SETTING THE BENCHMARK IN ADULT LITERACY AND NUMERACY TRAINING

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Triple E Training says it has again set the benchmark in adult literacy and numeracy training by being the first to have its leading Foundational Learning Competence (FLC) training accredited by the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO).

The accreditation was based on the company’s many years of experience providing FLC. Among the first providers of FLC, Triple E Training immediately set the standard for quality for this type of adult literacy and numeracy training. This includes the comprehensive training material and quality assurance procedures that the company developed specifically for FLC and the overall quality of instruction that learners receive from its skilled and experienced facilitators. These have been widely adopted throughout the training industry as the norm for FLC.

Established in 2010 in terms of the Skills Development Act (Act 97 of 1998) as amended in 2008, the QCTO is the public entity responsible for quality assurance and oversight of the design, accreditation, implementation, assessment and certification of occupational qualifications, part-qualifications and skills programmes. The QCTO also offers guidance to private and public training providers and assessment centres that need to be accredited by the council to imlement occupational qualifications.

“Until just recently, there were no accredited FLC programmes. Companies, therefore, did not have a means of accurately gauging the quality of the many FLC training programmes on offer in the market. This is despite the importance of this training, which serves as a bridge between adult education and training (AET) and occupational training at a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 2 through to 4. By having our already well-established FLC programmes accredited by the QCTO, we have formalised the standard in this type of adult literacy and numeracy training. Companies can now use this as measure of the quality of FLC that they can expect to receive from their preferred training provider. Certainly, the accreditation will also assist us in ensuring that our FLC always remains aligned with the very high standards that govern both the provision of AET and occupational training at a NQF Level,” Marco Maree, Triple E Training’s Expert Training and Development Advisor, says.

FLC is the step after AET that prepares individuals for learnerships so that they can attain a formal qualification. Triple E Training is a leading provider of both types of adult literacy and numeracy training. The company’s AET is accredited by the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training or “Umalusi” which sets and monitors general and further education and training in the country. For more than 30 years, the company has been adapting its AET to cater to the unique needs of its clients in an economy that is increasingly relying on advanced skills. These same high-quality standards have also long

been applied in the company’s FLC programmes to prepare many individuals to succeed in both the practical and theoretical components of workplace training at a NQF Level.

Many individuals have already completed Triple E Training’s FLC training programmes and moved on to complete learnerships to attain a national qualification. However, there are still many more South Africans who have not been able to attain a qualification because their English literacy and numeracy skills are not up to standard. This is despite them being very proficient in their jobs. There is, thus, a huge pool of talent in the “informal” industries that is yet to be fully tapped by companies through quality FLC training. This will also help to accelerate the transformation of industries and the economy.

Individuals who have completed the company’s quality FLC have a solid foundation in English, which is the formal language of instruction and business. The Communications aspect of FLC includes writing; speaking and listening; visual literacy; language structure and use; study skills; and workplace terminology. These proficiencies enable individuals to cope with both the theoretical and practical components of occupational training. Equipped with sound English literacy skills, they are also able to write their trade tests in the formal language of learning. English literacy is also a basic skill that employees need to function effectively in the workplace.

FLC also equips individuals with the generic mathematical literacy skills that they need to cope with the numeracy demands of occupational training. This aspect of FLC training includes number and quantity; finance; data and chance; measurement; space and shape; patterns; and relationships. Therefore, individuals who have completed Triple E Training’s FLC are able to think logically and critically. This enables them to make sound decisions and to solve typical problems that they will encounter when performing their jobs, especially those that are of technical nature.

“Quality FLC does not only equip individuals with essential basic skills. It prepares them for a journey of lifelong learning, while imparting a newfound passion and respect for knowledge. We look forward to continuing to play our part in helping South Africans achieve their true potential through the provision of quality adult literacy and numeracy training,” Maree concludes.