According to the recently published Green Paper on Post-School Education and Training, the FET College system is key to South Africa’s development agenda. The Paper aims at expanding job opportunities so as to build sustainable livelihoods and to ensure the competency of those individuals entering the job market.

It was with this in mind that The Association of Accounting Technicians, South Africa (AAT(SA)); The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) Directorate of FET and Education, Training and Development Practices Sector Education and Training Authority (ETDPSETA) collaborated in order to train college personnel (financial and academic staff) in order that FET colleges are able to function optimally.

The project will be piloted at two colleges in the Eastern Cape: King Hintsa and King Sabata Dalindyebo FET Colleges.

AAT(SA) offers three qualifications: the Certificate: Accounting Technician (NQF Level 3); the FET Certificate: Accounting Technician (NQF Level 4) and the Certificate: Accounting (NQF level 5) qualifications. AAT(SA) will pilot the Certificate: Accounting Technician (NQF Level 3) to a group of 20 FET College staff members. Special emphasis will be placed on training FET college facilitators of accounting qualifications, ensuring that they impart the knowledge to learners registered with the FET colleges. The qualification will also be delivered to FET college staff, thereby enhancing support to the Chief Financial Officer and the College Principals of the respective colleges.  AAT (SA) will deliver the qualification to personnel using accredited training providers. Learner competence will be gauged through formal assessment mechanisms as part of the learnership design. Ultimately, it is hoped that facilitators will be sufficiently trained and the college capacitated, culminating in the colleges delivering the AAT(SA) qualifications locally in future and also for FET colleges being able to comply with financial systems and, in so doing, streamlining internal financial processes.

Initially 20 FET college staff members from the participating colleges will complete the first level of the AAT (SA) Accounting qualifications and they will be supported by management staff. In order to get optimal benefit from the programme, employees must ensure that they participate diligently and work hard at completing the qualification. A key stakeholder is a project champion within each of the participating colleges who have the personality and drive to assume responsibility of the project within their respective colleges.

Regular meeting will be held with the participating parties to assess the efficacy of the programme and channels of communication and regular communication with all stakeholders remain critical components.

The success of this pilot programme will present a blueprint for future initiatives for FET colleges nationally, making FET colleges a viable option for students who have the inclinational to pursue a vocationally-orientated education programme. Such an initiative will go a long way in addressing the dire shortage of skills in the country and will, hopefully, eradicate the stigma and misconception that FET colleges offer an inferior standard of education. If this is achieved, South Africa could very well experience a boom in its flagging economy if it is able to emulate the model postulated by Switzerland and Germany who have grown exponentially in the area of vocational education following a successful symbiotic relationship between education and industry.

Written by Natalie Zimmelman