The Insitute for Timber Construction (ITC-SA) has been awarded Professional Recognition by the Board of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).
This was after a comprehensive process of evaluation by the SAQA Board to confirm that the ITC-SA meets the set Policy and Recognition Criteria as part of the SAQA mandate, and which is, inter alia, to further develop and implement the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) as per Section 13(1)(i) of the NQF Act, Act 67 of 2008.
These criteria, with which the ITC-SA had to comply, and which are set as a minimum requirement, were workshopped and developed by SAQA after extensive consultation with various stakeholders, including statutory and non-statutory professional bodies, the Quality Councils (Council on Higher Education, General and Further Education and Training Council (Umalusi) and the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations), as well as providers of education and training.
This means that the ITC-SA has now been assigned the authority to formally monitor and regulate construction standards in the timber roof truss industry.
Lyndsay Cotton, Chairperson of the ITC-SA says, “We are thrilled about this recent development. The ITC-SA offers an invaluable service to the built environment and consumers for the purpose of regulating the timber roof truss market and is an organisation worthy of accreditation by SAQA, to whom we are grateful for their support and assistance.”
What does this mean and how will the built environment
and the consumer at large benefit from this?
The ITC-SA as a Professional Body, now registered with SAQA, has the authority to confer a professional designation on an individual in the form of a title, status and/or registration number. This professional designation indicates registration of the individual with the ITC-SA, and the right to practice in the particular field of expertise governed by the ITC-SA.
For the Consumer at large, the recognition of the ITC-SA as a Professional Body will strengthen social responsiveness and accountability within the designations, and will promote pride in association for all professions.
What was required for the ITC-SA to be recognised?
The ITC-SA as an applicant Professional Body (and which will represent and/or regulate the
timber roof truss industry) was accredited by SAQA after confirmation that the following criteria had been met:
- Had to be a legally constituted entity with the necessary human and financial resources
to undertake its functions, governed either by a statute, charter or a constitution and be
compliant with and adhere to good corporate governance practices. - Must be able to demonstrate protection of public interests in relation to services provided
by its members and the associated risks involved. - Must be able to develop, award, monitor and revoke its professional designations in
terms of its own rules, legislation and/or international conventions. - Must be able to submit a list of members in the form acceptable to SAQA.
- Must have set criteria for promoting and monitoring continuing professional development
(CPD) for its members to meet the relevant professional designation requirements. - Must have a published code of conduct and operate a mechanism for the reporting and
investigating of members who are alleged to have contravened the code. - Must not apply unfair exclusionary practices in terms of membership admission to the
body or when recognising education or training providers. - Must be able to provide information related to career advice on members to SAQA.
The ITC-SA, in meeting the policy and criteria for the recognition of Professional Bodies,
will now, inter alia:
- Recognise suitable education and training providers and be involved in the curriculation
of learning programs offered by education and training providers. - Set and administer its own Board examinations.
- Register its professional designations on the NQF in accordance with the SAQA policy
and criteria for registering a professional designation. - Meet the South African requirements, as outlined in the policy and criteria for
recognising a Professional Body and registering a professional designation for the
purposes of the NQF Act, including the data requirements. - Foremost, the ITC-SA (as a main driver) will ensure that perceptions of exclusionary practices
do not occur.
Fred Wagenaar, the Executive Officer of the ITC-SA, says, “The ITC-SA’s recognition as a professional body by SAQA represents a learning curve for the Institute, but one that has brought with it a natural progression path for its sustained growth. Cotton concludes, “We have toiled the last couple of years for this recognition and look forward to being able to provide a professional service to our professionally recognised members and consumers at large.”
For more information, visit www.itc-sa.org.
