ROLE OF THE OFO WITHIN SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

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ROLE OF THE OFO WITHIN SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
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SDB ENABLES DEMAND DRIVEN OCCUPATIONAL LEARNING
SYSTEM
DoL
SETAs
NOPF
Report
Information
Reflect Industry Needs
QCTO
Economy
Flow of skills
Assessment Centres
Society

Provider System
Register Learning Programmes
Accredited Providers
Approved Workplaces

Learnerships Apprenticeships Skills Programmes
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BACKGROUND - DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR RESPONSIBILITY

• During the latter part of 2003 the DoL realised
  that OLS only meaningful if
• labour market needs are accurately defined
• there is alignment between
• National Growth and Development Strategies and
• Skills Development Strategies required to support
  it
• a common language to speak about and define
  occupations exist

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DEVELOPING A COMMON LANGUAGE

• The starting point was the South African Standard
  Classification of Occupations (SASCO), but SASCO
  is outdated
• only 625 distinct occupations
• insufficient detail on occupations
• In agreement with SETAs it was decided to work
  with developments in Australia and New Zealand
  (ANZSCO)
• The end product became known as the Organising
  Framework for Occupations (OFO - Based on ANZSCO)

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WHAT IS THE OFO ?

• Skills based, coded classification system
• Captures all jobs but in the form of occupations
  (Similar to SASCO)
• Groups occupations in terms of -
• skill specialisation, and
• skill level
• into successively broader categories or
  hierarchical levels (5) that can be used for
  varying statistical and analysis purposes

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UNDERSTANDING THE OFO CONCEPTS USED

• Occupation is set of jobs that require the
  performance of similar or identical sets of tasks
  across a range of contexts
• Skill Specialisation (similarity of tasks) -
  defined in terms of
• Field of knowledge required
• Tools or equipment used
• Materials worked on or information worked with
• Goods or services provided
• Skill level - determined by
• Range and complexity of the tasks
• Level or amount of formal education and training
• Amount of previous experience in a related
  occupation
• Amount of on-the-job training
• required to competently perform the set of tasks
  required for that occupation
• There are 5 defined skill levels in the OFO

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OFO STRUCTURE
Automotive and Engineering Technicians Trades
Workers

• Descriptor
• List of tasks / skills sets

Mechanical Engineering Trades Workers
Metal Fitters and Machinists

• Descriptor

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DESCRIPTOR AND TASKS Unit Group level
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OCCUPATIONAL DESCRIPTORS
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OVERALL BENEFIT OF THE OFO

• Links industry needs to training interventions
  and job oppertunities

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BENEFITS OF THE OFO - DOL

• Provides a common language for collecting and
  reporting on information related to occupations
• Underpins Department of Labours ESSA System
• Compiling national scarce and critical skills
  list
• Registration of job seekers
• Registration of job vacancies
• Linking job-seekers to job opportunities
• Learnership registration
• Makes information more manageable (HSRC
  validation of National Scarce skills list)
• 3 year period and 3 national newspapers 125 000
  advertisements for jobs
• Unique job titles 28 000
• Mapped to OFO 1200 occupations

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BENEFITS OF THE OFO - COMPANIES

• Not only to be used for compliance adds value
  to processes
• Can be used as tool to develop Workplace Skills
  Plans
• already used as basis for all Government
  Departments WSPs through DPSA
• Can link personal profiles to job profiles and
  job profiles to occupational profiles
• informs the development of individual development
  plans
• use for competency assessment
• Clarifies the concept of relevant experience in
  job advertisements and limits irrelevant
  application
• Public Relations Officer 961 applications 73
  CVs had the required qualification and experience
  (7)
• Economist 1116 applications 142 CVs had the
  required qualification and experience (14)

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BENEFITS OF THE OFO QCTO Occupational
Qualifications Framework (OQF)

• The 5 skill levels of the OFO provide
• an indicative link to the 10 NQF levels
• some guidance towards
• the formal education and training needs as well
  as the
• requisite amount and type of workplace experience
• to ensure a learner is able to practice
  the occupation and
• to be build into the occupational
  qualification
• Using the occupation as staring point would
  eliminate duplication i.t.o qualifications
• 1233 occupations and not all will have
  occupational qualifications
• Currently 6 apprenticeship schedules for plumbers
  registered under 6 different SETAs, one SETA
  developed qualification at level 3 and two FET
  College qualifications, one each at levels 2 and
  3.

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BENEFITS OF THE OFO QCTO Curriculum Development

• The skill specialisation (i.e. the tasks or
  skills sets) at unit group level of the hierarchy
  provides
• a link to the relevant SAQA learning fields
• greater guidance in terms of the required
• knowledge
• skills
• work experience activities
• for the general component of the curriculum and
• qualification
• guidance towards developing occupational tasks
  for occupational profile

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BENEFITS OF THE OFO QCTO Curriculum
Development (Cont)

• Clarify overlaps between qualifications and
  simplify implementation
• Ensure horizontal progression

Metal Fitters and Machinists

• Descriptor
• List of tasks / skills sets

• Descriptor

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BENEFITS OF THE OFO QCTO Basis of NOPF

• The National Occupational Pathway Framework
  (NOPF) will

• direct the scope of Communities of Expert
  Practices (CEPs) to
• ensure vertical progression
• clarify role players for CEP processes

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Mining Engineers and Technologists
Mining Technicians
Drillers, Miners and Shot Firers
Mining support worker