Current South African diplomas, certifications and qualifications

At this time, there are several South African accredited event management courses, which range from a short course of six months to courses spanning several years. Helen Brewer investigates…

Accredited courses will always be undertaken by a training company duly registered and/or approved by a particular SETA (Sector Education and Training Authority). However, the MICE Academy remains unconvinced as to whether the five Ms (mannering, managing, monitoring, mediating and maintaining) of the accreditation process for both course and/or training establishments are being effectively undertaken.

The proof of this statement is that, to the best of The MICE Academy’s research, there does not appear to be a standard audit of the progress of an individual in gaining a serious career path within the industry due to the short or lengthy accredited courses.

The MICE Academy’s claims have been borne out of an article by John Fisher, who has over 30 years’ experience as both a client and consultant within the industry. In his article entitled ‘Are students fit for purpose?’  he states that, at the very least, a qualified student should be able to undertake – when interning at an events management company or organisation’s event management department – the following: job costing analysis, venue and risk contract assessment, delegate management preparation, and event promotion.

READ: FOREIGN CERTIFICATION PROGRAMMES

The MICE Academy’s investigations have proven that in the student intake, abilities, compared to their accredited qualifications, are dismal. It is possible to have some hope with a particular university’s reputation for students’ basic academic knowledge to be an asset to the tasks at hand, yet it remains as rare as hen’s teeth to base any credence of a student’s qualification on any academic training being a definite asset as stated by Fisher.

Understanding the difference
The MICE Academy has checked various sources and below are the most succinct definitions between certification and qualification:

Certification derives from the word certain/certify. It is a document formally attesting to a fact. Certification does not refer to the state of legally being able to practise or work in a profession.

Qualification derives from the word quality/qualify. It is the acquired ability or attribute that fits a person to perform a particular job or task.