Contents 1
Glossary 3
Section One: 4
Executive summary 4
1.1 Introduction 4
1.2. Defining RPL within the sa environment 4
1.3. a profile of current trends and practices 9
1.4. RPL Trends & Practices: An International Perspective 12
1.5. International Case Studies 17
1.6. RPL IN THE W&R; Sector 17
1.7 Conclusion and considerations for W&Rseta; 18
Section two: 22
introduction 22
2.1. Revisiting the Project Scope 22
2.2. Objectives of the research Report 22
2.3. Methodological process undertaken in the research 23
2.4. structure and guide to the report 24
Section Three 25
contextualsing rpl Trends and practices within south africa 25
3.1. Defining RPL within the sa environment 25
3.2. Types of rpl 27
29
3.3. Quality assurance within the Sa Context 32
3.4. ASSESSMENT METHODS 32
3.5. EVIDENCE FOR RPL 33
3.6. LEGISLATION THAT SUPPORTS RPL 33
3.7. a profile of current trends and practices 35
3.8. Conclusion 48
section four 53
RPL trends & Practices: 53
an international perspective 53
4.1. Introduction 53
4.2. country perspective: rpl trends and practices 54
4.3. International Case Studies 73
4.4. Possible lessons from international practices 89
Section five: 90
rpl in the wholesale and retail sector 90
5.1. Introduction 90
5.2. International Examples 94
5.3. SA Examples 96
Section six: 99
conclusion and considerations for w&RSETA; 99
Glossary
ETQA Education and Training Quality Assurance
NQF National Qualifications Framework
NSDS Nationals Skills Development Strategy
POE Portfolio of Evidence
RPL Recognition of Prior Learning
SAQA South African Qualifications Authority
SETA Sector Education Training Authority
W&R; Wholesale and Retail
W&RSeta; Wholesale and Retail Sector Education Training Authority
WPA Workplace Assessment
Section One:
1.1 Introduction
The purpose of this task was to conduct an in-depth survey/ study of the trends and practices of RPL within South Africa and internationally. This included scanning the trends and practices of a range of entities such as Accreditation Centres/SETAs, private companies across all industries. Ultimately the research should afford W&RSeta; insight and understanding on:
Definition of RPL across countries and within South Africa.
General principles of RPL nationally and internationally e.g. evidence of prior learning.
Mechanisms used for conducting assessments.
Requirements for RPL assessors
Similarly identifying RPL trends within the wholesale and retail sector.
Insight into tools and quality assurance processes.
Identification of the main purposes of the RPL assessment.
Identification of examples or best practices/case studies.
In terms of methodology, secondary research was conducted through internet searches, document synthesis in tandem with primary research which included contacting the respective international and national sources. Where possible telephonic contact was made with international bodies and site visits conducted locally.
1.2. Defining RPL within the sa environment
In terms of the Regulations under the SAQA Act, 1995, Act No 58 of 1995, Government Gazette No 6140, No R452, the definition for RPL is as follows:
“Recognition of prior learning” means the comparison of the previous learning and experience of a learner howsoever obtained against the learning outcomes required for a specified qualification, and the acceptance for purposes of qualification of that which meets the requirements.”
RPL recognises that there are different ways in which prior learning may have been acquired, for example:
informal 'on-the-job' education and training
self-study
work experience (experiential learning)
In-house education and training.
Hence, RPL is the practice through which learning in the workplace, in the community, in organisational and cultural activities is assessed for access and accreditation purposes.
The outcomes of RPL includes but are not limited to:
An overview of what a person knows and can do
Some form of recognition for the skills and knowledge a person has
A learner receiving credit for a certain level of education and training
The transferrral of credits from one place of learning to another without learning being repeated
A statement that a person has all the skills to a job but not necessarily the required education or vice versa.
Similarly RPL is seen in the SA context as a way of assessing a person’s skills and competencies and providing a person with credits for programmes or subjects. This means that even if a person does not have the usual formal qualification, the person will have the opportunity of entering a programme at a university or other tertiary institute at an advanced level.
The interviews conducted and assimilation of secondary material reveals that the RPL process is generally perceived to be important for the following reasons:
It recognises that that there are different ways to acquire knowledge and that our society should give equal value to different forms of knowledge, experience and skill.
It can be used to redress past imbalances by recognising skills gained in working life. It provides accelerated access to further education and training by acknowledging what people already know and thus opens new opportunities for them.
It allows learners to obtain credits against unit standards and qualifications for evidence of knowledge, experience and skills that have been acquired in ways other than through academic or vocational education.
It can be used to identify any gaps in a learner's competence and can assist in developing an education and training plan to address these gaps.
It provides access to education and training in the learner’s own way and time.
It recognises learners' existing competence at the equivalent formal level, e.g. certificate, diploma or first-degree.
1.2.1. Types of RPL
There are two types of RPL and these are explained below1:
RPL with existing verifiable evidence: With this type of RPL the learner will be able to provide evidence of past learning or experience gained. The process of assessing this form of RPL can be done in the following way:
RPL without existing verifiable evidence: With this type of RPL the learner may have some past work experience and skills that relate to a unit standard or qualification but there is no verifiable evidence to prove competence. In this case RPL can be assessed in the following way:
The above types may be likened to the BankSeta’s analysis2 that suggests that it is useful to think of WPA in terms of two broad approaches3. The first broad approach to WPA is identified as Event Based Assessment, whilst the second approach is termed Naturalistic Assessment.
Event-based is visible where the learning process and its assessment are not necessarily continuous and holistic: the assessment punctuates separate steps in the learning process, and learning and assessment are not essentially integrated. Assessments are formal and distinct events separate from the learning process.
Its major weakness is that it often requires elaborate evidence-gathering by means of tests, simulations, examinations, panel interviews, and the like.
Naturalistic approaches to assessment, by contrast, are evident where assessment is effected through an ongoing process of evidence collection, as competency develops and is evaluated in as naturalistic a setting as possible – the workplace, in the context of the supervisory relationship.
There appears to be a fine line between RPL practices and assessment –particularly amongst private companies. According to SQA assessment is a structured process of gathering evidence and making judgements about an individual’s performance in relation to registered standards and qualifications.
Additionally or in tandem with the traditional RPL process the tendency amongst the various SETAs is to undertake the following:
Formative Assessment: refers to the assessment that takes place during the process of delivery of education and training.
Summate Assessment: refers to the final assessment against a national unit standard and or qualification to determine whether the candidate has achieved integrated competence4. This is the final judgement about the candidate’s achievement and competence.
Integrated assessment: in each unit standard specific and cross-field outcomes are assessed, applied competence is assessed and formative and summative assessments are used.
1.2.2. Quality assurance within the SA Context
Credibility can be achieved through the following principles for RPL assessment procedures and practices5:
Validity
Fairness
Reliability & consistency
Cost effectiveness
Openness
Systematic recording
The above are uniformerly applied across all SETAs and the identified RPL implementors.
1.2.3. Assessment Methods
A number of different assessment methods can be used in the RPL process:
Oral assessment
Project
Case study
Essay
Examinations
Demonstration or simulation
Portfolio
1.2.4. Evidence For RPL
Evidence for RPL can be collected from a variety of sources. The following principles should guide the collection of evidence of past knowledge and experience:
Direct evidence: should be collected from activities that are as similar as possible to the conditions of actual performance
Sufficient evidence: should be of a sufficient quantity and of satisfactory quality
Authentic evidence: should be reliable and truthful and should come from the learner who is being assessed and not from anyone else
Evidence of competence: should be related to current competence and should show that the learner is currently capable of performing all the required activities.
The evidence that a learner collects in order to demonstrate competence is collected in a Portfolio of Evidence (POE). Some examples of evidence are:
observation of the task by the assessor
performance appraisal
questioning the learner about the task
training records
testimonials
examples of 'on the job' learning
examples of projects undertaken.
1.2.5. Legislation That Supports RPL
The National Training Strategy Initiative outlines altogether thirteen principles of the NQF. One of these principles is the recognition of prior learning.
Recognition of prior learning is also promoted directly or indirectly by other legislation:
Skills Development Act, No. 97 of 1998
Employment Equity Act, No. 55 of 1998
National Education Policy Act, Act 27 of 1996
1.3. a profile of current trends and practices
1.3.1. SETAs
Profile of SETAs in Terms of RPL Activity
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SETA
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Key RPL Activity
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W&RSeta;
| W&RSeta; RPL Project
In lieu of this, the purpose of the W&RSeta; RPL Project is two-fold:
To access the learner
To redress the previous learning imbalances through recognition
The W&RSeta; have established a target of 8000 learners assessed for RPL purposes by June 2003.
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Services Seta
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Six career centres established which undertake learnership assessments and RPL.
Applications are through the career centre at a cost of R300 for the learner (this is to assist in the compilation of the POE). However all learnership candidates are RPLed as the RPL is integrated in the pre-assessment of the learner.
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CETA
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RPL project Sponsored by EU:
26 nationally, with 12 402 RPL assessments done. 243 advisors trained, 183 assessors trained and 72 moderators and verifiers accredited.
Competency Acquisition Process
Includes 7 steps: initial training, practical stimulation, documentation assignment, portfolio building, knowledge assessment, structured interview, behavioural observation
The important consideration is the sum of the evidence from all seven steps that weighted up together that form the basis for the recommendation for registration, rather than a single assessment event.
Reputable QMS.
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Chieta
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Compiled document entitled: Guideline: Recognition of Prior Learning within the Chemical Industries Sector
Sasol (a member company) has begun RPL initiatives since 1999.
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Dideta
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The Learnerships Development Division trained 31 assessors. At the moment an additional number of 60 assessor learners have started their training
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Foodbev
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RPL draft policy in place. Currently involved in pilot projects with two companies from their sector, viz. Robertsons and SAB (Prospecton).
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FASSET
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Standards document in place that outlines the RPL process for their industry.
Professional bodies are accredited as “agent” ETQAs by the Fasset ETQA department. These professional bodies then undertake any RPL activity that is required.
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BankSeta
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Compiled a document entitled: Workplace Assessment: Implementation in the Banking Sector
JET in partnership with CAEL to provide training to FNB bank employees to become RPL assessors, using a customized version of an online course that CAEL has offered since 1998. In this online training, provided completely over the Internet, CAEL, JET, and FNB have to date trained 481 people who are now in some stage of completing the course. By June, 2003, the bank plans to complete training for a total of 1000 people, with yet another 1000 people to be trained thereafter.
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Merseta
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The current RPL pilot project, which is currently being run in the New Tyre Chamber of the MERSETA emerged as a result of a negotiated policy or RPL by the major role in tyre sector.
Training of 800 trainee assessors was accomplished to target 12 000 employees.
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| 1.3.2. RPL and Implementation in the Private Sector
The following companies were identified as being involved in RPL or related activity:
Sasol
Robertsons
SAB-Miller (Prospecton)
Relyant
First National Bank
Standard Bank
1.3.3. Further Education Institutions
University of the Free State (UFS) and College of Education (University of the Witwatersrand)
Prior to the pilots neither institutions had a formally documented RPL policy, Both projects have stressed the importance of staff development for RPL assessment and advising. Both projects relied heavily on portfolio development as the vehicle for RPL assessment, within the provision of a credit-bearing portfolio development course.
1.3.4. Public Private Partnerships
Workforce advising and support services for retrenched workers: This pilot project aims to create options, systems and financing for 1000 retrenched workers. The Division for Life Long Learning of JET has secured partnership with four key players: Department of Labour (Employment Services); Mineworkers Development Agency (MDA); National Union for Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA); and National union of Mineworkers (NUM). JET has developed a 3-day course to assist workers with developing personal and career goals and in a context of sharing and support. Co-ordination of education and training providers to implement RPL services.
Y4EA- The South African Case Study: In 1999 the National Youth Commission, the Department of Public Works and organisations representing people with physical disabilities had a vision to make government owned buildings accessible to people with physical disabilities. A team was assembled to conceptualise, plan and implement the Pilot Project in three provinces that are poverty stricken: namely the Eastern Cape, Kwa-Zulu Natal and Limpopo. The youth were trained and to work on identified government owned buildings to make them user friendly to people with physical disabilities. Candidates were assessed against prior recognition and experience.
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