National Certificate: Information Technology (Systems Development)

The purpose of this qualification is to enhance readiness and provide entry into the areas of Systems Development at NQF level 5. It prepares learners for entry into the workplace or as undergraduate study in the Systems Development areas covered, providing them with the necessary knowledge needed for further study in the fields of Information Technology and Computer Sciences at Higher Education level.

The qualification is addressing the need in the workplace for nationally recognised qualifications, based on unit standards, that will allow people with workplace experience in the Systems Development areas covered, to request assessments and get recognition for prior learning.

A qualifying learner will be able to communicate effectively with fellow IT staff & users of information technology, understanding the role of technology in a business context and to be able to address business problems with appropriate information technology solutions. Learners will be able to apply the principles of creating computer software by carrying out, under limited supervision, a task of reasonable size to demonstrate an understanding of the knowledge, techniques & skills needed in one or more area of majoring/specialisation that the qualification offers.

A qualifying learner at this level will be a well-rounded IT professional, building on foundational technical skills acquired at NQF level 4, via the National Certificate in IT Technical Development or equivalent. This qualification is expanding the systems development foundation started at NQF level 4 into specialisation fields within systems development, in one or more of the following disciplines:

• Procedural Programming.
• Object Oriented Programming.
• Fourth Generation Language Programming.
• Web site development.
• Multimedia.
• Electronic Commerce.

  The qualification is designed to:

• Provide qualified learners with an undergraduate entry into the fields of Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Computer Sciences, specialising in the Systems Development area
• Prepare qualified learners for initial employment into the ICT and related industries. Qualified learners will have a solid understanding of computer industry concepts and to able to work in areas of Systems Development with intermediate technical complexity.
• Allow the credits achieved in National Certificates relating to Information Technology at NQF level 4 to be used as prior learning for this qualification, where applicable.
• Allow people with workplace experience in the Systems Development areas covered, to request assessments and get recognition for prior learning.
• Allow the qualification to be acquired in the traditional way of formal study as well as in the workplace, through Learnerships Schemes or Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
• Assist with professionalisation across the Information Technology Sector. It is intended to allow qualified learners to gain membership of registered professional bodies in the ICT industry.

  Rationale of the qualification

  Similar to the National Certificates in IT at NQF level 4, this qualification has been formulated such that it reflects the workplace-based needs of the Information Technology Industry as expressed by its stakeholders. The input has been used to ensure that the qualification provides the learner with accessibility to be employed within the IT Industry. The qualification may be acquired in the traditional way of formal study as well as in the workplace, either through learnerships or by recognition of prior learning (RPL).

  Academically this National Certificate is intended to be an entry-level qualification, at the Higher Education band, in the area of Systems Development. The qualification builds on from the National Certificate in Information Technology: Systems Development at NQF level 4, and it also facilitates entry into the Systems Development field from other related fields. It aims to enhance readiness for further study in Information Technology and related fields at the Higher Education level, as well as providing for initial employment in the computer industry.

  One of the most important needs for this qualification is to provide for RPL. There are currently no unit standards based registered qualifications for Software Development at the higher education level. However, computer programs are written, installed, maintained and upgraded on a daily basis in a number of different industry sectors. Many areas of training in this field if currently not provided against nationally recognised standards, which this qualification will be addressing.

  The qualification may be acquired in the traditional way of formal study as well as in the workplace, through learnerships or RPL. Acquiring the qualification through learnerships or RPL, has the potential of addressing the problems of the past, where newly qualified people getting into the industry struggled to get employment, because they were required to have practical experience. People with workplace experience in the areas covered by this qualification will now also be allowed to request assessment and get recognition for prior learning.

  The qualification provides the learner with the flexibility to articulate in the IT environment with a wide variety of specialisation options and to articulate within the Telecommunications, Information Technology and Electronic Industries and other industries where IT is a key component, like the Financial Services or Insurance Industries.