The impact of professionalism:In order to gain recognition and respect for human resources as a mainstream profession, HR practitioners are prepared to meet the same stringent standards and ethical accountability that all other professions subscribe to.

Professional registration achieves this goal by:

• Raising accountability
• Lending credibility
• Affording protection against pressure to act unethically
• Leading to higher individual aspirations
• Engendering pride in and protection of stature of HR

• The identification of practitioners who meet certain qualification and experience requirements and who submit and subscribe to certain standards of conduct.
• Providing the level of practice (HRP or CHRP etc) determined through peer evaluation by senior Mentors of SABPP.
• The 5 registration levels are aligned to the national NQF and therefore understood by all.
• The professional commitment of an individual is underwritten by the professional body and statutory ETQA of human resources, SABPP.
• Continued professional development (CPD) is required to retain professional registration – updated electronically and audited by SABPP.
• Courses by providers are CPD rated to make information such as renewal value, depth and scope available to registered professionals.
• The overall standard of HR practiced in South Africa is raised when the incompetent and unethical are weeded out.
• The SABPP career path will inspire HR practitioners to embrace further development.
• Supply and demand of HR practitioners will become measurable through the establishment of a serviced and reliable HR database.
• Potentially damaging and costly HR decisions demand that HR practitioners be suitably qualified, up to the task and professionally accountable – this also applies to HR Consultants.
• Labour Relations and BEE Acts have created a far more complex workplace, and are driving the requirement for professionalisation of HR.

An HR professional has:

• A reasonable command of the specified body of knowledge
• Personal integrity, credibility, objectivity, functional independence and a commitment to service in HR
• The ability to achieve professional standards of performance by
  • updating on new developments
  • reflecting on and enhancing current practices & procedures
  • committing to excellence
  • contributing to good governance
  • building the profession from within Continued Professional Development

– Self-development

• Formal education
• Courses, seminars, workshops
• Self-directed learning

– Developing the profession

• Leadership
• Team and taskforce contributions
• Research and publications
• Lecturing, examining, mentoring
• Design and innovation

• Five NQF aligned levels

1. 1. HR Technician – Level 4 HR Certificate + one year of HR experience
   2. HR Associate – Level 5 HR qualification + two years of HR experience
   3. HR Practitioner – Level 6/7 HR Degree or ND + three years HR middle management
   4. Chartered HR Practitioner – Level 8 HR qualification + 4 years in senior HR– Master HR Practitioner
   5. Level 9/10 HR qualification + 6 years in top level HR

• All levels have an equally important experience / competence component
• These levels allow for multiple entry points
• Contributes to transformation and access.

• SABPP evaluates tertiary HR departments and programmes
• Accredits the institutions so that students may register
• Evaluates the HR applicant’s
  • Qualifications
  • Experience
  • Competence
  • Specialisation
  • Professional recommendations on conduct
• Registers professionally Recognition of Prior Learning

• Preliminary evaluation
• Assessment by an approved evaluator
• CHRP level - panel interview with 3 Mentors

• SABPP is an ETQA but not a SETA
• We cannot initiate HR Learnerships, but when SETAs or companies do initiate them, we quality assure (evaluate and verify) and certificate the learners
• They get a level 4 national HR Certificate and now the level 5 national diploma has become available
• This provides a prime entry towards tertiary studies
• Manageable for the disadvantaged
• Encourages further development towards professional status