Managing Learners

Summary

This guide covers the full learner record lifecycle in skillSYMS: capturing a new learner, importing many at once from a CSV, keeping profiles accurate, and managing status as learners move through your programmes. Clean learner data is the foundation of every QCTO and NLRD export, so getting this right early saves hours of rework later.

Who This Guide Is For

• Provider staff who register and maintain learner records
• Administrators responsible for data quality and compliance
• Operations teams preparing learners for enrolment

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• An SDP or Admin login for your organization
• Learner identity documents (SA ID numbers or passports)
• POPIA consent captured or in hand for each learner

Step 1: Open the Learners Workspace

Navigate to Learners.

The list view is lifecycle-centric. Use the stats bar at the top to quick-filter learners by compliance signal:

• Compliant (green) — export-ready
• Attention (amber) — missing optional fields
• At Risk (red) — missing fields required for strict-mode exports

You can search by name, ID or email, switch between grid and table views, and save custom views for filters you use often.

Tip: Click any stat card to instantly filter the list to that compliance band — handy before an export deadline.

Step 2: Add a Single Learner

Navigate to Learners → Add Learner.

The guided wizard runs in two modes:

• Express — captures only the required fields (identity, personal details, consent)
• Full QCTO — adds the demographics, contact, address and disability fields needed for NLRD exports

1. Enter the SA ID Number. The system validates the checksum and auto-fills date of birth and gender.
2. For non-citizens, enter a Passport Number instead.
3. Complete first name, surname, date of birth and gender.
4. Tick POPI Act Consent to make the learner eligible for strict-mode exports.
5. Watch the readiness meter — it scores how export-ready the record is as you type.
6. Review and click Add Learner.

Tip: The wizard autosaves a draft to your browser. If you navigate away, you’ll be offered the chance to restore it.

Step 3: Bulk Import from CSV

For many learners at once, navigate to Learners → Import.

1. Click Download Template CSV to get the correct column layout.
2. Fill in the required columns: first_name, surname, date_of_birth, gender (M/F/O), and either sa_id_number or passport_number.
3. Add any optional columns (middle_name, email, cell_number, equity_code, address_line1, city, province, postal_code).
4. Save as UTF-8 CSV with a header row.
5. Drag the file onto the upload area (or click to browse).
6. Review the preview — the first 5 rows and total row count are shown.
7. Click Import All Rows.

The importer validates SA ID numbers and flags duplicates so the same learner is not created twice.

Tip: Keep CSV files under 10MB. For very large cohorts, split into batches and import sequentially.

Step 4: Maintain Learner Profiles

Open any learner from the list to view their full profile, then click Edit to update details.

Each profile holds:

• Identity, personal and QCTO demographic fields
• Contact and physical address
• POPIA consent status
• QCTO compliance signal and readiness score

Keep names exactly as they appear on the ID document — mismatches are the most common reason QCTO submissions are rejected.

Step 5: Manage Lifecycle Status

On the learner profile, the Learner Status card shows where the learner sits in their journey. Statuses include:

• Active / Enrolled — currently in a programme
• Completed — finished the qualification
• Withdrawn — left before completion
• Terminated — removed for cause

Update status as circumstances change. You can also update status in bulk: select multiple learners in the list, then choose Update Status from the bulk actions menu.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Invalid SA ID numbers — failed checksums block QCTO exports; fix them before enrolment.
2. Name mismatches — capture names exactly as on the ID document.
3. Skipping POPIA consent — without it, learners are excluded from strict-mode exports.
4. Re-importing duplicates — review the import preview and heed duplicate warnings.
5. Wrong gender codes in CSV — use M, F or O only.

Verification Checklist

Before moving on, verify:

• At least one learner has been added successfully
• A test CSV import completed without errors
• SA ID numbers validate (green checkmark on the profile)
• POPIA consent is captured for each learner
• Learner statuses reflect their real lifecycle stage

Next Steps

• Learner Accounts & Logins — Give learners access to the platform
• Enrolments — Enrol learners into programmes and offerings
• QCTO MIS Exports — Generate compliant NLRD submissions