Studying and furthering our education is an important part of our lives. There are fortunate people who don’t need qualifications or further studies to achieve success, but the majority of do. There is also the global world of workplace learning, which is immensely valuable and not to be under-estimated.
With the very high unemployment rate in South Africa this need has increased and encouraging many training institutions to open their doors to accommodate the demand.
If your quest is to expand your knowledge, enrich your education, improve your CV and place yourself in an employable position, then doing so through an accredited institution will greatly improve your worth and value to companies.
Finding a college which has achieved ‘Accredited’ status is an indication to the consumer and business world of the value and quality of the educational institution and its programs offered.
Without an accredited status, it is hard to ensure and trust that the quality of the education or program offered at an institution will deliver on its promises.
Accreditation is a process of voluntary self-assessments and external reviews of educational institutions, as well as professional programs offered by those institutions during which educational units are measured against national standards.
Providers of education and training must apply for accreditation with an Education and Training Quality Assurance (ETQA) body under the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). All providers of training and education offering full qualifications must be registered with the Department of Education.
The education and training provider has to offer unit standards and/or qualifications that fall within the primary focus area of the ETQA body of the relevant Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) or professional body.
Requirements for accreditation:
- The programmes (and/or assessments) offered by the education and training provider must culminate in unit standards and/or qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).
- The curriculum (design, content and learning materials) is aligned to the unit standards and/or qualifications.
- There are suitably qualified staff (facilitators and registered assessors).
- The learners have access to adequate learning support services.
- The assessment methods and tools used to measure the requirements for the unit standard and/or qualification are fair, valid and reliable, and are used to enhance learning.
REASONS TO STUDY AT AN ACCREDITED INSTITUTION:
- Accreditation standards are the foundation upon which established institutions have built their reputation and assure their clients that they meet nationally accepted standards.
- Continuous quality improvements and updates are made as the industry and its policies and procedures change.
- Institutions who participate in voluntary accreditation show a genuine interest in continuous self-evaluation, self-improvement and a commitment to perform to set standards.
- Accredited institutions normally set themselves as leaders in the field.
- Accreditation shows that the institutions personnel have the skills and knowledge needed to provide training services in the best interest of the clients and in accordance with all applicable regulations.
- Accreditation normally provides institutes with a solid network of like-minded industry professionals and resources to assist clients in successfully meeting training goals and entering the profession successfully.
The Beauty Therapy Institute is the largest group of beauty therapy training colleges, all within Africa which offers a unique, modular learning system with over 45 individual modules and 14 combination courses within the industry of Beauty and Skincare Therapy.
All campuses in South Africa are Service SETA accredited and are also internationally recognised to offer external examinations ensuring global benchmarking for our students.
Studying at a Beauty Therapy Institute will assure integrity, quality, responsibility and industry support.
Blog written by Dene van der Merwe, Principal of Beauty Therapy Institute Brackenfell. dene@beautytherapyinstitute.co.za or contact 066 2946694
For further information on the Beauty Therapy Institute group of training colleges, please email Merril on admin@beautherapyinstitute.co.za or call +27 78 562 8935.