Higher Certificate: Advertising and Integrated Communication Practice

Purpose

The purpose of the qualification is to ensure that individual learners are equipped with the knowledge, theory and methodology of the important disciplines in advertising and integrated communication. This should enable them to demonstrate initiative and responsibility in a professional or academic context, as a basis for entry into the labour market, professional training, undergraduate study, or professional practice, in a wide range of careers within civil society, the public or private sectors. The Higher Certificate: Advertising and Integrated Communication Practice is developed in an applied and integrated manner to cover the major functional specialisations which provide broad strategic context on issues in brand management, entrepreneurship, media law, advertising, English language, marketing communications, computer literacy and applied psychology.

The breadth and depth of learning to be achieved reflect a broad repertoire of skills and knowledge consisting of principles, theoretical engagement and levels of intellectual independence characteristic of a Higher Certificate, which facilitates access to the world of work and promotes critical and analytical citizenship.

Rationale

The Higher Certificate: Advertising and Integrated Communication Practice is a response to the workplace need for competent individuals across all economic sectors. The current and future need for competent entry and junior practitioners has been expressed by employers and employees. The skills, knowledge, attitudes and values required by communication practitioners are captured in this qualification while remaining, a generalist programme for the field of practice rather than a specialist programme. This qualification forms part of the increase in provision of employees with higher order capabilities to grow the economy, to advance social transformation, and to remain regionally relevant and globally competitive and provides exciting career opportunities in the fields of advertising and communication, for example:

• Advertising (Sales, Campaign or Project) Administrator and/or Assistant.
• Junior Advertising/Brand Administrator and/or Coordinator.
• Customer Relationship and/or Account Key Account Representative.
• Service, Sales or Product Representative.
• Marketing/Brand/Communication Agent and/or Representative.

In the increasingly competitive, sophisticated and changing world of work; the continued development of higher order applied knowledge is essential. The curriculum has been designed to give individuals the skills required for managing life-long learning to build successful careers and to remain productive and responsible citizens. The qualification provides a balance in fields that are broadly enabling in relation to career pathways, while providing opportunities for both professional membership with a variety of local and international bodies and further studies through vertical and/or horizontal articulation pathways, for example:

• Specialised studies in advertising or marketing communication.
• Advanced studies in brand management.
• Diploma or Bachelor's Degree studies in marketing, advertising or communication.

Learners who register for this programme are assumed to have

• Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy at NQF Level 4.
• Capacity to do self study and complete written assignments.
• Ability to communicate in English (read, write and speak).
• Ability to manage their time.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Learners not meeting the minimum entry requirements may be granted admission through Recognition of Prior Learning.

Learners may provide evidence of prior learning for which they may receive credit towards the qualification by means of portfolios or other forms of appropriate evidence which may include, verified accounts of previous relevant work done and performance records and which evidence is in accordance with the requirements of the relevant Quality Council.

Access to the Qualification

The access requirement for the qualification is one of the following

• National Senior Certificate (NSC).
• National Certificate Vocational (NCV), at NQF Level 4.
• A foreign qualification that is equivalent to the NSC as determined by SAQA.
• Any Further Education and Training Certificate (FETC) at NQF Level 4.

The qualification consists of the following NQF Level 5 modules

• Integrated Marketing Communication, 16 Credits.
• Brand Management, 8 Credits.
• English, 16 Credits.
• Advertising, 16 Credits.
• Applied Psychology, 16 Credits.
• Media Law, 8 Credits.
• Computer Literacy, 10 Credits.
• Entrepreneurship, 16 Credits.
• Socio-Economics, 14 Credits.
• Event Management, 16 Credits.

Total Number of Credits = 136.

Upon completion of a Higher Certificate: Advertising and Integrated Communication Practice, the qualifying Learners will be able to:

1. Apply general communication principles to real life situations.
2. Manage technology resources in organisations.
3. Apply basic analysis processes to key concepts and principles of advertising and brand management theories.
4. Demonstrate entrepreneurial skills.
5. Identify the socio-economic needs of society and display cultural sensitivity within organisations.

Critical Cross-Field Outcomes

All the Critical Cross-Field Outcomes are addressed in the qualification.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Demonstrate an understanding of the communication function and scope according to the fundamental integrated communication practices.
• Apply the knowledge and skills that are associated with integrated marketing communication functions.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Apply end-user computing practices.
• Demonstrate fluency and competency in information technology hardware and software in relation to software suites in the office environment.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Discuss brand management, with a particular emphasis on the principles and methodologies associated with brand building strategies, brand management and brand equity, and the measurement of brand value.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the contemporary advertising milieu as well as the economic and social aspects of advertising.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Apply the knowledge and skills that are associated with entrepreneurship in a commercial context.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Distinguish between the principles and theories of individual, social and organisational behaviour.
• Demonstrate conflict handling and motivational skills and cultural sensitivity within professional environments.

Integrated Assessment

Integrated Assessment is ordinary practice in this type of qualification and is essential to ensure that the purpose of the qualification is achieved in relation to the occupational focus carried by the qualifier and in terms of its propositional and declarative knowledge, vocational relevance, reflexive competency and critical cross-field learning outcomes.

Successful learners will have undertaken an extensive process in which assessments progressively build the learners' integrated competency to a point where the learner is able to demonstrate that they can operate effectively in an entry level occupational position within the knowledge system specified by the qualification title.

Formative assessment integrates the cycle of teaching and learning, and assessment. Study guides and texts contain self-assessment exercises. The scheme of work includes formal assessments in the form of tests and/or assignments based on the learning material and students are graded and provided written feedback. The process is continuous and focuses on smaller sections of the work, limited in the number of outcomes assessed.

Summative assessments take the form of proctored examinations, or equivalent assessment such as a research report which assesses a representative selection of the outcomes practised and assessed in the formative stage. Summative assessment also tests the student's ability to manage and integrate a large body of knowledge to achieve the stated outcomes of a full course.