DSD AND HWSETA EXPAND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING TRAINING TO MPUMALANGA

By Keitumetse Rampoporo

• The Department of Social Development and HWSETA are strengthening the professionalisation of welfare services by expanding Recognition of Prior Learning training to Child and Youth Care Workers in Mpumalanga.
• The initiative provides frontline caregivers with formal qualifications, recognising years of practical experience while improving service delivery to vulnerable communities.
• Government aims to scale the programme nationally, reinforcing efforts to professionalise community-based care and address historical educational inequalities.

The Department of Social Development’s (DSD) HIV and AIDS Prevention Unit, in partnership with the Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA), has expanded the Community Development Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) training programme to Mpumalanga as part of ongoing efforts to professionalise community-based care services.

A total of 160 Child and Youth Care Workers from Department-funded Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) are participating in a week-long induction workshop currently underway at the Heron Conference Centre, Pine Lake Country Lodge in White River, near Mbombela.

The week-long induction sessions commenced on 18 May and concludes today, 22 May 2026, at the Heron Conference Centre, Pine Lake Country Lodge in White River, near Mbombela.

Speaking during the programme, Director of the HIV and AIDS Prevention Unit, Dr Luzile Nziyane, said the Recognition of Prior Learning initiative seeks to formally recognise and strengthen the work of Community Caregivers who have long served vulnerable communities without formal qualifications.

The Recognition of Prior Learning training programme aims to professionalise Community Caregivers from Social Development-funded NPOs. The goal is to academically empower them in their important work of reducing social challenges such as HIV and AIDS, child abuse, gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), substance abuse and poverty,” said Dr Nziyane.

She noted that the project was introduced in response to the reality that many frontline workers possess extensive practical experience but lack formal academic recognition.

“Driven by passion and commitment to serving vulnerable communities, many individuals joined NPOs as volunteers and gained invaluable experience over time,” she said.

“This initiative will not only enable Community Caregivers to obtain formal qualifications, but it will also strengthen the department’s efforts to professionalise services provided through funded NPOs. It ensures that service providers possess the required knowledge, skills and qualifications to effectively support children and address social challenges.”

The initiative’s significance was echoed by participants at the workshop.

Ms Innocentia Sibiya from Nkomazi Local Municipality, who works for Octopus Network, an organisation focusing on social behavioural change programmes, said the programme would strengthen her skills and enhance her ability to support vulnerable communities.

“We implement children’s programmes aimed at transforming lives from infancy through adolescence. We also work with young people through the YOLO (You Only Live Once) programme, supporting children and youth affected by drug abuse, HIV and AIDS and other social challenges,” said Sibiya.

She described the programme as an important academic stepping stone towards achieving her goal of becoming a qualified social worker.

“It is going to help me become a better counsellor in my community. It will also create opportunities for broader collaboration and professional growth,” she said.

Building on previous successes, approximately 1,280 Community Caregivers were enrolled during the previous financial year across Gauteng, Limpopo and North West.

Dr Nziyane said the current phase would enrol 351 Community Caregivers across Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West, with each province allocated 117 participants.

She added that the programme is expected to expand to KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape and Western Cape during the 2027/2028 financial year.

Addressing participants, HWSETA Education and Training Quality Assurance Executive Manager and Acting Chief Executive Officer, Ms Baakedi Motubatse, highlighted the importance of Recognition of Prior Learning in bridging the gap between practical experience and formal qualifications.

“The RPL training programme seeks to standardise and professionalise Child and Youth Care services across the country,” said Motubatse.

She explained that Recognition of Prior Learning formally acknowledges knowledge and competencies acquired through workplace experience, informal training and community-based service.

“The ultimate purpose of RPL is to ensure that learners receive formal, accredited recognition for the skills they already possess,” she said.

Participant Mr Philani Mkhontho from Pienaar, under Mbombela Local Municipality, also welcomed the initiative.

“We work directly with children and young people through social behavioural change programmes. This training gives us knowledge and practical tools that will strengthen our work in communities,” he said.

Mkhontho said the programme creates opportunities for participants to obtain accredited qualifications while continuing to serve communities.

“Recognition of Prior Learning gives us an opportunity to obtain an NQF Level 4 qualification and continue advancing academically. We appreciate that the Department recognises and values the contribution of frontline workers,” he said.

Another participant, Ms Hlobisile Khumalo from Kabokweni in Ehlanzeni District Municipality, who works for the Malekutu Development Programme, said the initiative validates years of community service that previously carried no formal academic recognition.

“I joined this intake because I want to obtain a formal qualification in Child and Youth Care Work. I believe this qualification will help me progress academically and create better employment opportunities,” she said.

The partnership between DSD and HWSETA forms part of broader government efforts to address historical educational inequalities by recognising practical workplace experience alongside formal learning pathways.

The Recognition of Prior Learning programme builds on a successful pilot implemented in 2020, which benefited 350 Community Caregivers in Gauteng and Mpumalanga.

Following the pilot’s success, DSD and HWSETA signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2024 to expand the programme, with a target of benefiting 7,912 Community Caregivers by 30 June 2027.

Dr Nziyane said the Department intends to further scale the programme nationally.

“We are planning to expand to additional provinces and continue strengthening the professionalisation of welfare services,” she said.

She reaffirmed the critical role Child and Youth Care Workers continue to play in protecting vulnerable children, including those orphaned by HIV and AIDS and those living in child-headed households.

“Through Recognition of Prior Learning, we are professionalising the sector and ensuring that frontline workers receive the formal recognition they have rightfully earned,” she said.

The Recognition of Prior Learning process includes induction, evidence gathering, field observations, top-up training, assessment of Portfolios of Evidence, moderation, verification and certification.

Participants who successfully demonstrate competency are awarded a formal Certificate in Child and Youth Care Work at NQF Level 4, strengthening both their professional standing and the quality of services delivered to communities across South Africa.