Services for

skills development providers

The QCTO is responsible for the accreditation of Skills Development Providers (SDPs) to offer the following programmes and qualifications that fall under the Occupational Qualifications Sub-Framework (OQSF).

• Occupational Qualifications
• Old trades
• N4-N6 Programmes (NATED Report 191)
• Historically Registered Qualifications, and
• Skills Programmes

Any SDP offering training - or who wants to provide training - in any of the above qualifications/ part-qualifications must seek accreditation from the QCTO, and must comply with the minimum criteria for accreditation.

​Skills Development Providers Accreditation PolicySkills Development Providers Accreditation Criteria & GuidelinesDownloadsQuick Guide - Implementation of Occupational QualificationsCertification Fees for Skills Programmes"THE ROAD TO SUCCESS"The Skills Development Provider's Guide to Offering Occupational Qualifications

Accreditation is valid for a period of five years from the date on which the QCTO granted accreditation to the SDP or until the SDP is de-accredited by the QCTO.

The accreditation may be withdrawn by the QCTO if the SDP fails to perform its responsibilities as stipulated in the QCTO Accreditation Policy, and/or contravenes the provisions stipulated in the accreditation letter or act in a way that is unlawful or unbecoming of a SDP.

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Evaluation and application processes

The process for accreditation to offer occupational qualifications is as follows.

1The prospective SDP must complete the online Application form and submit it to the QCTO.

Depending on the requirements in the Application form you may need to submit certain Annexures (your own company documents and the relevant QCTO documents. These MS-Word files are provided as downloads below for you to complete and attach to the online Application form.

a.) For a New application complete the entire form and submit ALL annexures - therefore you will need to download annexures E, G, H and J.

b.) For an Extension of Scope (for an accredited SDP applying for additional qualifications) complete the entire form and submit ALL annexures - therefore you will need to download annexures E, G, H and J.

c.) For an Amendment of Contact Details complete sections 1 & 2 and submit annexures A, B, C, D, I & J

​Annexure E(Form 1)        Annexure G(Form 2)        Annexure H(Form 3)        Annexure J(Form 4)

​Application form

The prospective SDP must also provide the following supporting documents.

• Proof of juristic status, for example Company Registration Certificate
• Valid Tax Clearance Certificate issued by South African Revenue Services (SARS) or evidence of exemption
• Provide proof of financial sustainability for the learning services applied for and throughout the accreditation period (eg Business Plan, Financial Surety, Audited Financial Statements)
• Valid Occupational Health and Safety Certificate, as applicable to the occupation
• Evidence of appropriately qualified facilitator(s) to deliver the Occupational Qualification [eg Comprehensive CV, Certified Copy of ID and qualification certificate(s)]
• Learner Appeal Policy and Code of Conduct

2Desktop evaluation: the QCTO evaluates the completed application and verifies the authenticity of the supporting documents. The QCTO communicates to the prospective SDP about the outcome of the desktop evaluation.

3If an application meets the evaluation requirements, the QCTO will propose a date for a site visit/programme delivery readiness visit; if not, a decline letter will be sent.

4Site visit: a QCTO verifier conducts a site visit on a specific date agreed upon between the QCTO and the prospective SDP to determine programme delivery readiness.

5Upon receipt of the evaluation report from the QCTO verifier, the application for accreditation will either be approved or declined. To this end, a letter will be sent to the SDP applicant confirming the outcome.

For enquiries regarding SDP accreditation, please email us at accreditation@qcto.org.za.

The prospective SDP files an application for accreditation by contacting the QCTO.

The application is then referred to the accreditation agent for processing. For enquiries regarding NATED REPORT 190/1 (N4 –N6), please email us at thaga.D@qcto.org.za.

(Accreditation, re-accreditation/extension of accreditation period or extension of scope from a QAP for historically registered full qualifications)

SDPs who intend or who would like to apply for accreditation (and extension of scope) for historically registered full qualifications at our Quality Assurance Partners (QAPs) mainly SETAs and professional bodies – would need to complete and submit a Letter of Intent form to the QCTO.

Letter of Intent

This Letter of Intent must be completed by all SDPs  before applying for accreditation, re-accreditation/extension of accreditation period or extension of scope from a QAP for historically registered full qualifications.

The QCTO will acknowledge receipt of the SDP’s intended application by either advising the SDP to apply for a registered occupational qualification in its place, or confirm that the accreditation application may be made to and processed by the QAP, following their normal QAP processes

In terms of unit standard and QAP’s skills programme applications, the QAPs in the interim remain responsible for the accreditation of these programmes.

As aforementioned, the QCTO will evaluate the SDP’s letter of intent to obtain accreditation with a particular QAP (this process takes 21 working days).

For Letter of Intent submission, please follow the link below.

​Letter of Intent form

For enquiries regarding the Letter of Intent, please email us at centraloffice@qcto.org.za.

Skills Programmes & application process

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