With QCTO firmly positioned as the future of Skills Development in South Africa, it raises an important question: Are legacy learnerships still worth pursuing?

It’s a question we’re hearing more often as businesses navigate the changing Skills Development landscape.

Following our recent Youtube coffee chat with Ubuhle People Solutions’ PR and Sales Director, Carlo Gresse, we continue to unpack one of the biggest conversations in the industry. Should businesses continue investing in legacy learnerships or rather focus entirely on QCTO occupational qualifications?

Legacy learnerships have played a significant role in South Africa’s Skills Development journey since their introduction in 1998. They were designed to create greater access to education, support economic transformation by integrating previously marginalised groups into the economy, and equip South Africans with the practical skills needed to meet industry demands.

For almost three decades, legacy learnerships have helped businesses develop talent, bridge skills gaps and strengthen workforce capability. So, if they’ve served the industry so well, why the shift to QCTO?

Like every industry in our ever-evolving society, Skills Development cannot afford to stand still. As workplaces evolve, so too must the way we prepare people for them. The transition to QCTO has been designed to better align learning with today’s workplace realities, industry expectations and future skills requirements.

Unlike previous qualification models, QCTO places a strong emphasis on workplace learning, ensuring learners don’t just complete a programme but demonstrate real occupational competence through standardised external assessments. The objective is to produce graduates who are genuinely job-ready from day one.

With this in mind, why would businesses still choose legacy learnerships? The answer is actually quite straightforward. For many organisations, learners are already enrolled on legacy programmes and will continue through to completion. For others, legacy remains a familiar model with proven implementation processes, established administration and predictable outcomes.

From a commercial perspective, legacy learnerships also continue to offer significant value. Businesses can still benefit from SARS tax allowances, maximise B-BBEE Skills Development points and leverage a system they understand well while it remains available.

While legacy qualifications continue their final phase-out, there is still an opportunity for businesses to maximise these benefits while they can. It is important to remember, however, that although the extension provides additional time, it doesn’t change the direction of the industry.

The future of Skills Development continues to be built around QCTO occupational qualifications. This is where Carlo believes businesses should shift their thinking. Rather than asking whether they should choose Legacy or QCTO, businesses should be identifying what the smartest transition strategy is. For many employers, that strategy may involve running both legacy learnerships and QCTO programmes in parallel.

By continuing to benefit from legacy while simultaneously introducing QCTO into the business, businesses can build internal capability, become familiar with new implementation requirements and transition with greater confidence once legacy qualifications eventually come to an end.

Businesses that use this time strategically will not only continue to benefit from legacy programmes but will also be better positioned for the future of Skills Development, workplace learning and QCTO implementation.

The extension has created breathing room but it shouldn’t become a waiting room or a reason to delay planning. We know that QCTO is coming. The question is, will your business be ready when it fully arrives?