the purpose of this qualification is to develop learners with the requisite competencies against the skills profile for the systems support career path (The overarching aim being to develop a broader base of skilled ICT professionals to underpin economic growth)

The qualification may be acquired in the traditional way of formal study as well as in the workplace, through learnerships. Acquiring the qualification through learnerships has the potential of addressing the problems of the past, where newly qualified people getting into the industry struggled to get employment, because they were required to have practical experience. The workplace experience can now be gained while acquiring the qualification through the various learnership schemes that are planning to use this qualification.