FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

They can register their details on our learner portal: ascendacademy.co.za/ascendportal. Once they're in our database, we'll be in touch when a suitable opportunity comes up. It's a good idea to have the required documents (see below) ready in advance, so there's no delay once they're matched to a programme.

This needs to be sorted out before we can register you with the relevant SETA, so please raise it with your Training Officer as soon as you notice it. Usually it's a small mismatch — a maiden name, a spelling difference, an outdated address — and we'll guide you on which document (ID copy, proof of address, affidavit) is needed to correct it. Until it's resolved, your registration may be delayed, so the sooner you flag it, the sooner we can fix it.

Everything is handled through the portal. You'll need to download, complete, and upload the EEA1 document, a Learner Declaration, and a POPI document. You'll then submit your personal details along with: a certified copy of your ID (certified within the last 3 months), a certified copy of your highest qualification certificate (matric, or Grade 11 if that's your highest), your latest CV, proof of SARS registration, a bank confirmation letter, and proof of disability if applicable.

No. We verify every applicant's ID number against the national SETA databases, and if you're currently registered on another learnership or internship, we won't be able to place you on a new one. If you're unsure of your current status, check with your Training Officer before applying.

Yes, stipends differ depending on the programme you're placed on. The exact amount for your specific programme will be communicated to you during the application process.

A learnership is a structured, occupationally-directed programme that combines learning with workplace experience and leads to a full qualification registered on the NQF. A skills programme is shorter and more focused, made up of one or more unit standards, and doesn't result in a full qualification but does carry credits. Your Training Officer can confirm which one you're enrolled in and what it leads to.

Placement is usually based on the host employer's needs and the roles they're developing people for, so there's limited flexibility here. Currently, our Retail Sales Advisor programme is running; our Entrepreneurship programme is still in development. If you have a strong preference or relevant prior experience, raise it with your Training Officer.

The programme is blended: you're hosted at your workplace throughout, and complete your coursework online alongside your day-to-day workplace duties, rather than attending separate classroom days away from site.

Coursework is completed online as part of the blended learning model. For any in-person sessions, these are held at the SEESA/Ascend Academy offices, 182 Watermeyer Street, Pretoria.

12 months.

You'll be assigned a workplace mentor or supervisor at your host employer, who oversees your day-to-day tasks and signs off on your logbook. Your Ascend Academy Training Officer stays involved throughout and checks in with both you and your mentor to make sure things are on track.

Let your facilitator or Training Officer know as soon as possible, ideally before the session if you can. Attendance is tracked for SETA compliance purposes, so repeated unexplained absences can affect your standing on the programme — but a single missed day with a good reason and early communication is generally manageable.

No. You're responsible for your own transport — your monthly stipend is intended to cover this.

We'd much rather hear from you early than have you fall behind in silence. If you're stuck, speak to your facilitator or Training Officer — we can arrange extra support, a catch-up session, or an adjusted timeline. Not submitting at all puts your progress and your certification at risk, since assessors can only mark work they've received, so please reach out before a deadline passes, not after.

Performance is assessed on a combination of formative assessments (knowledge tasks, tests, and exercises), workplace-based evidence collected in your Portfolio of Evidence (POE), and your logbook, which your workplace mentor signs off on. Together these show that you've met the required unit standards, both in theory and in practice.

Your POE is the collected proof — assignments, workplace tasks, logbook entries, observations — that shows you've achieved the outcomes of the qualification. It's assessed against national standards, so it needs to be your own work, complete, and submitted on time. It's the single most important document in determining whether you qualify.

This depends on your specific programme and where your assessor has identified gaps, so the honest answer is: ask your facilitator or Training Officer for feedback on your latest assessment — they can point you to exactly where to focus. As a general pattern, strong record-keeping (logbook discipline), reliability, and clear written communication tend to make the biggest difference to a learner's results.

Most programmes allow for reassessment opportunities within a set timeframe, so one failed assessment isn't the end of the road. Speak to your facilitator about what support or additional preparation is available before the reassessment.

EISA is the final, externally set and externally marked assessment administered by the QCTO once your internal learning is complete. It's a requirement for the full qualification. Because the QCTO — not Ascend Academy — sets the EISA date, it can sometimes fall outside your 12-month programme period; if that happens to you, we'll provide extra coaching and support leading up to it.

You have the right to appeal an assessment decision. Raise it with your assessor or Training Officer first — many issues are resolved at this level — and if it isn't, Ascend Academy's internal moderation and appeals process, aligned with SETA/QCTO requirements, will take it further.

Yes. The qualification you receive is registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and issued by the relevant SETA or QCTO, which means it's recognised by any employer in South Africa, not only the company that hosted your learnership. It's yours to use for your career going forward, wherever that takes you.

Any learner completing a learnership — including learners living with disabilities — can potentially be offered a position at the end of it, but this is purely at the host company's discretion, not a guarantee or a requirement. Speak to your Training Officer about what's realistically available at the end of your specific programme.

Our support doesn't stop when your certificate is issued. If your EISA falls outside the standard 12-month period, we provide extra coaching leading into it, and we're always happy to provide a reference if you ask us to. Beyond that, being offered a permanent role with your host company is possible but is entirely at their discretion. Your qualification itself is portable and nationally recognised, which strengthens your position regardless of what happens with your specific host employer.

Currently, Ascend Academy's active programme is the Retail Sales Advisor learnership — SAQA ID 99669, NQF Level 3. (Our Entrepreneurship programme, SAQA ID 124485, NQF Level 3, is still in development.) Your Training Officer can confirm exactly which qualification applies to you.

Certified qualifications can usually be reprinted or a certified statement of results obtained through the issuing SETA or QCTO. Contact Ascend Academy and we'll guide you through the reissue process, though there may be a processing time and, in some cases, a fee set by the certifying body.

For practical/workplace days, dress is casual — jeans and a T-shirt are fine. Where your host employer has its own dress code for the workplace, follow theirs; this will be explained during your site induction.

You're expected to follow your host employer's health and safety policies and any site-specific induction you receive when you start, the same as any other employee. If something feels unsafe or you haven't been given proper training for a task, you have the right to raise it — with your workplace mentor first, and with your Training Officer if it isn't addressed.

Leave follows standard South African labour law, together with your specific host company's own leave policies. Check with your host company for how to apply for leave and what documentation they require.

Attendance and punctuality are part of what's assessed and reported to the SETA, and they also reflect on you as a professional. Occasional issues happen and can usually be worked through if you communicate early — but a pattern of lateness or unexplained absence can put your place on the programme at risk, so it's worth addressing any underlying issue with your Training Officer rather than letting it build up.

We'd always rather talk it through first — a lot of the reasons learners consider leaving (falling behind, workplace conflict, personal circumstances) can be worked through with the right support, so please speak to your Training Officer before deciding. If you do withdraw, it's recorded with the SETA, and any credits you've already achieved for completed unit standards are retained, but you won't receive the full qualification unless you complete the outstanding requirements.

Raise it with your Ascend Academy Training Officer, who acts as your point of contact independent of the host employer and can mediate or escalate as needed. You shouldn't have to manage a serious workplace conflict on your own.

Ascend Academy will work to place you with an alternative host employer where possible so you can complete your workplace-based learning, though this depends on availability at the time. Your Training Officer will keep you informed and involved in the process.

This is handled on a case-by-case basis — speak to your Training Officer, who can advise you on your specific situation and options.

This should be reported through your host company's standard channels, and to your Ascend Academy Training Officer. It will be taken seriously and handled confidentially wherever possible. You should never feel you have to tolerate this to keep your place on the programme.

Your first point of contact is always your assigned Training Officer or facilitator — they know your programme and your progress. For anything that needs to go further, you can contact our Training Co-ordinator, Sinead, at sinead@ascendacademy.co.za.

Tell your Training Officer what you're dealing with, even if it doesn't feel "big enough" to raise. We can't always solve everything, but we can often adjust deadlines, point you to external resources, or simply make sure you're not carrying it alone while trying to keep up with the programme.

If your Training Officer hasn't been able to resolve it, escalate to our Training Co-ordinator, Sinead, at sinead@ascendacademy.co.za.