COMMUNITY CAREGIVERS TAKE VITAL STEP TOWARD QUALIFICATION THROUGH RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING PROGRAMME

By Tholakele Makena.

• The Department of Social Development (DSD), in partnership with HWSETA, is accrediting more than 1 200 community caregivers through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme.
• ⁠Caregivers are completing “Top-Up” training workshops across Tshwane as they work toward the NQF Level 4 qualification in Child and Youth Care Work.
• The initiative recognises years of informal caregiving experience and equips participants for professional growth and improved service delivery.

The Department of Social Development (DSD), together with the Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA), is formalising the skills of community caregivers through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme. More than 1 200 caregivers from Gauteng, Limpopo, and North West are participating in the initiative, which accredits their years of experience in child and youth care and prepares them for professional qualification.
Workshops are currently underway in Tshwane, including sessions in Mamelodi East, Atteridgeville, and Soshanguve. These form part of the final “Top-Up” training phase where participants consolidate their knowledge before assessment for the NQF Level 4 qualification in Child and Youth Care Work.
Ms Nonhlanhla Zondo, a facilitator from Seshego Risk Management Solutions, explained the scope of the qualification. “The qualification consists of 26 unit standards, including core components focused on child and youth care work. These cover essential topics such as behaviour management, programme development, and fundamental principles of care,” she said. “It’s crucial that caregivers are capacitated to address the diverse and often complex needs of the children and youth they support every day.”
For many participants, the programme is a long-awaited opportunity. Ms Tsholofelo Mogatlanyane, 45, from Atteridgeville, who has been working in the sector for over 13 years, reflected: “What I appreciate most is that we will finally receive certificates that can help us apply for better jobs or grow in our current roles. This training is helping us turn years of work into a qualification.”
She added that transport and communication challenges had made participation difficult at times. “In some cases, we had to travel at our own cost, and we didn’t always receive the promised support or stipends. Despite this, we’re pushing through because we know how important this opportunity is.”
Dr Luzile Nziyane, Director for HIV and AIDS Prevention at DSD, stressed the wider importance of the initiative. “This programme is about more than certification. It is about recognising the real, lived experience of caregivers and creating pathways for them to formalise their role within the broader social development sector. Their contribution has always mattered. Now, they are being equipped to take that work further.”
As the workshops draw to a close with the final session in Bronkhorstspruit, caregivers are preparing for assessments that will bring them closer to certification. The programme not only validates their years of service but also lays the foundation for future learning and the strengthening of child and youth care services in South Africa.