National Certificate: Professional Driving NQF Level 3 (ID: 50285)

Purpose of the qualification:

The purpose of the qualification is to ensure competent professional driving competence in the road transport sector, thus improving earning capacity of professional drivers as well as transport sector professionalism and economic growth. The qualification is set to create an environment for growth and development of learners, by improving the employment prospects and marketable competence of drivers, and accelerating the redress of past unfair discrimination in education, training and employment opportunities. By setting the minimum standards contained in this qualification, professional driving education and training will also improve.

The professional status of drivers of commercial vehicles will be enhanced by awarding a formal qualification in recognition of their professional competence. This qualification is designed to allow maximum access to, mobility and progression within education and training, and within a career path in the transport sector. Competence achieved in this qualification provides building blocks towards NQF level 4 qualifications, and the inclusion of communication and language, and mathematic literacy requirements contributes to learner development beyond simply the requirements for professional driving.

Qualified learners are capable of:

• Obtaining and communicating road transport operational information.
• Assessing loads against given permissible load requirements.
• Planning road transport service delivery that meets specified requirements.
• Driving a vehicle conveying a specific freight commodity or category of passengers.

Qualified learners also elect to achieve at least one of the following specialisations:

• Using computerised spreadsheets and word processing.
• Planning the establishment of a small business according to relevant business principles.
• Conducting vehicle maintenance according to specified procedures.
• Operating lifting equipment according to specified procedures.

Rationale:

Learners credited with this qualification are working, or intend working, in the commercial road transport industry as drivers. This qualification builds on light vehicle driving competence, and credits competent drivers, who are driving vehicles carrying freight or passengers for commercial purposes.

The demand for this qualification lies primarily in the transport industry’s requirement for drivers to have employable competence beyond that of a basic driving license and professional driving permit. Currently, more than 7000 individuals work in the sector that would benefit from this qualification. 

There is a critical need in the industry to recognise learner competence regarding professional driving, and to ensure that legal requirements are adhered to. In South Africa, the transport industry is experiencing a shortage of competence in and good training for professional driving. Direct costs of poor driving include human and economic costs. Improved professional driving could influence the South African economy in direct transport, social and economic costs alone to the value of millions of Rands each year.