SAQA

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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED QUALIFICATION THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE:

National Certificate: Service Station Operations

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
48969	National Certificate: Service Station Operations
ORIGINATOR
SGB Vehicle Maintenance
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
Was W&RSETA until Last Date for Achievement			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	125	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 0160/05	2007-11-20	2008-11-26
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2009-11-26		2012-11-26

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 is replaced by:

Qual ID	Qualification Title	Pre-2009 NQF Level	NQF Level	Min Credits	Replacement Status
62709	National Certificate: Service Station Operations	Level 2	NQF Level 02	120	Complete

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

The purpose of the qualification is to provide learners, education and training providers and employers with the standards and the range of learning required to work effectively within a service station forecourt environment and meet the challenges of such an environment.

The chief skills that are recognised in this qualification are: interact with customers, detail and up-sell products and services, collect and effect payment and solve operational problems on the service station forecourt. These skills require an in-depth understanding of the sector terms and concepts, the services and products available on the service station forecourt, service delivery principles as well as payment handling practices.

Qualifying learners will also be able to support the various policies and procedures related to the safety, health and environmental systems that govern their workplace.

Rationale for the qualification:

In South Africa the labour force is increasingly called upon to be self-employed or to seek employment in small businesses in contrast to the past where the majority of workers were employed by large companies, the State and parastatals. This situation has lead to a large increase in the number of small companies with a small labour force.

Service stations are an example of such small businesses where business is conducted within the competitive and challenging environment of selling fuel, related products and services. In such operations, the attention to detail is imperative and margin of error in terms of customer relations and service rendered need to be kept to a minimum if small companies are to survive. On-going development and changing technology as the result of constantly changing customer needs and environmental issues require of service stations to provide exceptional service and respond to quality issues and increasing competition in the domestic market.

This means that people working at Service Stations require a range of skills and knowledge that will help them respond to the exacting quality requirements and ongoing change.
This is one of a series of qualifications for learners who want to follow a career in service station operations.

For those who have been in this type of environment for a long time, this qualification represents part of an RPL process to acknowledge workplace skills acquired without the benefit of formal education or training.

The qualification also forms the basis for further development within service station operations and the management thereof in the higher education and training band.

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 level 4 qualifications.

If the learner does not already have such a qualification, learning in preparation for this qualification would also have to include:

Communication, mathematics and basic concepts of physical science and technology at NQF level 1

Recognition of prior learning:

This qualification may be obtained through a process of RPL. The learner should be thoroughly briefed prior to the assessment and support provided to assist in the process of developing a portfolio. While this is primarily a workplace-based qualification, evidence from other areas of endeavour may be introduced if pertinent to any of the exit-level outcomes.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

QUALIFICATION RULES

The qualification is composed of Fundamental, Core and Elective learning components:

Fundamental: 42 credits

Core: 77 credits

Elective: a minimum of 6 credits must be selected from Elective unit standards.
Total: a minimum of 125 credits

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

1. Interact with customers on the service station forecourt
2. Communicate with peers and members of supervisory / management levels
3. Work effectively with others, understand own role and purpose in the organisation
4. Understand options for further learning and preparation requirements for such learning in this or a related field of learning

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

1.> Products and services, their features and advantages are presented to the customer in order to make an informed decision

Basic vehicle safety items are inspected to ensure public safety during the use of the vehicle

Vehicles are cleaned in order to restore them to a pristine condition

Payments for services rendered and products purchased are effected using Electronic payment Terminals (EPT)

Options considered and selected for solving routine problems are appropriate to the nature of the problem and reported timeously to the relevant personnel

2.> Relationships with peers and supervisory / management levels are established and functioning

Communication is effective, regular and ongoing

Information is clear and accurate and timeously conveyed

3.> Own work activities and efforts do not spoil or disrupt work group efforts

Received information or decisions are acted on

Relevant information is reported or passed on

Respond appropriately to questions and discuss issues at the level of the qualification related to own role and the purpose of the service station

4.> Options and preparation requirements are explained

Learning plan is developed

Integrated Assessment:

The integrated assessment must be based on a summative assessment guide. The guide will spell out how the assessor will assess different aspects of the performance and will include:

Observing the learner at work (both in the primary activity as well as other interactions)

Asking questions and initiating short discussions to test understanding

Looking at records and reports in the portfolio and reviewing previous assessments

The learner may choose in which 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.

While this is primarily a workplace-based qualification, evidence from other areas of endeavour may be introduced if pertinent to any of the exit-level outcomes.
The assessment process should cover both the explicit tasks required for the qualification as well as the understanding of the concepts and principles that underpin the activities associated with the service station forecourt.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

International comparability

Though the stakeholders' companies have close links with their overseas principals and partners, enquiries into similar or equivalent international qualifications elicited little in information, not just at this level, but at all levels of the qualification frameworks probed. It was found that companies focus more on operational standards than on individual worker qualifications. Where contact was established, the overseas companies often expressed an interest in the qualification for their own use.

No evidence of standards-based qualifications in service station operations was found in Japan, Malaysia, or the United States of America.

Reference to service station operations related unit standards and qualifications were found in the Australian National Training Authority, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and United Kingdom National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ).

Australian National Training Authority documentation refers to a qualification entitled Certificate II in Automotive (Sales - Service Station Operations) AUR22199. The table below compares the Australian qualification with the unit standards or outcomes in this South African qualification. Learning hours, as reflected in documentation from Learning Automotive Training, an accredited New Apprenticeship provider for the Automotive Industry, are also shown.

Unit Title - Learning - Hours
Compulsory Common Core

Follow workplace occupational health and safety requirements - 18
Use and maintain workplace tools and equipment - 18
Contribute to workplace communication - 18
Establish relations with customers - 18
Total Core competency hours - 72

Compulsory Stream
Carry out stock control procedures - 36
Identify automotive parts/components/accessories - 36
Carry out console operations - 36
Carry out cash and/or credit/funds transfer transactions - 36
Carry out merchandising procedures - 36
Carry out sales of stock lines - 36
Work with colleagues and customers - 15
Follow workplace hygiene procedures - 15

Total Compulsory stream hours - 246

3 of the following Elective units

Apply sales procedures - 20
Carry out driveway service, manage forecourt and handle fuel dispensing - 44
Carry out manual handling operations - 18
Receive and pass on message to facilitate communication flow - 15
Apply knowledge of enterprise to complete routine administrative tasks - 10
Follow established work schedules to achieve designated team/section goals - 10
Operate a range of office equipment to complete routine tasks - 10
Negotiate with team members to allocate and complete tasks to achieve team goals - 15
Develop and update hospitality industry knowledge

Total Elective hours - 35
Total hours for training package - 353

The above programme may take up to 12 months to complete.

The New Zealand Qualifications Authority cites no references to registered qualifications, however a number of individual related unit standards are listed. The table below compares the New Zealand unit standards with the unit standards or outcomes in this South African qualification

Unit Title - Credits

NQF Level 2
Dispense CNG (compressed natural gas) fuel - 2
Dispense LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) fuel - 2
Display and sell service station goods - 4

NQF Level 3
Carry out automotive service station forecourt duties - 6

It was found to be difficult to compare the Australian and New Zealand narrow focus qualifications with this broad-based qualification that also includes fundamentals and generic core standards.

Further reference is found in the West Cheshire College course leaflet referring to a tailor-made part time vocational qualification entitled NVQ 2 Retail Operations with Forecourt Units, which is backed by COGENT, the National Standards Organisation that oversees the delivery of training to petroleum industry employees through a global network of approved training providers and centres. The course detail was not available. A comparison is therefore not possible.

The main difficulty in comparison is that one is not always comparing like with like. This notwithstanding, the technical content of this qualification for service station operations does correspond loosely with the level of highlighted international qualifications in Service Station Operations.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

This qualification has been designed and structured so that qualifying learners can move both horizontally from one area of specialisation (service station operations) to another (motor sales and support), and vertically, further specialising in a particular skills area. It has been designed so that the learner can meaningfully articulate into the next higher NQF band once s/he has obtained the NQF Level 2 qualification. Further qualifications in service station operations are planned at NQF Levels 3 to 5. This will be done in conjunction with subject matter experts in the field. At these levels learners are introduced initially to Wholesale & Retail fundamentals as it would be used in a Service Station Convenience Store context, followed by further learning enabling them to ultimately manage a service station. Learners will also have portable skills. This qualification is designed for learners who are learning and applying service station operations skills in a wide variety of contexts. Employers or institutions should be able to evaluate the outcomes of this qualification against the needs of their context and structure top-up learning appropriately.
Equally, holders of other qualifications may be evaluated against this qualification for the purpose of RPL.

MODERATION OPTIONS

Moderators for the qualification should be qualified and accredited with an appropriate ETQA and have a qualification in service station operations at NQF level 3 or equivalent. To assure the quality of the assessment process, the moderation should cover one or more of the following:

Assessor credentials

The assessment instrument

The assessment process (including preparation and post-assessment feedback)
Assessment and moderation should be in terms of appropriate ETQA requirement.

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

The following criteria should be applied by the relevant ETQA:

1. Appropriate qualification and preferably relevant workplace practical experience of at least 6 months in the field of service station operations at or above NQF level 2
2. Appropriate experience and understanding of assessment theory, processes and practices
3. Good interpersonal 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
4. Registration as an assessor with the relevant ETQA
5. Any other criteria required by the relevant ETQA

NOTES

This qualification has been replaced by qualification 62709, which is "National Certificate: Service Station Operations ", Level 2, 120 credits.

UNIT STANDARDS:

	ID	UNIT STANDARD TITLE	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	CREDITS
Core	110075	Apply basic fire fighting techniques	Level 1	NQF Level 01	3
Core	12532	Clean building surrounds	Level 1	NQF Level 01	4
Core	14569	Demonstrate an understanding of how to participate effectively in the workplace	Level 1	NQF Level 01	3
Core	14445	Frame and implement an individual action plan to improve productivity within an organisational unit	Level 1	NQF Level 01	3
Core	8288	Applying safety, security and housekeeping	Level 2	NQF Level 02	12
Core	13222	Deal with safety, health and environmental emergencies in the workplace	Level 2	NQF Level 02	4
Core	9874	Direct, receive and communicate with customers on the forecourt	Level 2	NQF Level 02	4
Core	8275	Handling cash	Level 2	NQF Level 02	12
Core	12483	Perform basic first aid	Level 2	NQF Level 02	4
Core	9875	Perform basic safety checks to ensure general vehicle safety	Level 2	NQF Level 02	8
Core	7621	Performing basic business calculations in Retail/Wholesale practices	Level 2	NQF Level 02	6
Core	12463	Understand and deal with HIV/AIDS	Level 2	NQF Level 02	3
Core	8281	Understanding industry, structures, terms and concepts	Level 2	NQF Level 02	8
Core	9322	Work in a team	Level 2	NQF Level 02	3
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	7480	Demonstrate understanding of rational and irrational numbers and number systems	Level 2	NQF Level 02	3
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	8967	Use language and communication in occupational learning programmes	Level 2	NQF Level 02	5
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	116376	Clean the inside of a vehicle	Level 1	NQF Level 01	4
Elective	13999	Demonstrate an understanding of basic accounting practices	Level 1	NQF Level 01	4
Elective	116378	Wash the exterior of a vehicle manually	Level 1	NQF Level 01	4
Elective	116386	Wash the exterior of a vehicle using automated vehicle washing equipment	Level 1	NQF Level 01	4
Elective	12465	Develop a learning plan and a portfolio for assessment	Level 2	NQF Level 02	6
Elective	8285	Promoting merchandise	Level 2	NQF Level 02	16

LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION:

When qualifications are replaced, some of their learning programmes are moved to being recorded against the replacement qualifications. If a learning programme appears to be missing from here, please check the replacement.

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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.

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