTO verification process – register as a verification client

If you are a company/organisation or entity you can, of course, follow the standard procedure for individual/ad hoc requests. If you would be submitting multiple requests, however, you can simplify the process by registering with the QCTO as a verification client.

It’s an option that saves time and, in particular, streamlines the billing/payment process, in that QCTO would submit invoices on a monthly basis – respective to requests for a specific month –as per the SLA (see point 2 below).

How to register as a verification client

1Complete and submit the online application form, including the contact information of at least two people -

one who will be responsible for managing the client Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the QCTO and will serve as liaison between the two organisations
the other responsible for processing of payment (finance) of the verification requests completed and who will serve as the contact for the QCTO’s Finance Department.

2After submission of the completed application form a standard Service Level Agreement (SLA) will be drafted based on the client information supplied. This SLA will be e-mailed to the contact person for signature by the relevant authorities.

Thereafter, the original SLA must be delivered to the QCTO offices by hand, courier or post. E-mailed documents will not be accepted.

Once the signed Service Level Agreement has been received, client’s contact person will be informed of the processes and procedures to submit verification requests to the QCTO.

Policy for Verification of Trades and OQ on the OQSF Nov 2019

Downloads

Verification 'How-To' infographic

Verification FAQs

Does QCTO verify N4 – N6 Certificates and TVET Diplomas?
No. All N4 – N6 Certificates and TVET Diplomas must be verified by the Department of Higher Education and Training who can be contacted on [email protected]
Why can the public not pay the verification fee directly to QCTO?
Only registered verification clients of the QCTO who have entered into an agreement with the QCTO can request for a verification service and pay the agreed fee.
Is the trade certificate NQF aligned?
No, the trade is only registered on the NQF and is not aligned to an NQF Level as the trades are historical qualifications that were promulgated before the NQF. Once the new occupational qualification (trade) is registered, it will reflect the NQF Level as registered on the NQF.
The NQF and its sub-frameworks are qualifications frameworks, and as such they provide a list of all nationally recognised qualifications and detail the links between such qualifications.
The NQF is hierarchically organised and comprises 10 levels, with the highest level of qualification being a PhD or equivalent at Level 10 of the NQF.
The sub-framework of the NQF that the QCTO is responsible for, the OQSF, straddles Levels 1-8 of the full NQF.
Does QCTO verify trade test reports?
No, the centre that issued the trade test report should be contacted for the verification of a trade test report.
Does the QCTO verify trade certificates issued by a SETA or a Training Board?
No, the SETA should be contacted for the verification of a certificate issued by them.
Does the QCTO verify wireman’s licenses, Occupational Health & Safety certificates and Government Certificates of Competency?
No, wireman’s licenses can only be verified by the Department of Labour. Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), and Government Certificates of Competency (GCC) are verified by the Compensation Fund.

Importance of TVET (Technical and Vocational Educational Training)

Technical and Vocational Education and Training courses are vocational or occupational by nature, meaning that the student receives education and training with a view towards a specific range of jobs, employment or entrepreneurial possibilities.

Under certain conditions, some students may qualify for admission to a University of Technology to continue their studies at a higher level in the same field of study as they were studying at the TVET College.

This band of education and training is also referred to as ‘post-school’, meaning that it refers to education and training that takes place after leaving school, even if only with a Grade 9 completed.

There are 50 registered and accredited public TVET Colleges in South Africa which operate on around 364 campuses spread across the rural and urban areas of the country.

Public TVET Colleges are established and operated under the authority of the Continuing Education and Training Act 16 of 2006 and resort under the Department of Higher Education and Training.

Public TVET Colleges are subsidised by the state with approximately R8 billion per year

Each region has a DHET regional office that provides specialised professional support to the public TVET Colleges in provinces. DHET Regional Offices should not be confused with District Offices in provinces. District Offices oversee school education for the Department of Basic Education.

Source: Department of Higher Education & Training

For all queries related to certificate verification, please email us at [email protected].

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