The new education and training structures informed by the SAQA Act and the Skills Development Act among others, create a particularly complex environment for the HR Practitioner. HR is practiced within the jurisdiction of all the SETAs.

In addition, crucial components of HR are inextricably connected to fields such as education and training, labour law, financial management, labour recruitment, dimensions of the psychological profession and social work.

The Board is grateful to SAQA for recognizing the importance of an ETQA for HR to prevent the fragmentation of the profession. Their official endorsement of the work of the Board and the statutory accreditation of the SABPP as ETQA for HR, is an acknowledgment of the place and the importance of HR in the economy.

The SABPP applied for ETOA status and was accredited by SAQA in November 2002 and currently re-accredited to 26 September 2011. SABPP is one of the few ETQAs that receives no part of the levy funds to run its ETQA service to South Africa. A viable quality assurance body has been set up. Providers are being accredited. assessors and moderators are being registered, NLRD uploads are proceeding and HR Learnerships are being quality assured and certificated.

Our profession has succeeded in positioning itself independently as other professions are positioned in the NQF structure. The importance of this historic opportunity to consolidate the stature and standards of human resources and the challenge it poses, should not be underestimated. We believe the time has come to give this profession the recognition that its important role in our economy warrants.The SABPP now has a dual role, that of Professional Body for HR and that of the statutory Quality Assurance Body (ETOA) for HR divided into two Chambers, the Professional Chamber and the ETQA Chamber. The CEO functions in close collaboration with the different committees of the Board.