Programme

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Time	Item
Day 1
18h00 - 19h00	Registration (at Kopanong Conference Centre, Benoni)
19h00	Welcome and cocktails (Mr Samuel Isaacs, Chief Executive Officer, SAQA)
Day 2
8h30 - 8h40	Conference opening (Mr Samuel Isaacs, Chief Executive Officer, SAQA)
8h40 - 9h00	Keynote address (Professor Shirley Walters, Chairperson, SAQA Board)
9h00 - 9h10	Introductory comments (Dr Heidi Bolton, Senior Researcher, SAQA)
SESSION 1: Interpreting and implementing the NQF (Chair: Professor Cheryl Potgieter, SAQA Research Committee member)
9h10 - 9h40	Overview of Council on Higher Education (CHE) research, and presentation of the paper: “The challenges of aligning Higher Education programmes with the Higher Education Qualifications Framework (HEQF) - towards a coordinated and collaborative solution” (Dr Lis Lange and Dr Denyse Webbstock, CHE)
9h40 - 10h00	Discussion of CHE presentation
10h00 - 10h20	Presentation of the paper, and discussion: “Possibilities and limits of qualifications frameworks” (Dr James Keevy, SAQA)
10h20 - 10h40	Presentation of the paper, and discussion: “Practical Processes and Systems for Interpreting the NQF Framework in Higher Education; A case of UNISA” (Dr Rita Ndagire Kizito and Mr Philemon Mahlangu, UNISA)
10h40 - 11h10	Tea
SESSION 2: Facilitating access to education and training in SA (Chair: Professor Shirley Pendlebury, SAQA Research Committee member)
11h10 - 11h40	Presentation of the five-part research project: “Specialised pedagogy: a comparative study of RPL practices within the changing landscape of the NQF in South Africa” (Mr Alan Ralphs, UWC)
11h40 - 12h00	Discussion of RPL presentation
12h00 - 12h20	Presentation of three community-based projects facilitating increased access, and discussion: (Mr Michael Gardiner, CEPD)
12h20 - 12h40	Presentation of two projects supporting access through physical infrastructure, and discussion: (Dr Kevin Wall and Dr Jeremy Gibberd, CSIR)
12h40 - 13h00	Two 10-minute presentations, and discussion: • “A situational psychological ecosystemic scanning of under-preparedness of WITS – contextualising barriers to social justice in HE” (Ms J Inglis, WITS) • “An evaluation of Stellenbosch Universities’ extended degree programme” (Mr Gert Young, US)
13h00 - 14h00	Lunch
SESSION 3: Enhancing quality, articulation, and progression in the system (Part 1) (Chair: Mr Joe Samuels, Deputy Executive Officer, SAQA)
14h00 - 14h30	Overview of Umalusi‘s research model and range of research projects undertaken (Ms Eugenie Rabe, Mr Emmanuel Sibanda and Ms Liz Burroughs, Umalusi)
14h30 - 14h50	Discussion of Umalusi presentation
14h50 - 15h10	Presentation of the paper, and discussion: “Pathways through the education and training system – do we need a new model?” (Mr Michael Cosser, HSRC)
15h10 - 15h30	Presentation of the project, and discussion: “Engineering education research at the University of Johannesburg: a strategic framework to complement a qualifications framework” (Dr Mark van Ryneveld and Ms Nickey Janse van Rensburg, UJ)
15h30 - 15h45	Tea
SESSION 3: Enhancing quality, articulation, and progression in the system (Part 2) (Chair: Ms Gerda Magnus, SAQA Research Committee member)
15h45 - 17h00	10-minute presentations on projects addressing teacher/FET College lecturer understanding, and teacher/FET College lecturer development, and discussion: Dr Claudia Beck-Reinhardt (ECSECC) Ms Jane Quin and Mr Jabulani Ngcobo (UKZN) Dr Keshni Bipath (UP) Professor Volker Wedekind (UKZN)
17h00 - 17h15	Presentation of the paper, and discussion: “Creating a pathway for professional qualifications from FET through HE: A case study of FET-HE articulation” (Mr Seamus Needham, FETI)
17h15 - 17h30	Presentation of the paper, and discussion: “Enhancing the quality of education and training at the university of Fort Hare through trend analysis of the Peer Assisted Student Services activities” (Dr Alfred Makhura, UFH)
Conference Dinner 18h30 for 19h00 - 21h00 Guest Speaker: Honorable Dr Blade Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education and Training
Day 3
SESSION 4: Work and learning (Chair: Professor Ian Moll, Head of the Division of Educational Information Technology, School of Education, WITS)
8h30 - 8h50	Presentation of the paper, and discussion: “Occupational Qualifications Framework: key development features” (Mr Chris Vorwerk, formerly GTZ in South Africa, currently Xasa Facilitating)
8h50 - 9h05	Presentation of the paper, and discussion: “Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) in the new HEQF” (Professor Terry Volbrecht, CPUT)
9h05 - 9h20	Presentation of the paper, and discussion: “Engineering qualifications and professional designations: national and international frameworks” (Professor Hu Hanrahan, ECSA)
9h20 - 9h35	Presentation of the paper, and discussion: “The candidate phase as a structured, funded phase of workplace training to support transformation” (Dr Allyson Lawless, SAICE)
9h35 - 9h55	Presentation on the multi-part SAQA-Rhodes Research Partnership project on change-oriented learning and sustainable development, and discussion: (Ms Lausanne Olvitt, RU)
9h55 - 10h15	Presentation on the three-part SAQA-WITS Research Partnership project on the integration of academic and vocational knowledge, and discussion: (Dr Nazir Carrim, WITS and Ms Anne Taylor, UJ)
10h15 - 10h30	Presentation of the paper, and discussion: “The promises of qualification-led change processes and turbulent times: time to revisit the promises” (Dr Salim Akoojee and Ms Ansa Liebenberg, merSETA)
10h30 - 11h00	Tea
SESSION 5: Understanding patterns, trends and needs in an integrated education and training system in South Africa (Chair: Ms Yvonne Shapiro, Director: National Learners’ Records Database, SAQA)
11h00 - 12h45	10-minute presentations on sectoral trends, and discussion: BANKSETA research (Mr Siphelo Ngcwangu) ETDP SETA research (Ms Nombulelo Nxesi) FASSET research (Ms Natercia Faustino) ISETT SETA research (Mr Neville Nicholas) merSETA research (Dr Salim Akoojee) Services SETA research (Ms Sanet Bisnath) W&R SETA research (Ms Inger Marrian)
12h45 - 13h30	10-minute presentations on audits currently underway, and discussion (Dr Claudia Beck-Reinhardt (ECSECC), Mr Michael Cosser (HSRC), Professor Volker Wedekind (UKZN), Ms Carla Pereira (JET Education Services))
13h30 - 14h00	Lunch
SESSION 6: Understanding the impact of the NQF; addressing employability (Chair: Ms Adrienne Bird, Acting Chief Executive Officer, QCTO)
14h00 - 14h30	Presentation of the project: “Towards an impact evaluation of the NQF: descriptive and statistical analyses of responses to the new NQF Act (2008) and related legislation, by SAQA and the Quality Councils” (Dr Nick Taylor, JET Education Services)
14h30 - 14h50	Discussion of the NQF impact study
14h50 - 15h50	10-minute presentations of projects addressing employability, and discussion: “Making sense of the muddle: aspirations for a ‘post-school’ system for ‘pre-employed youth’ (Dr Anthony Gewer, JET Education Services, and Ms Carmel Marock, Singizi Consulting) “Challenging HE institutions to enhance employability” (Professor Heather Nel , NMMU) “Can public-private partnerships be used to enhance the employability of NCV graduates?” (Ms Lusanda Bantwini, ECSECC) “How to make a success of a cross-cultural marriage: lessons for colleges, industry, and government in implementing workplacebased training at FET colleges” (Mr Ken Duncan, SSACI) “Employability in the college sector: a comparative study of England and South Africa” (Mr Seamus Needham, FETI/ merSETA/ UKZN partnership research)
15h50 - 16h00	Closing remarks (Mr Samuel Isaacs, Chief Executive Officer, SAQA)