As South Africa accelerates its transition to the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO), a critical tension is emerging within the training and development sector: the disconnect between compliance-driven learning and meaningful skills development.
While the regulatory shift is designed to improve the quality and relevance of training, many organisations continue to approach learning as a “tick-box” exercise, a mindset that risks undermining the very intent of the reforms.
According to Nadia Leita, Director at Leverage Leadership, the QCTO transition presents an opportunity to fundamentally rethink how training is designed, delivered, and experienced.
“There is a real dissonance in the market. On one hand, we have a more robust, outcomes-based system in the QCTO. On the other, many organisations are still approaching training purely from a compliance perspective,” says Leita.
The QCTO framework places a strong emphasis on occupational competence, requiring learners to demonstrate applied skills in real workplace contexts. This marks a decisive shift away from legacy models that often prioritised theoretical completion over practical capability.
However, Leita argues that compliance and meaningful learning are not mutually exclusive, but they do require a change in mindset. “Yes, organisations still need to meet compliance requirements. That’s not going away. But compliance should be the baseline, not the goal. The real value lies in how training is adapted to the business, the role, and most importantly, the individual.”
South Africa’s workforce is uniquely diverse, shaped by a complex socio-economic landscape and a deeply resilient cultural heritage. In this context, generic, one-size-fits-all training models are increasingly out of step with reality. “We cannot continue with cookie-cutter approaches to learning in a country as diverse as ours. Training needs to reflect the environments people work in, the challenges they face, and the strengths they bring,” Leita explains.
Leverage Leadership has long advocated for a more tailored, human-centric approach to development, one that aligns learning with both organisational strategy and individual growth. Under the QCTO model, this approach is no longer just progressive, it is becoming essential.
The structure of QCTO qualifications, which integrates knowledge, practical skills, and workplace experience, creates a natural platform for more immersive and engaging learning journeys. But real impact depends on how organisations implement these frameworks.
“The framework enables better learning, but it doesn’t guarantee it. That comes down to how organisations design their programmes and how seriously they take the development of their people,” says Leita.
A key risk, she notes, is that organisations may attempt to replicate old training habits within the new system, effectively missing the opportunity for transformation. “If businesses simply ‘repackage’ compliance training under QCTO without rethinking the experience, we will not see the change the system is designed to deliver.”
Instead, Leita encourages organisations to view training as a strategic investment rather than a regulatory obligation. This includes designing programmes that are engaging, contextually relevant, and aligned to real business outcomes. “Training should be an enjoyable journey. When people are engaged, when they see the relevance to their roles and their growth, the impact is exponentially greater, both for the individual and the organisation.”
As the 2026 transition deadline approaches, the organisations that will benefit most are those that move beyond compliance and embrace a more intentional approach to skills development.
The QCTO shift, while complex, offers a rare opportunity to close the gap between learning and performance, but only if organisations are willing to evolve. “This is a moment for businesses to be more deliberate about how they develop their people. If we get it right, we don’t just build skills, we build capability, confidence, and long-term resilience in our workforce,” Leita concludes.