First aid NQF levels enable First Aiders to easily map their progression as they complete progressively more advanced first aid courses. For many years, occupational first aid courses have included the following certificates:
Now, the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) is the new accreditation body for all occupational skills programmes in South Africa, including first aid courses. Under the QCTO, ‘legacy’ first aid courses are being phased out over time and being replaced with new skills programmes. While much of the course content remains the same, the new first aid courses have updated curricula and assessment requirements. Many First Aiders, employers, and health and safety professionals are asking how the new QCTO first aid skills programmes measure up against first aid NQF levels.
NQF stands for the National Qualifications Framework, which is the official, standardised system used for registering and classifying all training and education in South Africa. One of the main aims of the NQF is to provide an integrated framework for education and training that allows learners to move between three sub-frameworks, namely the General and Further Education and Training Qualifications Sub-Framework(primary school and high school), Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (diplomas, degrees, doctorates, etc.), and the Occupational Qualifications Sub-Framework (occupational certificates like First Aid). Because all courses, certificates, and qualifications across these three sub-frameworks are pegged to specific NQF levels, learners are able to map their learning progression as they move between sub-frameworks.
The NQF has 10 levels, against which all qualification types across the three sub-frameworks are pegged:
Levels 1 – 4: General and Further Education and Training Qualifications Sub-Framework
Levels 5 – 10: Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework
Levels 1 – 8: Occupational Qualifications Sub-Framework
SAQA stands for the South African Qualifications Authority. SAQA is a statutory body established by the South African Qualifications Act 58 of 1995 and is in charge of overseeing the implementation of the NQF. As such, an important aspect of SAQA’s function is ensuring that all qualifications, certificates, and skills programmes in South Africa are credible, comparable, and quality-assured.
QCTO stands for the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations. The role of the QCTO is to develop and accredit occupational skills programmes, qualifications, and training providers. Once a skills programme has been accredited by the QCTO, it is submitted to SAQA to be registered on the NQF.
The QCTO has released three new occupational first aid skills programmes:
NQF Level: 2
Credits: 2
Course duration: 2 days
Course content includes:
NQF Level: 3
Credits: 5
Course duration: 4 days
Course content includes:
NQF Level: 4
Credits: 6
Course duration: 5 days
Course content includes:
Childbirth
Absolute Health Services is accredited by the QCTO, the Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA), and the Department of Employment and Labour (DoEL). We offer the following first aid courses:
Contact us for more information or to make a booking.
Ensure that you always have a correctly stocked First Aid Box in your workplace as per the Regulation 7.
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