For many employers, this creates an important planning decision — not a last-minute rush.
As South Africa transitions fully to QCTO-aligned qualifications, organisations are facing longer lead times for external assessments and certification. While QCTO remains the future of occupational training, implementation timelines are still uneven across sectors.
What many employers are doing now
A growing number of organisations are using the remaining legacy window strategically to:
- Secure predictable training and certification timelines
- Protect Skills Development and B-BBEE outcomes
- Maintain learnership throughput while preparing for QCTO
- Avoid disruption to workforce and talent pipelines
A smarter transition approach
Rather than delaying decisions or taking unnecessary risk, employers are adopting a dual-track strategy:
- Finalise suitable legacy enrolments where certainty is required
- Plan QCTO implementation thoughtfully and deliberately
This is not about avoiding QCTO.
It’s about transitioning without unnecessary disruption.
How Progression can help
We work with employers to:
- Review 2025–2026 skills plans
- Identify where legacy enrolments still make strategic sense
- Align training decisions with compliance, funding and business outcomes
- Build a practical, phased transition to QCTO-aligned programmes
If you’d like to assess your exposure and options before the June 2026 deadline, we’re here to help.
