MICT SETA awards prestigious “centre of excellence” recognition to Faculty Training Institute

Faculty Training Institute (FTI), leading provider of business and systems analysis training in South Africa, and an EOH Group company, was today established as an Institute of Sectoral and Occupational Excellence (ISOE) in Business Analysis by the MICT SETA.

FTI's appointment as an ISOE creates a public private partnership (PPP) initiative with MICT SETA to increase the supply of scarce business analysis skills in South Africa. The immediate goals of the ISOE are to leverage FTI's experience, influence and capacity to accelerate the development of the business analysis practice and profession, and create opportunities for education and employment for a wider range of prospective qualifying learners.

The MICT SETA, which recognises and supports FTI as a Business Analysis ISOE is the statutory body responsible for the organisation of education and training programmes within the information and communication technology industry and operates under the directive of the Department of Labour (DOL).

“We as the MICT SETA are happy to have appointed Faculty Training Institute as an ISOE in the Western Cape, to increase our intervention in increasing supply of critical and scarce skills such as business analysis in South Africa. Our SSP informed us last year that there is a need for 291 business analysts in the ICT sector to 31 March 2014. We also derived quantitative data from employers in the sector that there are currently 913 vacancies for business analysts to 2014. So our partnership with FTI is both strategic and aligned to bridging the skills gaps in the MICT sectors,” says Oupa Mopaki, CEO of MICT SETA.

The ISOE recognition makes FTI the only training firm in South Africa to be awarded centre of excellence status in business analysis, and accordingly, recognises the firm's commitment to training excellence, quality programmes and innovation in the field. The formal recognition entrenches FTI's role as an impact player in the industry and a major contributor to meeting the critical and scarce skills needs of business analysis in South Africa.

“To be recognised as a business analysis centre of excellence in South Africa is a huge honour and privilege. Not only is it a recognition of the contribution that FTI has made to the development of the profession of business analysis, and the relevance of our programmes to the South African economy, but it now creates opportunities to use our knowledge and strengths to create training and employment opportunities for a greater number of people,” says Steve Erlank, Managing Director of FTI.

A number of stringent criteria were met in the selection and establishment of FTI as an ISOE. According to the MICT SETA's guidelines for the selection of ISOE's, FTI demonstrated capacity to engage with industry and has an excellent track record in delivering learning programmes that produce skilled people who can make a positive contribution to the South African economy and improve the country's global competitiveness.

To be recognised as an ISOE, organisations need to meet criteria such as:

* Designing, developing, delivering and reporting on training in specific sectoral or occupational areas where scarce and/or critical skills have been identified, supported best practice and transformational objectives;
* Simulating workplace application scenarios and work practice to ensure that successful learners have as seamless as possible as transition into jobs;
* Providing access to emerging best practice in training, and related to the specific outcomes, as well as with regional and international training institutes, practitioner and /or research bodies;
* Delivering training that meets industry demands in terms of relevance and quality; and
* Co-operating with and acknowledges by employers or employer bodies in a way which ensures a high intake and placement of learners.