STRUCTURE OF THE OFO

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SESSION 3 STRUCTURE OF THE OFO
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Structure of the OFO

• OFO concepts
• How the OFO was built?
• Examples top down and bottom up

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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 (South African Standard
  Classification of Occupations)
• 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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Eight major group categories

• Manager
• Professionals
• Technicians and trades workers
• Community and personal service workers
• Clerical and administrative workers
• Sales workers
• Machinery operators and drivers
• Elementary workers

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How was this OFO designed?

• BOTTOM UP
• Identify jobs
• Cluster jobs based on similarity of
• tasks or skills (skill specialisation) and
• skill levels (combination of qualification,
  training experience)
• Into occupational titles
• Cluster occupational titles into next level of
  hierarchy - unit groups (using same clustering
  principles)
• Continue this clustering process into hierarchy
  of 5 levels
• Codify clusters each level of the hierarchy
• Provide descriptors at each level of the
  hierarchy
• Capture tasks and skills used for classification
• For each occupation identify
• similarities alternative titles
• differences specialisation

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OFO STRUCTURE - Example
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

• METAL FITTERS AND MACHINISTS fit and assemble
  the fabricated metal parts into products, and set
  up machining tools, production machines and
  textile machines, operate machining tools and
  machines to shape metal stock and castings.
• Tasks or Skills
• Studying drawings and specifications to determine
  suitable material, method and sequence of
  operations, and machine settings
• Fitting fabricated metal parts into products and
  assembling metal parts and sub-assemblies to
  produce machines and equipment
• Checking fabricated and assembled metal parts for
  accuracy, clearance and fit using precision
  measuring instruments
• Setting guides, stops and other controls on
  machining tools, setting up prescribed cutting
  and shaping tools and dies in machines and
  presses, and setting controls for textile
  machines
• Forming metal stock and castings to fine
  tolerances using machining tools to press, cut,
  grind, plane, bore and drill metal
• Preparing pattern mechanisms to control the
  operation of textile machines used to spin,
  weave, knit, sew and tuft fabric
• Cutting, threading, bending and installing
  hydraulic and pneumatic pipes and lines
• Diagnosing faults and performing operational
  maintenance of machines, and overhauling and
  repairing mechanical parts and fluid power
  equipment

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OCCUPATIONAL DESCRIPTORS
323201 Fitter (General) (Skill Level 3)
Fits and assembles metal parts and sub-assemblies
to fabricate production machines and other
equipment.
323202 Fitter and Turner (Skill Level 3)
Fits, assembles, grinds and shapes metal parts
and sub-assemblies to fabricate production
machines and other equipment.
323203 Fitter-Welder (Skill Level 3)
Fits, assembles and welds metal parts and
sub-assemblies to fabricate production machines
and other equipment.
323204 Metal Machinist (First Class) (Skill
Level 3)
Sets up and operates machine tools to shape and
form metal stock and castings to fine tolerances,
using detailed drawings and specifications.
323205 Textile, Clothing and Footwear Mechanic
(Skill Level 3)
Sets up, adjusts and maintains industrial or
domestic sewing machines, or machines used in the
production of yarn, textiles or footwear.
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Benefits of the OFO - Companies

• Not only compliance adds value to processes
• 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
• development of personal development plans
• competency assessment

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National Occupational Pathways Framework (NOPF)
Within the Occupational Qualifications Framework
(OFO)
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What is the NOPF ?

• The National Occupational Pathways Framework
  (NOPF) is an integral part of Occupational
  Qualifications Framework and is based on the OFO
• The NOPF is a management tool that clusters
  occupations (mainly at unit group level) in the
  OFO
• into occupational families and occupational
  clusters to show occupational progression and
  articulation options
• The grouping is done based on
• Similar purpose
• Similar learning requirements, i.e.
• similar skills sets and
• similar knowledge disciplines

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Purpose of NOPF

• The National Occupational Pathway Framework
  (NOPF) provides an initial mapping of
  occupational progression to

• ensure vertical progression
• 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
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Benefits of using the OFO

• Provides a common language to reflect and address
  Labour Market skills needs and report on the
  impact of training interventions
• Using the occupation as staring point would
  eliminate duplication i.t.o qualifications
• 1297 occupations and not all will have
  occupational qualifications
• Currently plumber 6 apprenticeship schedules
  under 6 different SETAs, 1 SETA qualification at
  level 3 and 2 FET College qualifications (levels
  2 and 3).

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Benefits of using the OFO Unit Group

• Clarify overlaps between qualifications and
  simplify implementation
• Unit groups ensure horizontal progression

Metal Fitters and Machinists

• Descriptor
• List of tasks / skills sets

• Descriptor

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Benefits of using the OFO

• 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
• a framework for the development of occupational
  qualifications no awards at skill level 1
• a benchmark towards international comparability

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Benefits of using the OFO

• 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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SESSION 4 COMING TO GRIPS WITH THE OFO
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Navigating the OFO

• In groups, identify one of the major occupational
  groups that are core to your business and
  identify two distinct job titles associated with
  that occupational category. List three key tasks
  / activities associated with each job

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Example
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In plenary we will use this information to find
the appropriate occupational code and the
corresponding occupational title, checking
descriptors and tasks / activities.
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224703 Skills Development Facilitator /
Practitioner (Skill Level 5)
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SESSION 5 OFO AND OCCUPATIONAL LEARNING
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Purpose of the QCTO

• The main role of the QCTO will be to establish
  and manage its sub-framework to ensure quality
• in the design, and development of occupational
  qualifications,
• in the delivery, assessment and certification
  processes required to develop occupational
  competence
• in accordance with labour market skills needs

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The Occupational Qualifications Framework

• The OQF will cover all NQF levels.
• Occupational qualifications will be registered at
  particular level of the NQF based on
• The occupational level descriptors
• Benchmarked to NQF level descriptors
• Guided by the OFO skill level
• International practice

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Two types of occupational qualification

• National Occupational Award
• For occupations or groups of occupations
• National Skills Certificate
• Specialisations
• Elementary occupations (OFO Skill Level 1)
• Occupationally relevant skills sets
• Plus statement of results for foundational
  learning competence (FLC)
• Purpose is to ensure that learners have
  sufficient foundational learning to cope with the
  occupational learning demands and to benefit more
  from the learning process
• Provides base for additional fit-for purpose
  maths and communication built into core of
  occupational awards

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Scope of occupational qualifications
Specialised knowledge theory
Work experience
General knowledge theory
Occupational qualifications
QCTO professional bodies
Other QCs
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NQF 10 Levels- Positioning the OQF
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The Purpose of the Curriculum in the OQF

• Is to simplify and strengthen the development and
  implementation of the qualification
• Specifies the inputs required in relation to the
  occupational profile
• Used as the basis for accreditation of providers
• Provides guidance to the various role players on
• Access requirements
• Linkages to other related occupations
• Articulation with other learning pathways such
  as vocational qualifications obtained in
  education institutions
• Content (scope and depth)
• Learning activities
• Development of learning materials and lesson
  plans
• Assessment requirements
• Allows some flexibility
• leaves space for contextualisation and
  specialisation
• provides opportunities for provider initiative
  and development of best practice

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Qualification Assessment Specifications

• Purpose to
• Establish a consistent national standards for
  each occupational qualification
• Improve credibility of the assessment results
• To guide the
• Accreditation of assessment centres, examination
  bodies etc
• Registration of external, constituent assessors
  and moderators
• Appointment of moderating bodies
• Approval of assessment sites by moderating bodies
• Assessment process by providing exemplars

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Curriculum assessment specifications determine
requirements for the following processes
Provision meets requirements
Accreditation or approval
Internal summative assessment
Statements of results
Qualification certificated
External assessment
Ability to integrate curriculum components to
perform occupational tasks, solve problems, etc
based on assessment
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Transitional arrangements

• Current scenario
• Revised Skills Development Act
• Chapter on QCTO
• Earliest April 2009
• Continue as before
• Pilots
• In conjunction with
• SAQA, Umalusi, HEQC, SETAs, Professional bodies

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SESSION 6 WAY FORWARD
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Next steps - National

• New legislation
• Updating the Current Version of the OFO
• SETA submissions - 30 Nov 08
• Updated OFO Feb/March 09
• Link to ESSA system

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Next steps - MQA

• Updating the Current Version of the OFO by DoL
  September to November 2008
• MQA Task Team confirm/amend/add
• Aligning to MMS Qualifications Framework
• Work in progress
• Incorporating onto MQA MIS
• Roll out Strategy
• Workshops Nov 08
• Promote system alignment within companies
• WSP-ATR template guidelines
• Available Feb 08
• SDF workshops Feb/March 09

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Next steps- Company

• Mapping job profiles to occupations on OFO
• Forward practical concerns/queries to MQA
  valainen_at_mqa.org.za or merylp_at_mqa.org.za