Thousands of short courses are offered by private and public training institutions and other organisations. The courses vary in duration from one day to a few weeks. Courses are offered on almost any topic you can think of, such as Agriculture, Arts and Crafts, Bookkeeping, Business Management, Cabinet Making, Child Care, Computer courses, Construction, Creative writing, Décor and Design, Developing Business Plans for a new Business, Entrepreneurship, Financial Management, Furniture Making, Language and Literacy, Plumbing, Project Management, Safety and Security, Tourism and Writing.
Many of these courses are provided free by Non-Profit Organisations (NPO) such as churches and community-based organisations. Government agencies such as the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) also provide short courses, with SEDA courses aimed at assisting aspiring entrepreneurs to establish their own small businesses. Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, universities and universities of technology also offer some short courses in addition to qualifications.
Unfortunately, there are currently no national mechanisms to ensure the quality of short courses that are not aligned to unit standards, qualifications or part qualifications. However, this does not mean that such courses offered by NGOs or other organisations have no value at all. For example, a course offered by the local church to train volunteers to assist victims of abuse, or to provide home-based care to old people will make a great impact in the community. The skills developed in such a course could even enable the volunteers to find part-time employment or to enrol for a formal training programme.
Some short courses are offered by training providers that are accredited by external organisations, such as Umalusi, the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO), a Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA), or the Council on Higher Education (CHE). The short courses offered by these institutions would generally meet some internal quality requirements. Therefore, TVET colleges, universities or universities of technology and private accredited providers will generally offer quality short courses.
The courses offered by NPOs and government agencies are generally provided free or for a minimal fee. TVET colleges, universities and private training institutions charge fees that vary depending on the duration and nature of the course and the level of complexity. It is advisable to select a course that will enable you to acquire knowledge and develop some skills that you can use in a work context or in making a contribution to your community or the broader society. Many providers of short courses require participants to complete some kind of assessment (e.g. short knowledge tests or practical projects) after which they issue a ‘Certificate of Achievement’ or ‘Certificate of Competence’. These are preferable to courses that only issue a ‘Certificate of Attendance’.
Skills Portal is a good place to search for short courses: http://www.skillsportal.co.za/search-courses. It has a facility to search for courses per topic, province, date and delivery method (e.g. through contact sessions or distance learning). Courses can also be found by searching on the internet using phrases such as: ‘short courses in woodwork’; ‘sewing courses in South Africa’; or ‘short courses for technicians’. If you are interested in starting your own business or improving a small business you are involved in, you could check to see if the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) is offering courses that would help you: www.seda.org.za. Click here for many courses and other resources on entrepreneurship to prepare you to work in your own business.
