Unit Standards

Unit standards are statements of outcome(s) of learning and/or work activity needing to be formally assessed. Unit standards make up the components of a qualification and may be formally recognised as an award independently of the award of the qualification.

Unit standards and/or Qualifications are awarded at the end of learning. They are awarded following robust assessment of the abilities of persons who have undertaken formal and/or informal learning in relation to specified knowledge, understanding, skills and personal attributes at a specific level (NQF levels of complexity and demand).

All qualifications are registered on the National Qualifications Framework, according to their level of complexity.

The NQF consists of a number of fields of learning, subfields and domains known as the NQF Classification System. Qualifications are placed on the NQF according to their level and an approved item from the NQF Classification System.

The NQF for Namibia has 10 levels and our sister organization, the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) is the custodian of the NQF. The NQA has developed a level descriptor for each of the 10 levels.

A credit is a measure of the quantum of learning recognized through qualifications and unit standards. One credit equates to 10 hours of notional learning time, which is inclusive of directed, and self-directed learning and assessment.

Developing unit standards is an activity that sits firmly as a responsibility of the industry or profession that requires such qualifications for formal recognition and/or selection purposes.

The NTA as a national recognised body responsible for quality of Vocational Education and Training (VET) provision in Namibia coordinates the development of VET unit standards. However, the required technical input comes from the industry itself through various platforms of consultations as required by the NQF regulations.

It is an NQF requirement for the development processes to be inclusive of the meaningful involvement of relevant stakeholders and social partners and for the developing bodies to obtain support for, and preferably endorsement of the coverage and structure of developed/reviewed qualifications by such stakeholders and social partners.

Examples of stakeholders involved in the process of unit standard development may include, but are not limited to employers, employee organisations, education and training providers relevant to the sector, professional or registration associations and bodies, and relevant government departments and agencies.

Unit standards) are normally registered on the NQF with a notion ‘National/Namibian’ or without.

In many cases, the development of unit standards will be prompted and overseen or managed by a national body (e.g. NTA) recognised by the NQA. A recognised national body must submit unit Standards carrying the term ‘National’ or ‘Namibia’ in its title. Those without that notion are often referred to as institution-specific and do not necessarily lead to recognition of attainment of learning at a national level.

A recognised national body would be one that has explicit credibility as being able to represent the interests of national stakeholders and relevant social partners.

The NTA can identify a representative group of an industry to spearhead the development of unit standards and qualifications in their sector with the NTA providing guidance to the process to ensure quality and adherence to NQF requirements. The body responsible for submission of such materials to the NQA will be the NTA.