Afroteq Academy has extended the registration deadline for learners interested in enrolling in the award-winning Occupational Certificate in Facilities Management (OCFM). Natasja Ware, Afroteq Academy Manager, encourages interested individuals to register as soon as possible to avoid disappointment, as this will be the final intake for 2022.
The South African Facilities Management Association (SAFMA) recognised the success of this programme by awarding Afroteq Academy its Excellence in FM award in 2021 and the Award of Recognition in 2022 for its contribution to educating the facilities management industry. “We are finalising the eighth intake for this very popular programme registered with the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO),” Natasja says.
The OCFM is a tailor-made qualification that has specifically been designed to prepare learners to operate as Facilities Managers at a strategic level. It is a two-year course, NQF level 6, an outcomes-based programme that was designed for the industry by the industry. The content is geared toward individuals with expertise in the field of FM, such as building managers, facilities coordinators, maintenance managers, project managers, and technical managers, to apply their skills and knowledge at a strategic level. The qualification expertly and seamlessly integrates all of the skill sets required by senior facilities managers, including cost management, space management, requirements and relocation, maintenance management, contract management, statutory requirements, building technology control and management, alterations etc.
This two-year curriculum uses a hybrid online learning model. Various certified trainers and subject matter experts will present the course material throughout this time, interact with students, and contribute their professional knowledge and experience via an online platform. Over the course of three or four months, for five consecutive days, learners will experience attend online training covering the theory component of the module. Learners complete in-class formative assessments. After the conclusion of the module, Learners complete the Practical and Workplace modules in their workplace and, which form part of their Portfolio of Evidence (POE). Only if they were deemed competent in the prior module will they be permitted to move on to the next. At the end of this time, they will write an External Integrated Summative Assessment, which allows registered SAFMA learners to use the official designation “Certified Facilities Professional.”
“After their two years, learners would have amassed an impressive track record of the experience they had gained in managing client, staff, and supplier contracts or agreements, planning and managing service and support functions necessary for a sustainable business, support system and processes. They will also demonstrate how they have practically analysed and attended to client/user needs to sustain and support the core business. In addition, the Services SETA (SSETA) and QCTO perform their external moderation to ensure it is matched with their quality standards. Each POE is examined and moderated by accredited professionals registered with the applicable accreditation body,” Natasja explains.
Because the programme aims to enhance the skills senior facilities managers require to engage on an executive level and participate in strategic discussions with boards of directors, the pre-requisites for enrolment include:
• NQF Level 4 qualification with communication and mathematical literacy
• A minimum of five years of experience at a management (senior) level
• Experience in setting and managing budgets, strategy and forward planning
“There are many benefits to applying for learnerships, including a positive impact on your Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) scorecard. A specific section makes it mandatory for companies to invest in staff through skills development and training. It stipulates that companies should spend 6% of their payroll on training to access the maximum number of points allocated under the Skills Development section. The Occupational Certificate: Facilities Management is registered as a learnership (no: 32Q 320153292616), and we encourage companies to use this to apply for a funded or discretionary grant from their SETA to benefit their B-BBEE scorecard,” Natasja concludes.
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