These are:
"The reputation of a profession lies in the extent to which members of the broader public respect and recognise the performance of the individuals that lay claim to a professional title," says Dr Felicity Coughlan, Director of IIE. She says that through the NQF Act, South Africa has created an enabling environment where professional bodies can contribute (through the Quality Councils) to the development and maintenance of standards in qualifications and designations related to their profession.
"Only professional associations registered with SAQA are recognised in this role and this arrangement therefore also has a public protection role of making explicit to the industry and consumers what standards are met by those who are members of the association, or carry its formal designations or complete qualifications registered or endorsed by the association."
In the case of the marketing professions, the Marketing Association of South Africa (MA (SA)) is the only SAQA-registered professional association. The three marketing qualifications from IIE are the first to be endorsed by MA (SA) under its status as the registered professional association. In addition, specific short learning programmes at the IIE Vega sites can be used for completion of the requirements for professional designations managed by MA (SA).
"Students deserve to know that their qualifications will adhere to or exceed the standards of the industry leaders and endorsement by a professional association is one of the strongest ways to provide that validation for students and employers," concludes Coughlan.