SAQA

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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED QUALIFICATION THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE:

Further Education and Training Certificate: Plastics Manufacturing

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
49451	Further Education and Training Certificate: Plastics Manufacturing
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
Further Ed and Training Cert	Field 06 - Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology		Manufacturing and Assembly
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	163	Level 4	NQF Level 04	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 replaces:

Qual ID	Qualification Title	Pre-2009 NQF Level	NQF Level	Min Credits	Replacement Status
20890	National Certificate: Plastics Manufacturing	Level 4	NQF Level 04	132	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 satisfy the challenges of participating effectively in the plastics manufacturing industry.
For those who have been in the workplace for a long time, this qualification can be used in the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process to assess and recognise workplace skills acquired without the benefit of formal education or training.

For the new entrant or for someone changing from another field, this qualification describes the learning outcomes (the skills, knowledge and values) required to effectively participate in a structured workplace.
For education and training providers, this qualification provides guidance for the development of appropriate learning programmes. For employers, this qualification allows skills gaps to be identified and programmes to close skills gaps to be developed, and acts as an external benchmark for fulfilling the criteria of national and international quality standards such as ISO 9000:2000.

This qualification recognises the skills, knowledge and values acquired by learners to initiate and maintain plastics manufacturing processes by:

Setup manufacturing equipment and set processes to manufacture good quality products

Solving common problems to produce quality products to meet customer needs

Interacting with others to achieve manufacturing objectives.
Hand skills play a role in this qualification.
What learners achieve in this qualification will also serve as a basis for further learning where they will maintain production efficiencies and optimise the production processes.

This qualification can be obtained in the context of any volume plastics manufacturing process, eg

Injection moulding

Blow moulding

Various kinds of extrusion

Variations of thermoforming

Rotational moulding

Calendaring

Compression and related moulding processes

Reaction injection moulding

Polymer composites fabrication processes such as pultrusion, filament winding and resin injection.
The volume production process also includes the regeneration of recycled materials and the manufacture of intermediate products such as sheet, profiles, compounds and master batches.

Rationale for the qualification:

The plastics manufacturing industry is characterized by sophisticated manufacturing processes operating in a competitive and challenging environment. The manufactured products have to respond to a wide variety of exacting customer and consumer requirements. In addition, the industry has to respond to competition from imports, export markets, on-going development of new products as the result of changing customer needs, and environmental issues.
This means that people working in the industry require a range of skills and knowledge to help them respond to the exacting quality requirements and ongoing change.
This is the third qualification in a series in a career path involving plastics manufacturing processes. This series of qualifications reflects the skills, knowledge and understanding required to participate effectively in the plastics manufacturing industry, whether in micro, small, medium or large operations.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

The credits and the related unit standards assume that the learner has a National Certificate in Plastics Manufacturing NQF Level 3 or an equivalent qualification, or has experience of plastics manufacturing production processes.
If a learner does not already have such qualifications or experience, this does not preclude him/her from starting. It will, however, require an increase in learning time.
The credits also assume that the learner will be working towards this qualification as part of a learning programme which integrates all the required unit standards.

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 should be provided to assist the learner in the process of developing a portfolio. The guidelines for integrated assessment should be used to develop the RPL assessment process. As with integrated assessment, 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

Fundamental Component: 77 credits
Core Component: 75 credits
Elective Component: A minimum of 11 credits

Total: 163 credits

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

1. Install required tooling, set up and start up the manufacturing process, achieving efficiency of the process and the quality of the manufactured product.
2. Solve manufacturing process problems and identify areas for improvement.
3. Maintain a safe, effective and efficient workplace, developing the skills and performance of workgroup members.
Range: Safe includes issues of health and issues relating to reducing negative impacts on the environment.
4. Understand and work with internal customers and partners.
Range: Internal customers and partners include those with roles relating to material preparation and supply, quality assurance, safety, health and the environment, sales and marketing, management, unions or worker representatives and any others who interact with the manufacturing environment.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

The manufacturing process and the manufactured products conform to all specifications

Installation, setup and start up process are planned, organised and carried out efficiently and safely and within standard times

Instructions to workgroup members are clear and records and instructions are maintained

Issues relating to product design, the manufacturing process and the materials used are discussed and resolved

2.

Problems are identified and resolved quickly, systematically and in such a way as to minimise reoccurrence

Problems and solutions are recorded and monitored for reoccurrence

Problems and solutions and opportunities for improvement are discussed and resolved with workgroup members and internal customers and partners

The underlying causes and related issues are explained or discussed (science and technology)

3.

The conditions in the workplace and the condition of the tools and equipment, safety equipment and services are safe and arranged to reduce waste

Hazards are dealt with quickly and effectively

Workgroup members are supported, coached and influenced to work effectively, efficiently and safely

4

Key issues are identified, discussed and resolved

Actions, responsibilities, timeframes and reporting issues are clarified

Other persons' opinions, suggestions and alternatives are listened to

Key ideas, decisions and plans are recorded and implemented

Integrated assessment:

To achieve the aims of integrated assessment it is recommended that the assessor assesses all components of the learning for this qualification simultaneously and that credits are awarded for the unit standards during this assessment.
It is recommended that learning components (ie fundamental and core) are combined into assignments and projects which are then included in the portfolio of evidence. This will form the basis for the bulk of the assessment. The assessor can then focus on specific areas for further probing and verification.

The assessment process should:

Cover both the explicit tasks required for the qualification as well as the understanding of the concepts and principles which underpin the activities and the manufacturing process

Establish how the critical outcomes have been advanced by the learning process.

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:

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

Asking questions and initiating short discussions to test understanding

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

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.

Assessors should also evaluate evidence that the learner has been performing consistently over a period of time.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

The 2002 version of this series of qualifications was largely based on the qualifications developed by the Plastics Industry Training Board in 1995. These had been benchmarked against the German trade qualification Kunstoffformber/in in terms of duration, training content and occupational competency but had been broken down into three stages corresponding eventually to NQF levels 2, 3 and 4 which mapped to the three year duration of the apprenticeship. The German qualifications were chosen as a result of a survey of qualifications in the plastics industry in the early 1990s.The South African industry had, however, identified a need for one further NQF level which represented a further development of the occupational competencies (ie level 5).

The original German qualification was subsequently revised in 1997 and was extended by a further year and contained some of the elements contained in the NQF level 5 qualification. The German qualification is now called Kunststoffverfahrersmechaniker/in.

The German qualification has also subsequently become a benchmark for many other European countries, except the United Kingdom.

The NQF qualifications also broadly correspond to other occupational profiles in Germany which represent other skill sets related to plastics manufacturing (occupations not based on extended apprenticeships).
Table: a comparison between NQF levels, German occupational qualifications, and South African occupational titles.
NQF 5-Kunststoff-Kautschuktechiker/in-Process technician, Setter/supervisor
NQF 4-Kunststoffwarenmacher/in-Setter
NQF 3--
NQF 2-Kunststoffpresser/in or Kunststoffspritzer/in-Operator

The NQF level 3 represents a learning stage between NQF 2 and NQF 4 and does not map to a specific occupation or to a formal job designation in industry. Level 3 practitioners are variously referred to as 'senior operator' or 'trainee setter'.

A search for qualifications in other countries has revealed little useful information. While there are hints of qualifications in India and the mid- and far-eastern countries, very little concrete information can be obtained. India appears, in part, to be making use of NVQs from the United Kingdom. Most of the other certifications appear to be based on short courses and occupational competence is not described.

No evidence of African qualifications was found. There is some evidence of qualifications in South America (Brazil & Mexico) but there is no concrete information.

There are no formal national qualifications in the United States of America, but there is evidence of regional qualifications of the apprenticeship type and some voluntary qualifications from the major employer association. These have a skew towards engineering and machine maintenance rather than manufacturing processes. The SGB therefore used:

The occupational profile generated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics within the U.S. Department of Labor for Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders-Metal and Plastics

The generic manufacturing skills standards produced by the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council.

The National Certification in Plastics (NCP), the NCP Body of Knowledge (BOK) and the NCP Study Guide of the Society of Plastics Industry Inc, (SPI).
The SPI programme for operators is a voluntary certification programme.

The Canadian Plastics Sector Council commissioned a project in 2001 to develop occupational standards but there are no published results yet.
.
The qualifications were therefore compared to:

NVQ/SVQ Levels 1, 2 and 3 and modern apprenticeship qualifications in the United Kingdom, Polymer Technology Higher National Certificate (BTEC), National Certificate in Polymer Technology

National Certificate in Plastics Processing Technology Levels 1 - 4 and National Certificate in Plastics Engineering (Level 4) both the unit standards and the modern apprenticeship (Plastics Process Technician and Plastics Engineer)

Certificate II, III in Plastics and Certificate IV in Polymer Technology and some of the training materials in Australia

United States Manufacturing Skills Standards.

The comparison was done in the following ways:

Entry requirements

Duration

Occupational profile, duties, responsibilities

Course content or essential knowledge

Findings: There is an overall pattern to the occupational roles, the occupational levels and hence the qualifications, both those based on an apprenticeship and those based on assessment against competency standards. Each country has small areas that are different but by-and-large the levels, occupational roles and course content is similar. This is not surprising since the machinery and the processes are very similar around the world and so the demands on people would also be similar. What is interesting since the last comparison in 2001 is the constant review and continuous improvement in the level and quality of certifications exhibited. Increasingly sophisticated processes require higher-order skills and greater knowledge.

The South African qualifications correspond very closely to this overall pattern. The only exceptional areas were:

NQF level 3: the qualification and some of the skills are not significantly reflected elsewhere - this is generally an invisible transition

NQF level 5: The outcomes in this level of learning are beyond the normal qualification exit points, ie the level of those who have recently completed training - the South African qualification represents additional learning and experience and forms a transition to the national certificates or diplomas in polymer technology, generally offered by institutions of higher education in most countries

Mathematics and communication: No other qualification elsewhere in the world requires the levels of communication and mathematics that are imposed on these qualifications by SAQA policies.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

The qualification has been designed and structured so that qualifying learners can move from one manufacturing context to another. They will have to acquire the specific knowledge related to the new context and adjust their skills and values accordingly.

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.

Holders of other qualifications may be evaluated against this qualification for the purpose of RPL and placement in learning programmes.

MODERATION OPTIONS

Moderators for the qualification should be qualified and accredited with an appropriate Education and Training Quality Assurance Body (ETQA) and have a qualification in manufacturing, preferably in plastics manufacturing.
To assure the quality of the assessment process, the moderation should cover one of more of the following:

Assessor credentials

The assessment instrument

The assessment process (including preparation and post-assessment feedback)

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

The following criteria should be applied by the relevant ETQA:

Appropriate qualification in the field of plastics manufacturing at NQF Level 4.

A minimum of 2 years' experience in a plastics manufacturing environment. The subject matter expertise of the assessor can be established by recognition of prior learning.

Be active in the industry and be familiar with the materials, machinery, products and level of technology in which the learner has contextualised his/her skills and knowledge.

Assessed successfully against a nationally recognised unit standard/s reflecting experience and understanding of assessment theory, processes and practices
> 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
> An understanding of outcomes-based education and training methodologies and the principles and policies related to the National Qualifications Framework
> Registration as an assessor with a relevant ETQA.
> Any other criteria required by a relevant ETQA.

REREGISTRATION HISTORY

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

NOTES

This qualification replaces qualification 20890, "Further Education and Training Certificate: Plastics Manufacturing", NQF Level 4, 135 credits.

UNIT STANDARDS:

	ID	UNIT STANDARD TITLE	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	CREDITS
Core	116714	Lead a team, plan, allocate and assess their work	Level 3	NQF Level 03	4
Core	119140	Changeover and set up tooling for plastics manufacturing processes	Level 4	NQF Level 04	10
Core	119184	Conduct laboratory tests on plastic raw materials and manufactured products	Level 4	NQF Level 04	10
Core	13254	Contribute to the implementation and maintenance of business processes	Level 4	NQF Level 04	10
Core	13235	Maintain the quality assurance system	Level 4	NQF Level 04	5
Core	119187	Monitor maintenance of plastics manufacturing equipment, tooling and services	Level 4	NQF Level 04	4
Core	13224	Monitor the application of safety, health and environmental protection procedures	Level 4	NQF Level 04	4
Core	119186	Prepare and process plastics materials for manufacturing	Level 4	NQF Level 04	12
Core	119155	Set and adjust plastics manufacturing machine conditions to produce quality finished product	Level 4	NQF Level 04	16
Fundamental	8968	Accommodate audience and context needs in oral communication	Level 3	NQF Level 03	5
Fundamental	12488	Complete feasibility and commissioning reports	Level 3	NQF Level 03	3
Fundamental	8969	Interpret and use information from texts	Level 3	NQF Level 03	5
Fundamental	9885	Read and interpret engineering drawings	Level 3	NQF Level 03	12
Fundamental	8973	Use language and communication in occupational learning programmes	Level 3	NQF Level 03	5
Fundamental	8970	Write texts for a range of communicative contexts	Level 3	NQF Level 03	5
Fundamental	9015	Apply knowledge of statistics and probability to critically interrogate and effectively communicate findings on life related problems	Level 4	NQF Level 04	6
Fundamental	13941	Apply the budget function in a business unit	Level 4	NQF Level 04	5
Fundamental	8974	Engage in sustained oral communication and evaluate spoken texts	Level 4	NQF Level 04	5
Fundamental	110023	Present information in report format	Level 4	NQF Level 04	6
Fundamental	8975	Read analyse and respond to a variety of texts	Level 4	NQF Level 04	5
Fundamental	9016	Represent analyse and calculate shape and motion in 2-and 3-dimensional space in different contexts	Level 4	NQF Level 04	4
Fundamental	7468	Use mathematics to investigate and monitor the financial aspects of personal, business, national and international issues	Level 4	NQF Level 04	6
Fundamental	8976	Write for a wide range of contexts	Level 4	NQF Level 04	5
Elective	14445	Frame and implement an individual action plan to improve productivity within an organisational unit	Level 1	NQF Level 01	3
Elective	114315	Undertake factory performance calculations	Level 2	NQF Level 02	15
Elective	10718	Use a personal budget to manage own money	Level 2	NQF Level 02	3
Elective	10712	Manage personal expenditure	Level 3	NQF Level 03	3
Elective	12455	Perform the role of a safety, health and environmental protection representative	Level 3	NQF Level 03	4
Elective	119167	Compound plastic materials	Level 4	NQF Level 04	7
Elective	119185	Maintain calibrated equipment and standards for plastics manufacturing processes	Level 4	NQF Level 04	6
Elective	119188	Set up ancillary process equipment for plastics manufacturing operations	Level 4	NQF Level 04	4

LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION:

When qualifications are replaced, some (but not all) of their learning programmes are moved to the replacement qualifications. If a learning programme appears to be missing from here, please check the replaced qualification.

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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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