National Occupational Certificate: Professional Banking Officer

Purpose

Completing a Professional Banking Officer entry-level qualification offers significant benefits for learners, enhancing their career prospects and personal development. This qualification equips them with essential skills and knowledge required for effective performance in the banking sector, making them more attractive to potential employers and increasing their chances of securing entry-level positions. Learners gain practical skills in client engagement, fintech tools, and basic financial analysis, which build their confidence and adaptability in a fast-paced financial environment. Additionally, the programme improves their financial literacy, enabling them to manage personal finances more effectively and make informed financial decisions. Moreover, the emphasis on ethical standards and compliance fosters a responsible approach to banking, encouraging integrity and trust in their professional conduct.

The purpose of this qualification is to prepare a learner to function as a Professional Banking Officer.

A Professional Banking Officer deliver essential banking services, support client needs, and apply basic risk management and compliance practices under supervision.

A qualified learner will be able to

• Engage with clients to deliver solutions based on standard banking products, gathering essential information and addressing routine needs under guidance.
• Apply basic risk management practices and adhere to ethical standards, following compliance protocols to manage operational risks effectively under supervision.
• Introduce and support the use of basic banking products and fintech tools, utilising digital platforms to perform standard operations and contribute to efficiency improvement feedback.
• Apply fundamental financial concepts to personal finances, interpreting basic financial data to identify typical risks and trends.

A qualified learner will demonstrate the following key attributes

• Sense Of Urgency,
• Adaptability,
• Team Player,
• Critical Thinking,
• Practically Orientated,
• Customer-focused, and
• Culturally Sensitive.

Rationale

The National Occupational Certificate: Professional Banking Officer is necessary to ensure skilled banking officers who effectively deliver essential banking services, support clients, and monitor risks in a compliant and efficient manner. This qualification equips learners with the necessary skills to handle routine banking tasks, apply foundational financial concepts, and adhere to ethical standards and regulatory requirements under supervision in a rapidly evolving banking industry.

Similar Qualification(s) already NQF registered/ QCTO approved

• Higher Certificate in Banking, NQF Level 05.

The Professional Banking Officer entry-level qualification significantly enhances the banking sector by improving service delivery. Trained professionals will be equipped to engage with clients, assisting with providing banking solutions that address their routine banking needs. This not only fosters customer satisfaction and loyalty but also creates a standardised approach to banking practices. Additionally, by adhering to ethical standards and compliance protocols, banking officers can help monitor operational risks, enhancing the overall stability of financial institutions, which is critical in today's regulatory environment.

The societal benefits of this qualification are equally important, particularly in terms of financial literacy and community development. Banking officers trained to apply fundamental financial concepts can educate clients on personal finance management, empowering them to make informed decisions. Moreover, by enhancing accessibility to banking services, especially for underserved populations, the qualification promotes financial inclusion. This, in turn, helps build trust in the financial system and provides clients with the necessary financial tools and guidance, ultimately contributing to community economic growth.

From an economic perspective, the implementation of this qualification can lead to increased stability and sustainable growth. Additionally, as banks expand their services and improve operational efficiency through trained personnel, job creation in the sector will rise, providing more career opportunities for individuals. Overall, this entry-level qualification not only strengthens the banking industry but also fosters a more resilient economy that benefits all stakeholders involved.

Typical learners include people who are already working within the Banking environment and those who wish to enter the field.

This qualification was developed in collaboration with the relevant bankers, commercial banks, skills development providers, the banking professional body and the Financial Services Regulator.

The typical occupation in which the qualifying learner will operate is Banking Officer.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

RPL for Access to Training

Learners may use the RPL process to gain access to training opportunities for a or qualification if they do not meet the formal, minimum entry requirements for admission. RPL assessment provides an alternative access route into a qualification. Such an RPL assessment may be developed, moderated, and conducted by the accredited Skills Development Provider which offers that specific qualification.

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 from modules

For exemption from modules through RPL, learners who have gained the stipulated competencies of the modules of a qualification through any means of formal, informal or nonformal 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)

Learners who have gained the stipulated competencies of the modules of a qualification 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.

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.

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

Entry Requirements

An NQF Level 3 qualification.

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

Knowledge Modules

• 421102-001-00-KM-01, Introduction to Value-Driven Solutioning Services, NQF Level 4, 16 Credits.
• 421102-001-00-KM-02, Fundamentals of Risk and Compliance Management, NQF Level 4, 13 Credits.
• 421102-001-00-KM-03, Introduction to Evolving Banking Products, Services, and Fintech Innovations, NQF Level 4, 13 Credits.
• 421102-001-00-KM-04, Basic Financial Acumen, NQF Level 4, 8 Credits.

Total number of credits for Knowledge Modules: 50

Practical Skill Modules

• 421102-001-00-PM-01, Facilitate Client Solutioning for Routine Banking Related Needs, NQF Level 4, 9 Credits.
• 421102-001-00-PM-02, Apply Foundational Risk Management Practices to Monitor Operational Risks, NQF Level 4, 10 Credits.
• 421102-001-00-PM-03, Introduce Basic Digital Banking Services and Fintech Support, NQF Level 4, 9 Credits.
• 421102-001-00-PM-04, Interpret Basic Financial Data, NQF Level 4, 17 Credits.

Total number of credits for Practical Skill Modules: 45

Work Experience Modules

• 421102-001-00-WM01, Compliance and Risk Management Processes, NQF Level 4, 10 Credits.
• 421102-001-00-WM02, Problem Solving and Solutioning Processes, NQF Level 4, 10 Credits.
• 421102-001-00-WM03, Banking Product or Services Support Processes, NQF Level 4, 10 Credits.

Total number of credits for Work Experience Modules: 30

1. Address client needs for standard banking products.
2. Monitor client, banking governance and risk issues.
3. Provide banking solutions to clients.
4. Apply basic financial concepts for personal finance decisions.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

ELO 1: Address client needs for standard banking products.

• Consider interpersonal communication principles for application to clarify and identify standard banking solutions to address client solutioning challenges.
• Identify standard banking solutions that align with client solutioning needs for recommendation to clients.
• Consider client feedback on provided banking solutions and use to refine the introduction of standard banking products.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

ELO 2: Monitor client, banking governance and risk issues.

• Identify and summarise risks associated with basic banking products and client interactions are for further attention referral.
• Apply ethical conduct.
• Compile and submit compliance reports inputs.
• Protect the bank's reputation as a responsible corporate citizen.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

ELO 3: Provide banking solutions to clients.

• Introduce basic banking fintech solutions to clients.
• Assist clients to use basic banking fintech solutions.
• Articulate or define personal experience and benefits of banking solutions and technologies.
• Obtain customer experience feedback on banking solutions.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

ELO 4: Apply basic financial concepts for personal finance decisions.

• Interpret personal financial statements to evaluate own financial health.
• Monitor the financial landscape to identify basic trends, risks, and opportunities that require personal financial decisions.
• Select financial storytelling techniques and applied to draft personal financial insights.

Integrated Assessment

Formative Assessments

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.

Summative Assessments

Integrated Assessment involves all the different types of assessment tasks required for a particular qualification, 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.

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. 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)

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.