MORE than 300 Eastern Cape community development practitioners have graduated.
Department of Social Development (DSD) spokeswoman Lumka Oliphant said the graduates already have extensive experience in community development.
“In an effort to bridge the qualification gap, 312 community development practitioners in the Eastern Cape have graduated with formal qualifications after completing Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) courses. The practitioners, who all have extensive experience in community development, today graduated at the East London ICC with an NQF Level 5 community development through RPL,” she said.
Oliphant said the South African Council for Social Service Practitioners is in the process of professionalising community development practice.
Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu said: “This graduation ceremony is RPL in action. RPL allows people with informal experience to gain formal recognition of their extensive skills and competencies to advance their careers. It was heart-warming to witness more than 300 community development practitioners be recognised for the skills that they possess and bring to our communities each day.”
Eastern Cape MEC for Social Development Bukiwe Fanta said community development practitioners were important because they identify and facilitate the implementation of integrated community development interventions in partnership with the community and other relevant stakeholders.
“Our department is committed to encouraging communities to participate in their own development. Today, with the graduation of these community development practitioners, our dream is coming true,” Fanta said.
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The Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA) provided training.
HWSETA CEO Elaine Brass said: “HWSETA’s first RPL capacity building project was implemented in 2016, and since then, we’ve managed to ensure that 550 training providers are skilled to offer RPL accredited courses within the health and welfare sectors.”
She said that by ensuring that there are training providers accredited to assess RPL, they're facilitating access to education and training for people who might never otherwise have had the opportunity.
The 312 candidates had to complete a series of steps to qualify.
This included a process of induction, evidence collection, support site visits, observations, and submission of their work in the form of a portfolio of evidence (POE).
Assessments and moderation reports were then compiled, and HWSETA verified all the POEs and endorsed the process.
In the health and welfare sectors, so far, 981 candidates across South Africa have been assessed through RPL to obtain the Community Development, NQF Level 5 or the Child and Youth Care Worker, NQF Level 4 qualifications.
“By recognising the real-world experience that these practitioners bring to the table, we are opening the doors for the candidates to further their studies at higher institutions and to grow within their careers,” concluded Brass.
