SAQA

All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.

SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED QUALIFICATION THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE:

National Certificate: Polymer Composite Fabrication

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
36154	National Certificate: Polymer Composite Fabrication
ORIGINATOR
SGB Plastics Manufacturing
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
MERSETA - Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Education and Training Authority			OQSF - Occupational Qualifications Sub-framework
QUALIFICATION TYPE	FIELD		SUBFIELD
National Certificate	Field 06 - Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology		Manufacturing and Assembly
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	132	Level 2	NQF Level 02	Regular-Unit Stds Based
REGISTRATION STATUS		SAQA DECISION NUMBER	REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE
Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered"		SAQA 06120/18	2018-07-01	2023-06-30
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2024-06-30		2027-06-30

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.

This qualification does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification.

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

The purpose of this qualification is to provide learners, education and training providers and employers with the standards and the range of learning required to work effectively in the polymer composite fabrication industry and to meet the challenges of such an environment.

This qualification recognises the skills, knowledge and values acquired by learners involved in polymer composite fabrication. The chief skill that is recognised in this qualification is the ability to combine polymer resins and reinforcement materials to create a product, using a variety of fabrication methods. This capability requires an understanding of basic composites fabrication theory; engineering tools; concepts of measurement; basic engineering drawing, properties of polymeric composite materials and methods of fabricating them. Hand skills play a role in this qualification.

This qualification requires that learners qualify in basic contact moulding techniques. Contact moulding takes place in an open mould but excludes spray processes.

Qualified learners will also understand:

The basics of how a business functions

Their role in the business, i.e. in polymer composite fabrication and related activities

How they are affected by legislation, regulations, agreements and policies related to their particular work environment

With this understanding, learners will be able to participate in workplace activities.

What learners achieve in this qualification will also serve as a basis for further learning where they will further develop their skills and knowledge to include more complex composites fabrication processes and techniques, laying out and marking off of regular and irregular shapes and developing work instructions from drawings.

Rationale for the qualification

This is the first qualification in a series for learners who want to follow a career in polymer composite fabrication processes. This qualification focuses on developing skills and knowledge necessary to begin such a career.

The polymer composite fabrication industry operates in a competitive and challenging environment. The finished fabrications have to respond to a wide variety of exacting customer and consumer requirements. In addition, the industry has to respond to international competition, on-going development of new products as the result of changing customer needs, and environmental issues.

The fabrication of composites requires the combination of two or more different materials to form a product. What makes composites unique is that a composite material is formed at the same time as the structure itself is being fabricated. This means that the person who is making the structure is creating the properties of the resultant composite material, and so the manufacturing processes they use have an unusually critical part to play in determining the performance of the resultant structure. Composites are not like metals, where a sheet might be made in one factory and shaped into a car roof in another. With composites it all happens at once. The products are often subjected to considerable or sometimes extreme stress when in operation and the manufacturing process needs to be consistent and accurate.

There were previously no qualifications for general industry. There were, however, two designated trades for specialist areas in the industry: transport and aerospace. This series of qualifications will replace those trades to ensure uniformity across all industries. The general industry has low barriers to entry and invests little in developing people`s skills. This, together with the ignorance of clients, has led to widely differing standards. Many products and services are safety critical in nature and there is a need to create skills standards to alleviate this problem. The qualifications have been designed in a contextual way so that a learner is accredited for applying a generic set of skills in a specific context. This means it is not necessary to write unit standards for every variation of process or material.

This qualification forms part of a series at different levels to create opportunities for development, a career path and greater security of employment within the polymer composite fabrication industry.

This qualification enables learners who have gained relevant experience in the workplace to obtain credits through the RPL process. This qualification also forms the basis for further development in polymer composite fabrication in particular and the plastics manufacturing industry in general.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

This qualification assumes learners have a General Education and Training Certificate at NQF Level 1, or alternatively, ABET qualifications.
If the learner does not already have such a qualification, learning in preparation for this qualification would also have to include:

Communication and numeracy

Basic concepts of science and technology

Recognition of prior learning

This qualification may be obtained through RPL. The learner should be thoroughly briefed on the mechanism to be used and support and guidance should be provided. Care should be taken that the mechanism used provides the learner with an opportunity to demonstrate competence and is not so onerous as to prevent learners from taking up the RPL option towards gaining a qualification.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

QUALIFICATION RULES

N/A

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

1. Demonstrate an understanding of composite fabrication methods and an ability to produce simple components that meet quality and output requirements, working safely and in an environmentally aware manner.

2. Identify composites materials used in the fabrication process, describe their characteristics and applications and relate them to the fabrication process and end use.

3. Demonstrate an ability to read and interpret basic engineering drawings and sketches as used in polymer composite fabrication.

4. Demonstrate an ability to select, use and care for hand tools, measuring and composite fabrication equipment and consumables.

5. Work effectively with others, understand own role in the organisation and understand the purpose of the organisation in the economy of the country.

6. Demonstrate the ability to communicate with peers and members of supervisory / management levels by summarising information and expressing opinions on given information in spoken form.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Output and quality requirements are met

Safe working practices are adhered to

Can respond appropriately to questions and discuss issues related to the theoretical principles of composite fabrication, the various fabrication methods and the functioning of equipment/machinery

Ratios of materials are calculated, measured and mixed correctly

Adjustments or responses are made according to an assessment of the changes in the working environment
2.

Correct terminology is understood and used

All key materials are identified

Properties of the materials are described in relation to their function and purpose

Can respond appropriately to questions and discuss issues related to the common applications and methods of fabricating using composite materials
3.

Components to be fabricated are identified

Material and construction requirements and the fabrication sequence is determined from the engineering drawing or sketch

Common symbols are understood and explained

Can respond appropriately to questions and discuss issues related to engineering drawing concepts and material lists for polymer composite fabrication
4.

Equipment is used in accordance with manufacturer`s specifications

Tools and equipment appropriate to the purpose are chosen

Can respond appropriately to questions and discuss issues related to the use and maintenance of equipment
5.

Received information or decisions are acted on

Relevant information is reported or passed on

Work activities and efforts do not disrupt or spoil work group efforts

Can respond appropriately to questions and discuss issues at the level of the qualification related to own role and the purpose of the organisation
6.

Communication is effective, regular and ongoing

Information is clear and accurate and conveyed in a timely manner

Relationships with peers and supervisory / management levels are established and functioning

Integrated Assessment

Integrated assessment at the level of the qualification provides an opportunity for learners to show they are able to integrate concepts, actions and values achieved across a range of unit standards and contexts. Integrated assessment must evaluate the quality of observable performance as well as the thinking behind the performance.

Some assessment aspects will demand practical demonstration while others may not. In some cases inference will be necessary to determine competence, depending on the nature and context within which performance takes place.
Assessors will collect evidence of the learner`s competence by:

Observing the learner at work (both in primary activities as well as other interactions) or by relevant simulations

Asking questions and initiating short discussions to test understanding

Looking at records and reports

The learner may choose in which official language s/he wants to be assessed. This should be established as part of a process of preparing the learner for assessment and familiarising the learner with the approach being taken.

Since this is a foundational qualification, it is necessary to ensure that the fundamental part of the qualification is also targeted to ensure that while the competence may have been achieved in a particular context, learners are able to apply it in a range of other contexts and for further learning. The assessment should also ensure that the critical cross-field outcomes have been achieved.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

This series of qualifications (NQF level 2 - 4) was compared to:
1. The Certificate in Polymer Processing from the Casey Institute of Technical and Further Education in Australia, which consists of 14 modules making up 432 hours. These modules cover only the technical areas that this series of qualifications covers from Level 2 to Level 4.
2. National Certificate in Composites (Level 4) registered on the National Qualifications Framework in New Zealand. This qualification covers a range of specific skill sets related to composites as well as generic engineering skills. The qualification also allows for 33 credits to be selected from anywhere on the New Zealand NQF

A comparison is made difficult because:

1. In both the Australian and New Zealand cases, neither the fundamental learning elements nor some of the generic core elements are specified.
2. In both the Australian and New Zealand cases, the learning required crosses several levels.
3. The Certificate in Polymer Processing does not require time to be spent producing portfolios.
4. While both qualifications require the learner to master a wider range of polymer composites techniques than the South African qualifications do, they do not specify the level of complexity that has to be achieved. The applied competence in the South African qualifications focuses on achieving a specific level of competence required by a person working in a real-world fabrication context in which a degree of specialisation, experience and problem-solving ability is required.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

The qualification has been designed and structured so that qualifying learners can move from one context to another, within the composite fabrication environment. Learners may need to receive structured top learning when moving to a thermoplastics or Industrial rubber environment.

MODERATION OPTIONS

Anyone assessing a learner against this qualification must be registered as an assessor with the relevant ETQA

Any institution or learning provider offering learning towards the achievement of this qualification should be accredited as a provider with the relevant ETQA

Moderation of assessment should be overseen by the relevant ETQA according to the moderation guidelines provided for in this qualification as well as the agreed ETQA guidelines

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

The following criteria should be applied by the relevant ETQA:
1. Appropriate qualification in the field of polymer composite fabrication at NQF level 3 and a minimum of 2 years` experience in a polymer composite fabrication environment. The subject matter experience of the assessor can be established by recognition of prior learning. Until there is a sufficient body of competent people, interim arrangements may have to be adopted.

1. Appropriate experience and understanding of assessment theory, processes and practices
2. Good inter-personal skills and the ability to balance the conflicting requirements of:

Maintaining national standards

The interests of the learner

The need for transformation and redressing the legacies of the past

The cultural background and language of the learner
3. Registration as an assessor with the MERS ETQA or any other relevant ETQA
4. Any other criteria required by the MERS ETQA or any other relevant ETQA

REREGISTRATION HISTORY

As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Reregistered in 2012; 2015.

NOTES

N/A

UNIT STANDARDS:

	ID	UNIT STANDARD TITLE	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	CREDITS
Core	110285	Demould a polymer composite product	Level 2	NQF Level 02	5
Core	12466	Explain the individual`s role within business	Level 2	NQF Level 02	4
Core	110281	Fabricate a polymer composite product	Level 2	NQF Level 02	9
Core	110289	Identify and work with material as required for polymer composite fabrication	Level 2	NQF Level 02	8
Core	13220	Keep the work area safe and productive	Level 2	NQF Level 02	8
Core	13258	Participate in work group activities	Level 2	NQF Level 02	4
Core	110279	Prepare mould for polymer composite fabrication	Level 2	NQF Level 02	8
Core	9882	Read and interpret basic engineering drawings	Level 2	NQF Level 02	8
Core	12216	Select, use and care for engineering hand tools	Level 2	NQF Level 02	8
Core	12476	Select, use and care for engineering measuring equipment	Level 2	NQF Level 02	4
Core	12219	Select, use and care for engineering power tools	Level 2	NQF Level 02	6
Fundamental	8963	Access and use information from texts	Level 2	NQF Level 02	5
Fundamental	9009	Apply basic knowledge of statistics and probability to influence the use of data and procedures in order to investigate life related problems	Level 2	NQF Level 02	3
Fundamental	12461	Communicate at work	Level 2	NQF Level 02	5
Fundamental	7480	Demonstrate understanding of rational and irrational numbers and number systems	Level 2	NQF Level 02	3
Fundamental	12465	Develop a learning plan and a portfolio for assessment	Level 2	NQF Level 02	6
Fundamental	8962	Maintain and adapt oral communication	Level 2	NQF Level 02	5
Fundamental	9268	Manage basic personal finance	Level 2	NQF Level 02	6
Fundamental	12444	Measure, estimate and calculate physical quantities and explore, describe and represent geometrical relationships in 2-dimensions in different life or workplace contexts	Level 2	NQF Level 02	3
Fundamental	12463	Understand and deal with HIV/AIDS	Level 2	NQF Level 02	3
Fundamental	7469	Use mathematics to investigate and monitor the financial aspects of personal and community life	Level 2	NQF Level 02	2
Fundamental	9007	Work with a range of patterns and functions and solve problems	Level 2	NQF Level 02	5
Fundamental	8964	Write for a defined context	Level 2	NQF Level 02	5
Elective	110288	Apply gel coat in patterns	Level 2	NQF Level 02	6
Elective	110290	Assemble moulded components and attach fittings	Level 2	NQF Level 02	6
Elective	13222	Deal with safety, health and environmental emergencies in the workplace	Level 2	NQF Level 02	4
Elective	7547	Operate a personal computer system	Level 2	NQF Level 02	6
Elective	12484	Perform basic fire fighting	Level 2	NQF Level 02	4
Elective	12483	Perform basic first aid	Level 2	NQF Level 02	4
Elective	110278	Prepare damaged polymer composite product for repairs	Level 2	NQF Level 02	6
Elective	12481	Sling loads	Level 2	NQF Level 02	4

LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION:

NONE

PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION:

This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.

NONE