Health and Safety Accredited Courses

Health and Safety Accredited Courses – Sifting the grain from the husk – A Google search for 'Health & Safety training in South Africa' gets 52 100 000 hits. Add 'Accredited' to the search and you will get 'only' 2 360 000 responses. Bring HWSETA into the mix and you suddenly have 14 600 results left. Why is that?

Training Provider

Finding the correct training provider is always a challenge for employees and employers keen on obtaining additional education for themselves or their staff. But regardless of who takes the decision of which course to follow, the first question asked will always be: 'How much will it cost?' This question is shortly followed by 'How long will it take?', 'Where will we get training?' and 'What career can I achieve once my training is completed?' But the question 'What is the calibre of your trainers?', is seldom asked, which opens the door to many shifty trainers and training institutions. It is exactly for this reason why only 0,02% of the original search results are left when 'HWSETA' is added to the above mentioned search query.

Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSeta)

The Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority is strict when it comes to issuing accreditation to educational institutions in the industry. Applicant organisations have to be able to develop, deliver and evaluate learning programs that culminate in specified standards or qualifications. They are also required to have the financial, administrative and physical resources in place as well as policies and procedures for staff selection, appraisal and development. Most importantly they are expected to have policies and procedures in place for learner entry, guidance and support, and this should be backed up by an acceptable quality management system. These are just a few of the requirements a training institution for the Health and Safety industry is expected to meet. It is, therefore, no wonder that relatively few companies have embarked on this process, as it requires serious preparations, resources and investment.

Managing quality

One of the companies that was audited and approved by HWSETA is MAKROSAFE. The company has been in the health and safety industry for close to two decades and has a wealth of advisory experience. This knowledge is now put to use by educating and training company employees about health and safety in the workplace. Makrosafe has invested heavily in its training capacity and in the quality of its moderators and assessors as the company firmly believes that 'output can only be as good as input'. With health and safety at stake, there is simply no space for error.

Quality Management System

The training programs are backed up by a quality management system that defines the course material, policies and procedures for each course. Students can rest assured that all training material has been tested and validated and that moderators and assessors have thorough knowledge and understanding of the industry as can be expected. The strength of this combination is that students benefit from the knowledge available on health and safety in the workplace in South Africa. More importantly, they benefit from the teaching skills and abilities of the facilitators, which makes it easier to understand and apply the course content.

Make sure of your Training Provider

Make sure that next time you search for a training provider, you check first what it is that they offer. The quality of service provided depends on the ability to provide quality. It is the HWSETA's mandate to enhance the quality of education and training in the health and safety industry. Looking for a training provider that is accredited by the HWSETA should, therefore, be a prerogative.

In our next article we will discuss a qualification in comparison with to a short course.