An interactive workshop to develop the content for an occupation qualification for water process management was hosted by the Stellenbosch University Water Institute from 19 to 21 July at the Faure Water Works in the Western Cape.
Participants included representatives from the Energy Water Sector Education Training Authority (EWSTA), the Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA), the municipalities of the City of Cape Town, Drakenstein, Nelson Mandela Metro and Govan Mbeki, as well the South African National Parks (SanParks), the Institute of Municipal Engineering of South Africa (IMESA), Randwater, Colleges of Boland and West Coast and the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) Water Service Sector Leadership Group (WSSLG).
Mr Manual Jackson, SUWI project manager, says the workshop is the result of a qualification scoping workshop that took place on 24 April 2017 at SU: “During the April workshop the rational for developing the qualification was presented, the qualification development processed was discussed under the QCTO framework, as well as the required buy-in from all stakeholders. A community of experts was nominated which include a working group, and the role of all stakeholders were confirmed."
Present at this workshop were experts from the South African Local Government Support Agency (SALGA), WISA, the municipalities of Drakenstein, Swartland, Bergriver, George, Swellendam, City of Cape Town, Knysna and Mosselbay, IMESA, DWS, as well as the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and the Local Government Sector Education Training Authority (LGSETA).
Background
The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) Quality Council for Trade and Occupation (QCTO) approved the application to develop the qualification in February-March this year in order to build capacity in the water treatment sector. SUWI then coordinated the application process on behalf of the EWSETA.
Section 9 of the Water Service Act [No 108 of 1997] empowers the minister of water and sanitation to develop and maintain standards related to water and sanitation provision. In 2013, the then minister of water and sanitation published in the government gazette (36958) draft regulations relating to Compulsory National Standards for Process Controllers and Water Service Works (Regulation 813) to replace regulation 2384 published in terms of Water Act [No. 54 of 1956]. The new qualification will correspond to these new regulations.
The next workshop is scheduled for 23 to 25 August 2017 and will be held at Randwater in Johannesburg. The objective is to complete the qualification, curriculum, and external summative assessments documents, for the planned registration of the qualification at the South African Qualification Authority in early 2018.
Mr Jackson says it will be a national qualification and interested individuals would be able to register with any approved training provider with the DHET towards the end of 2018.
On the photo: Mnr Allan Blanckenberg (City of Cape Town), Ms Kedibone Matampi (ILG), Mr Mlungis Hoco (Nelson Mandela Metro), Mr Manuel Jackson (SUWI), Ms Marcia Letlhake (Randwater), Mr Sydney Armoed (WISA), Mr Dewald van Staden (WISA), Ms Thandiwe Shashu (EWSETA), Mr Farouk Roberton (City of Cape Town), Mr Ronald Brown (Drakenstein Municipality), Mr Lazarus Msibi (Govan Mbeki Municipality). Absent when the photo was taken: Mr Setsopo Tsibiso Maphutha (DWS), Mr Mario Bowers (WISA), Mr Linford Molaba (SANParks), Ms Renecia Wilson (EWSETA), Prof Alvin Lagardien (CPUT), Mr Tobile Gqili (Quality Council for Trade and Occupations), Ms Zandra Prinsloo (West Coast College), Mr Andre Muller (West Coast College), Mr Alie Crook (Boland College), Dr Elanna Bester (SUWI), Ms Hillary Siebritz (SUWI).