Higher Occupational Certificate: Electrical Equipment Maintenance Specialist

Purpose

The purpose of this qualification is to prepare a learner to operate as an Electrical Equipment Maintenance Specialist. An Electrical Equipment Maintenance Specialist installs, maintains, and repairs electrical machines, equipment and systems by performing troubleshooting and fault-finding on electrical machines, equipment and systems to ensure safe, effective and efficient performance.

A qualified learner will be able to

• Perform maintenance and commission on electrical equipment and systems.
• Perform installation on electrical machines, equipment, and systems.
• Perform troubleshooting and fault-finding on electrical machines, equipment, and systems.

Rationale

Many industries rely on electricity and electrical equipment and systems to operate their equipment and systems, thus ensuring sustainability. Domestically, electricity and electrical supply is also of great importance for livelihoods of many people. Electrical Equipment Maintenance Specialists, as people who ensure efficiency and effectiveness of electrical systems and equipment, play a very crucial role in the use and functioning of electrical equipment and systems, which ensures reliable supply of electrical power to and optimal functioning of electrical equipment and systems. A training programme for this purpose is therefore needed to ensure proper training for individuals who are to assume this role, hence the development of this qualification.

This qualification will contribute to the economic reconstruction and recovery of South Africa by capacitating leaners with competencies that are critical around electrical engineering, particularly for maintenance and repair of electrical equipment and systems.

The skills acquired from this occupation may lead to a reduction of unemployment particularly amongst youth. Learners graduating from this qualification may also venture into starting their own businesses because of knowledge, skills and competencies acquired in this qualification, thus leading to unemployment reduction.

The sector will benefit from this qualification through the availability of well-trained electrical engineering maintenance equipment maintenance specialist who would be capable to deliver services required today and into the future, therefore boosting the capacity and capability of maintenance work in the sector.

Typical learners are school leavers and qualifying learners from the TVET/CET college adhering to the minimum entry requirements for this qualification and individuals who have worked in industry without a formal qualification.

Stakeholders from industry, training providers and the engineering regulator were consulted during the development of this qualification.

Typical occupations in which the qualifying learner will operate include Electrical Engineering Technician.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

RPL for Access

Learners may use the RPL process to gain access to training opportunities for a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme if they do not meet the formal, minimum entry requirements for admission. RPL assessment provides an alternative access route into a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme.

Such an RPL assessment may be developed, moderated, and conducted by the accredited Skills Development Provider which offers that specific qualification/part qualification/skills programme. Such an assessment must ensure that the learner is able to display the equivalent level of competencies required for access, based on the NQF level descriptors.

RPL for Exemption

For exemption from modules through RPL, learners who have gained the stipulated competencies of the modules of a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification or skills programme through any means of formal, informal or non-formal learning and/or work experience, may be awarded credits towards relevant modules, and gaps identified for training, which is then concluded.

RPL for awarding credits

Learners who have gained the stipulated competencies of the modules of a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme through any means of formal, informal, or non-formal learning and/or work experience, may be awarded credits towards relevant modules, and gaps identified for training, which is then concluded.

RPL for access to the External Integrated Summative Assessment (EISA)

A valid Statement of Results is required for admission to the EISA in which confirmation of achievement is provided that all internal assessment criteria for all modules in the related curriculum document have been achieved.

For a Skills Programme, the accredited Skills Development Provider (SDP) must ensure all modular competency requirements are met prior to the FISA and keep record of such evidence.

Upon successful completion of the EISA, RPL learners will be issued with the QCTO certificate for the qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme. Quality Partners are responsible for ensuring the RPL mechanism and process for qualifications and part-qualification is approved by the QCTO.

Entry Requirements

An NQF Level 4 qualification with Mathematics and Physical Science.

This qualification is made up of compulsory Knowledge, Practical Skill and Work Experience Modules

Knowledge Modules

• 311301-001-00-02-KM-01, Occupational Health and Safety Legislation, NQF Level 5, 6 Credits.
• 311301-001-00-02-KM-02, Business Communication and Customer Services, NQF Level 5, 7 Credits.
• 311301-001-00-02-KM-03, Project Management, NQF Level 5, 3 Credits.
• 311301-001-00-02-KM-04, Digital Tools, NQF Level 5, 7 Credits.
• 311301-001-00-02-KM-13, Principles of Electricity, NQF Level 6, 6 Credits.
• 311301-001-00-02-KM-14, Electrotechnics I, NQF Level 6, 13 Credits.
• 311301-001-00-02-KM-15, Electrotechnics II, NQF Level 6, 25 Credits.
• 311301-001-00-02-KM-19, PLC Programming (Service and Maintenance), NQF Level 5, 5 Credits.
• 311301-001-00-02-KM-24, Maintenance and Repairs, NQF Level 5,11 Credits.

Total number of credits for Knowledge Modules: 83

Practical Skill Modules

• 311301-001-00-02-PM-05, Application of Principles of Electricity, NQF Level 6, 5 Credits.
• 311301-001-00-02-PM-07, Servicing and Maintenance, NQF Level 6, 7 Credits.

Total number of credits for Practical Skill Modules: 12

Work Experience Modules

• 311401-001-00-02-WM-03, Maintaining, Servicing, and Commissioning Electrical Equipment, Level 5, 33 Credits.
• 311401-001-00-02-WM-04, Managing Related Electrical Engineering Operations, NQF Level 5, 17 Credits.

Total number of credits for Work Experience Modules: 50

1. Maintain electrical engineering machines, equipment, and systems by identifying, analysing, and applying appropriate methods and procedures to ensure safe and effective performance.
2. Install components and parts to an electrical machine, system, and equipment by applying appropriate methods, procedures, and techniques and utilising tools and equipment to ensure compliance with safety standards.
3. Conduct investigations on electrical engineering machines, equipment and systems by applying appropriate methods, procedures and techniques in accordance to industry and regulatory requirements.
4. Implement fault finding and troubleshooting on electrical engineering machines, equipment, and systems by applying recognised techniques and procedures.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

ELO 1: Maintain electrical engineering machines, equipment, and systems by identifying, analysing, and applying appropriate methods and procedures to ensure safe and effective performance.

• Identify and explain principles, rules, and theories relevant to maintenance of electrical equipment and systems.
• Maintain housekeeping and safety.
• Identify and use relevant tools and equipment.
• Maintain electrical machines, equipment and systems.
• Identify and explain types of maintenance and the need thereof.
• Complete relevant documentation.
• Carry out the service of equipment and systems.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

ELO 2: Install components and parts to an electrical machine, system, and equipment by applying appropriate methods, procedures, and techniques and utilising tools and equipment to ensure compliance with safety standards.

• Identify and explain principles, rules, and theories relevant to component installation of electrical equipment and systems.
• Maintain housekeeping and safety.
• Identify and use relevant tools and equipment.
• Complete relevant documentation.
• Inspect, remove and replace worn out and damaged components.
• Demonstrate installation procedures.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

ELO 3: Conduct investigations on electrical engineering machines, equipment and systems by applying appropriate methods, procedures and techniques in accordance with industry and regulatory requirements.

• Identify and record causes of breakdown and or failure.
• Demonstrate procedures of determining causes of equipment failure.
• Identify and use relevant tools and equipment.
• Complete relevant documentation.
• Identify regulatory and compliance codes and requirements.
• Maintain housekeeping and safety.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

ELO 4: Implement fault finding and troubleshooting on electrical engineering machines, equipment, and systems by applying recognised techniques and procedures.

• Identify and use relevant tools and equipment.
• Maintain housekeeping and safety.
• Demonstrate trouble shooting and fault-finding procedures.

Integrated Assessment

Formative Assessments conducted internally

Formative assessments are conducted throughout the training of learners. A range of formal, non-formal, and informal ongoing assessment activities are used to focus on teaching and learning outcomes to improve learner attainment.

Formative assessments are conducted continuously by the facilitator to feed into further learning, to identify strengths and weakness, and to ensure the learner's ability to apply knowledge, skills and workplace experience gained.

Formative Assessments are conducted by the accredited Skills Development Provider (SDP), and a variety of ongoing assessment methods may be used, for example, quizzes, assignments, tests, scenarios, role play, interviews. Continuous feedback must be provided.

Integrated Summative Assessments conducted Internally

Integrated Assessment involves all the different types of assessment tasks required for a particular qualification, part-qualification or occupational skills programme, such as written assessment of theory and practical demonstration of competence. To achieve this, the Internal Assessment Criteria (IAC) for all modules as found in the QCTO curriculum document must be followed.

An accredited SDP should implement a well-designed, formal, relevant, final internal Summative Assessment strategy for all modules to prepare learners for the EISA. These assessments evaluate learning achievements relating to the achievement of each module of the relevant components of the qualification, part-qualification or skills programme.

Internal Summative Assessments are developed, moderated and conducted by the SDP at the end of each module or after integration of relevant modules, e.g. applied knowledge tests, workplace tasks, practical demonstrations, simulated tasks/demonstrations, projects, case studies, etc.

The results of these final formal summative assessments must be recorded. These results, which include the Statement of Work Experience results, where applicable, contribute to the Statement of Results (SoR) that is a requirement for admission to the EISA. An SoR, using the template provided by the Quality Partner, is issued by the accredited SDP for qualifications and part-qualifications. The SDP must produce a valid Statement of Results for each learner, indicating the final result and the date on which the competence in each module, of each component, was achieved. Learners are required to produce this SoR, together with their ID document or alternative ID document, at the point of the EISA.

External Integrated Summative Assessment (EISA) - a national assessment

The Quality Partner is responsible for the management, conduct and implementation of the External Integrated Summative Assessment (EISA), in accordance with QCTO set standards. Competence in the EISA is a requirement for certificating a learner.

For entrance into the EISA, the learner requires a valid Statement of Results issued by the accredited institution indicating:

The attainment of all modules for the Knowledge, Practical and Work Experience modules.

OR

The attainment of all modules for the Knowledge and Application Components.