Since 2007 NATH has been authorized to conduct training for National Tour Guides for the National Guiding Certificate at Level 3 on the NQF. In 2011 bilateral discussions between South African and Namibia with regard to Tour Guiding and cross-border licensing for guides resulted in a need to align these qualifications.

Since then the current Level 3 National Guiding Certificate Qualification and future Namibian Qualifications for Tour Guides have involved a number of discussions and planning. These discussions and workshops included stakeholders in the private and public sectors in open meetings.

On September 25, 2013 the “retooled” Unit Standards for the Level 3 National Guiding Certificate were approved by the NQA Council and will now be brought onto the National Qualifications Framework. They are significantly more “volumnous” in the amount of learning, material, subject knowledge, assessment and homework that will be needed in future. There will be a 50-60% increase in learning volumes and therefore also costs in order to obtain the Level 3 National Guiding Certificate.

Students who have embarked on their Level 3 National Guiding Certificate training in 2013 will be allowed to continue that training until full completion of all courses needed for the full qualification, provided they accomplish this in 2014.

Knowing that this will bring many current students into NATH with a request for courses to complete their current level 3 Qualification, NATH will concentrate on providing sufficient opportunities for courses.

DOWNLOADS

• Compulsory Unit Standards for Tour Guides Certificate qualifying as National Guides