The South African Fluid Power Association (Safpa) has announced that a number of its qualifications have been registered by the South African Qualifications Authority (Saqa).

These include the Fluid Power Qualification at National Quali-fications Framework (NQF) levels three, four and five.

Safpa president Willem Gijzelaar says that one of the organisation’s main objectives is to foster and promote education, training and original research in the hydraulics and pneumatics field.

“We find ourselves in the same situation as many other industries in experiencing a severe skills shortage. As an organisation comprised of industry members, we believe we are well poised to begin addressing this shortage and this recent acknowledgement by Saqa underscores our focus,” he adds.

Gijzelaar notes that Safpa council member Russell Gill was instrumental in driving the initiative and continues to play a key role.

Safpa is working with the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority (Merseta), to establish a plan of action to institute the structures and systems needed to facilitate the successful implementation of the qualifications in the industry.

“Safpa and Merseta need to discuss the registration of training providers, assessors and moderators, as well as Safpa’s role in the reviewing and moderating process. We will also be working with the standards generating groups to review the training and assessment guidelines regarding the new unit standards,” says Gill.

Gill notes that the all-important NQF level two will also be included later this year. “Level two is merging with the same level of the general mechanical artisan qualification. What this means is that mechanical engineering artisans will complete a general level two before selecting speciality career paths, one of which is fluid power,” he explains.

Safpa also aims to raise professional standards within the pneumatics and hydraulics industries, to promote the exchange of ideas, experience and knowledge between its members, and to encourage companies to establish their own training facilities guided by the association’s knowledge and experience.

The association was originally formed in 1981 as the Fluid Power Institute, and changed its name to Safpa in 2000.