Higher Certificate in Tourism

Purpose

The purpose of the Higher Certificate in Tourism is to equip learners with the fundamental knowledge, conceptual and interpersonal skills to prepare them for a role or a career in tourism, and to teach theory and principles that will develop learners into competent individuals who can assist and support tourism businesses and organisations to reach their mission and goals. The qualifying learners will possess the necessary knowledge to effectively bridge the gap of a quality workforce in the tourism sector and within the context of the South African Tourism Industry.

This qualification is the start of a career path in tourism. The skills, value attributes, and knowledge reflected in this qualification are building blocks that will prepare learners for progression along the learning ladder.

This qualification will contribute to the full development of the learners within the Tourism environment by providing recognition and further mobility within the field. The qualification supports the philosophy of life-long learning because learners will be able to increase their access to employment since this qualification also caters for individuals who are employed but lack the certification to perform efficiently or to be promoted.

Upon completion of the qualification, a qualifying learner will be able to

• Demonstrate knowledge of business administration for tourism and apply basic administration, procedures, principles and practices.
• Demonstrate knowledge of and implement the basic principles of Finance for Tourism in a tourism business environment.
• Perform tourism operations, procedures and practices for the effective functioning of a tourism business unit or organisation.
• Perform tourism development tasks and practices for the identification and sustainable development of tourism.

Qualifying learners will be able to seek positions in both public and private institutions. Qualifying learners will have obtained the capabilities to perform in business-related functions as well as general administration duties.

Rationale

As the country battles high unemployment rates, it is striking to note that there are insufficient applicants with qualified skills for available career opportunities. Disturbing findings on the scarcity of professionals in some fields have gained widespread coverage in the recent past following employer frustrations to find adequately skilled workers. As a result, many South African workers are now asking, which skills are most in demand by employers?

Tourism forms part of a learning pathway of tourism qualifications across various public and private industries and sectors. In addition, tourism provides unique entrepreneurial opportunities for SMMEs and major enterprises whilst also allowing for economic development leads to the promotion and protection of the national and cultural heritage of the country.

The current skills deficit across all sectors means that there is a premium placed on staff who are qualified and able to perform across the key areas of tourism, hospitality and associated business administration fields. The current skills shortage also requires that employees be equipped with skills and knowledge that are key to the transformation of the South African economy, and that they can contribute to the positive performance of their employers. Employers often view higher education qualifications as an indicator of the ability to think, analyse, solve problems and communicate effectively. Unfortunately, not all school leavers do not meet the requirements for admission into diploma and degree studies.

Further, there is also a need for entry-level qualifications, which are vocationally and industry focused. Deputy Minister LN Sisulu, Minister of Tourism, stated in an address in parliament in May 2022, that Tourism contributes 3,7% to South Africa's GDP, more than agriculture, utilities, and construction. She went on to state that "Travel and Tourism is an important driver for job creation across the world as globally, 1 in 10 Jobs (334 million jobs) were created in the industry in 2019. We intend to double our share of the global figure in the next five years." Further, it must be noted from various employment studies that tourism employs 5% (1.2 million) of the workforce and in line with the South African Government's targets, employment in tourism is set to soar.

Statistics available from the National List of Occupations in High Demand (2020) reflect tourism on the high demand list and thus indicate the need for hospitality and tourism clerks, officers, administrators, front office and other entry-level staff. The need for tourism is particularly acute since they are vital because of South African industry relies on the sector for unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers to drive economic growth. Additionally, to function effectively within the current Knowledge Economy, practitioners must be trained in the use of web-based technology and tools to succeed in their field, particularly in this competitive global economy.

The qualifications in Tourism offer introductory knowledge to the areas of tourism and development, general business administration, entrepreneurship, marketing, human resources and Finance for Tourism, and computer skills within a tourism business environment and prepare learners for a range of entry-level professional positions in Tourism. Further, it also provides opportunities for upskilling, certification of skills obtained during on-the-job training or self-study or further studies. Learners could pursue opportunities such as Careers as travel sales consultants, reservation consultants, visitor information counsellors, tour guides, meeting and convention coordinators, customer relations specialists, travel brokers and destination marketing specialists and entrepreneurs.

The proposed qualification is highly relevant and required in today`s tourism and business world as it focuses on what is current and in demand, thus making a positive contribution to the South African economy. The NQF objectives incorporated in the qualification offer learners the knowledge and applied competence, including the basic skills required for employment in a range of professional administrative positions in the tourism and business environment.

The qualification will broaden access to tertiary education, since the minimum admission requirements for the certificate are lower than those applicable for a diploma/degree qualification. This qualification will thus:

• Facilitate access to, and mobility and progression within, education and training career paths.
• Accelerate the redress of past unfair discrimination in education, training, and employment opportunities.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Recognition of Prior Learning in South Africa supports the transformation of the education and training system of the country. This calls for an approach to the development of RPL policy and practices that explicitly addresses the visible and invisible barriers to learning and assessment.

The developmental approach must generate the commitment of all role players to remove these barriers and to build a visible, usable and credible system as an effective and creative vehicle for lifelong learning. Consensus must be reached around the criteria and support systems within which the integrity and quality of all assessments will be protected. At the same time, the opportunities and benefits of RPL must be extended to all learners and stakeholders. It is also imperative that a viable, sustainable and credible system is built for RPL.

The intuition has increasingly considered how learning that has taken place in a range of contexts may be assessed and formally recognised through accreditation. The institution's RPL process is aligned with national RPL Policies. As per the national and institutional RPL policies and procedures, RPL applies to all prospective candidates.

RPL for access

• Learners who do not meet the minimum entrance requirements or the required qualification at the same NQF level as the qualification required for admission may be considered for admission through RPL.
• To be considered for admission in the qualification based on RPL, applicants should provide evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates that they have acquired the relevant knowledge, skills, and competencies through formal, non-formal and/or informal learning to cope with the qualification expectations, should they be allowed entrance into the qualification.
• The limitation of 10% of the cohort regarding admission applies as stipulated in the CHE guidelines.

RPL for credits

• The candidate must demonstrate competence in the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes indicated in the qualification to obtain credits/credit exemptions.
• This qualification may be achieved in part through the recognition of prior learning (a maximum of 50% of the credits), which includes informal and formal learning and work experience.

RPL for exemption from modules

• Learners may apply for RPL to be exempted from modules that form part of the qualification
• Applicants must provide sufficient evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates that competency was achieved for the learning outcomes that are equivalent to the learning outcomes of the module

Entry Requirements

• National Senior Certificate, NQF Level 4 granting access to Higher Certificate studies.

Or

• Senior Certificate, NQF Level 4 without endorsement.

Or

National Certificate (Vocational), NQF Level, granting access to Higher Certificate studies.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at National Qualifications Framework, Level 5, totalling 130 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, NQF Level 5, 130 Credits

• Business Administration for Tourism, 15 Credits.
• Business Communication, 10 Credits.
• Marketing for Tourism, 15 Credits.
• Tourism Geography, 10 Credits.
• End User Computing for Tourism, 10 Credits.
• Introduction to Tourism, 20 Credits.
• Tourism Development, 15 Credits.
• Finance for Tourism, 15 Credits.
• Entrepreneurship, 10 Credits.
• Tourism Practice, 10 Credits.

1. Demonstrate knowledge of business administration for tourism and apply basic administration, procedures, principles and practices.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of and implement the basic principles of Finance for Tourism in a tourism business environment.
3. Perform tourism operations, procedures and practices for the effective functioning of a tourism business unit or organisation.
4. Perform tourism development tasks and practices for the identification and sustainable development of tourism.
5. Perform basic marketing tasks and practices for the effective functioning of a tourism business unit or organisation and develop tourism marketing approaches.
6. Communicate effectively within a multicultural and diverse organisation or department, using various communication media and technology to establish and improve employee relations within a tourism business.
7. Demonstrate knowledge of business information systems via the use of hardware tools and software applications to perform various tourism and business operations and tasks.
8. Demonstrate knowledge of entrepreneurship to complete tasks and practices for small business development and entrepreneurial activities within tourism.

The following Associated Assessment Criteria are assessed in an integrated manner across all the Exit Level Outcomes

• Define, describe, explain, create, and demonstrate business administration systems, procedures, techniques, and plans.
• Define, describe, explain, create, and demonstrate tourism and Business Administration concepts, principles and methodologies to decision making within a commercial context.
• Describe and create tourism supply and demand, and how the tourism industry contributes to the economy.
• Demonstrate knowledge of tourism administration procedures and functions from the daily administrative perspective.
• Define, describe, and explain organisational culture and an understanding of managing change and diversity within the tourism industry.
• Identify and explain the process flow for the operation of tourism and hospitality entities to ensure effective coordination of the operational.
• Collect data from research and compile meaningful reports for various tourism businesses, marketing, administration and development decision-making purposes.
• Explain and create effective written and oral work communication tools, approaches, and techniques applicable to tourism are defined, described, explained, collected, and demonstrated.
• Describe and explain general administration functions of entry to mid-level administrators.
• Define what finance is for tourism, including its principles, processes, approaches and decision-making frameworks in a tourism business environment.
• Define and describe marketing principles, processes, approaches and decision-making frameworks in tourism.
• Create and explain tourism Destination Marketing principles, processes, approaches and decision-making frameworks.
• Demonstrate the knowledge of customer relations management and good service quality in the tourism industry.
• Create and explain tourism development theories, concepts, principles, processes, approaches, decision-making frameworks, and guidelines to evaluate the importance of sustainable tourism development.
• Describe and discuss the impact of tourism on the environmental, economic and social factors to understand the environmental impacts that tourism poses to the environment.
• Demonstrate the knowledge of entrepreneurship in tourism to complete tasks and practices for small business development and entrepreneurial activities.
• Demonstrate knowledge of business information systems via the use of hardware tools and software applications to perform various tourism business operations and tasks.
• Create a range of tourism business-related documents using numerous tools.

Integrated Assessment

Assessment practices are open, transparent, fair, valid, and reliable. Various assessment techniques will be used to develop learning and to ensure appropriate learning and evaluation. An assessment plan will be included in each Study Guide. The plan will include a schedule of assessments to be conducted during the year. It will also include assessment criteria, assessment methods, weighting and timing of assessment.

Assessment will be based on the nature, level and scope of the module/subject area. The assessment techniques may include a combination of one or more of the following:

• Written Tests.
• Written Assignments.
• Portfolios.
• Oral assessments/demonstrations.
• Mini projects.
• Practical assessments.
• Written Examinations.

Formative Assessment

Guides lecturers about the level of understanding and progress of learners. It consists of tests that are performed regularly, especially at the end of a section or topic. The activities allow lecturers to recognise and respond to learners' thinking and make proper judgments of learners' progress levels of attainment. This type of assessment leads to self-reflection on both the part of both learners learning and lecturer-led teaching. Based on this, lecturers can provide feedback to learners so that they can improve their future performance. On the other hand, lecturers can use this feedback to enhance their teaching and adjust their teaching materials based on the performance of learners. Formative assessment forms part of the teaching process and is included in the final mark.

Summative Assessment

Compared to formative assessment, the summative assessment indicates the achievement status of a learner at a particular point in time, for example, semester one of an academic year [Y1, S2]. It is an exam where a mark is generated. Feedback is given based on this mark. It, however, provides fewer opportunities for learners to build on their strengths and learn from the

mistakes compared to formative assessments.

Formative and summative assessment breakdown

The qualification has clearly differentiated the formative and summative assessments per semester, together with the number of tasks and weighting towards the final assessment. The academic qualification is divided into 2 Semesters, with end-of-year examinations and Mid-Year Examinations.

The academic qualification and the study guide clearly state that in each of the semesters, one written test, one written assignment constitute the summative assessment. The formative assessment consists of 40-60% of the final mark, whilst the summative constitutes 40%-60% of the Final mark (depending on the modules).

Other forms of assessments are class-based assessments, which involve activities set by the lecturer. The institution has reviewed and designed effective assessment practices through its policy on examination and assessment. Both summative and formative assessment is conducted and is timetabled and available to learners. Regular tests and assignments are conducted to achieve the intended outcomes, the content and the level of the module to address fairness and quality.

Part of the assessment practices is the scheduling of mid-year and end-of-year written examinations to assess the topics covered during the two semesters. Part of the assessment practice is to identify learners at-risk and provide academic support through consultation, counselling and extra classes.

Internal and external moderation/examination

All formative and summative assessments of non-exit level modules will be internally moderated by either subject experts or the HoD. In the case of the exit level modules, external experts from industry (provided they have the requisite academic qualifications at least at NQF 6), private and public higher education institutions with relevant academic qualifications (at least NQF 8), as well as experience, will be appointed to serve as external examiners. The Institute will develop a database of highly qualified experts who will be called upon from time to time to assist with the moderation of the assessment tools as well as the learners' responses/scripts.

Assessment of experiential learning

The purpose of WIL is to enable learners to contextualise their learning and achieve significant curriculum outcomes by accessing the experiential skills and knowledge environment by participating in workplaces. Collaborative involvement optimises learners learning and safety during placement and allows relevance of tuition to be tested and verified, making the learners more marketable on

In the case of the Work Integrated Learning module, learners will also undergo external moderation.

The Assessment and moderation of WIL is detailed in the WIL Policy and is further listed below

• On completion of WIL, the learners will attend an interview with a panel of staff members (at least 2 academics and the WIL coordinator).
• The panel assesses the learners' performance during the interview and assigns an appropriate grade
• The panel will also assess the WIL Logbook submitted

The final WIL assessment will comprise of the final mark allocations

• Interview assessment (15%).
• WIL Logbook Assessment (45%).
• Site visit report by staff / WIL coordinator (20%).
• Workplace supervisor report (20%).
• On completion of WIL, the logbook is updated, signed and sent for filing and central storage.
• A sample of panel interview assessment report, WIL logbook assessment report, site visit reports and workplace supervisor reports are sent to an external moderator for evaluation.
• Mark adjustments are discussed at academic structures before being approved and implemented.