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- Occupational Skills Programme: Time Study Clerk – SP-220331
Occupational Skills Programme: Time Study Clerk – SP-220331
Production targets and standard times built on timed, rated observation of the real work – by staff with a QCTO certificate at NQF Level 4.
Production targets are only as good as the timing behind them. This QCTO-accredited time study course – the Occupational Skills Programme: Time Study Clerk (SP-220331, NQF Level 4, 35 credits) – prepares learners to work as a Work Study Clerk, also known as a Time Study Clerk: conducting capacity checks, production studies and activity sampling, calculating basic and standard times, and working out the operator and machine requirements that keep a line or system balanced.
The QCTO programme document explains that these skills find the best method and the correct time for tasks at work, and help to control costs, improve working conditions and motivate employees, supporting productivity, lean manufacturing and best practice. The programme carries OFO code 242102 and a subtitle naming the clothing, textile, footwear, leather, forestry, wood, and pulp and paper sectors, but the role is used across many industries, especially manufacturing.
Learners practise with a decimal stopwatch on real operations: breaking work into elements, rating operators against the 100% rate, applying allowances and completing time study sheets. The programme ends in a practical assessment in a simulated work environment, set, run and moderated by BOTI under QCTO rules.
Why this course
For your organisation
- Production targets and standard times built on timed, rated observation of the actual work
- Production units staffed and balanced, with operator and machine requirements calculated rather than assumed
- Interruptions and problem areas identified and measured through production studies and activity sampling
- Work-study findings reported with recommendations, in support of lean manufacturing and best practice
For your delegates
- A QCTO skills programme certificate: 35 credits at NQF Level 4
- Hands-on stopwatch and rating practice on real operations
- A recognised credential for work study and time study roles
- Methods you can apply on the production floor straight away
What delegates will be able to do
- Explain time study principles and how time study contributes to productivity
- Break an operation into machine and handling elements, break points and cycle times
- Time operations with a decimal stopwatch in centi-minutes and complete a time study sheet
- Rate an operator's rate of work against the 100% rate and apply allowances
- Calculate basic and standard times, targets per operator and completion times
- Conduct capacity checks, production studies and activity sampling and report the results
- Work out operator and machine requirements and help set targets and man a production line
- Compile daily reports on work-study findings with recommendations for improvement
Who should attend
Work study and time study clerks who need a formal QCTO credential; experienced production staff moving into work study; and operations and production supervisors who set targets, staff lines and track output. The programme document names clothing, textile and automotive manufacturing, forestry, wood products, and pulp and paper production among the industries that use these skills. Entry: NQF Level 3 with Mathematical Literacy and Communication, or NQF Level 2 with five years' practical experience in a production environment; recognition of prior learning (RPL) is also available.
Course outline
Days 1-3 – Time study principles
Time study principles and techniques (Knowledge Module 900104-000-00-KM-01, 11 credits)
- Basic time study principles, the purpose of time study and its contribution to productivity
- Rating: estimating an operator's rating, the rating scale and its effect on the hourly target
- The decimal stopwatch in centi-minutes, time study calculations and conversions
- Machine and handling elements, break points and cycle times
Allowances, recording and the production environment
- Ergonomics and allowances: machine, personal and fatigue, raw material and supply
- Observation, recording and the time study sheet: minimum cycles and calculations
- Work supply and work-in-progress levels
- Machines in the manufacturing process
- Basic fault finding, root cause identification and problem solving
Days 4-6 – Conducting time studies
Conduct basic time studies to determine productivity (Practical Module 900104-000-00-PM-01, 6 credits)
- Capacity checks: an operator's capability, targets per operator and completion estimates
- Production studies that time and record every interruption and test whether the standard is achievable
- Activity sampling to highlight problem areas and calculate the percentage time for each
- Stopwatch time studies, checks of standards and manning requirements
- Rating practice against the 100% rate, to within 5% on classroom exercises, and working out the basic time
Days 7-9 – Time and method study operations
Time and method study operations (Practical Module 900104-000-00-PM-02, 18 credits)
- Appraising machines on the production floor: functions, capabilities and capacities
- Analysing how a product is made, its raw materials and the customer requirements that affect it
- Drawing a flow diagram from receipt of raw material to delivery of product
- Assessing operators' skills and identifying real or potential skills gaps
- Helping to set operational targets and man a production line
- Checking performance levels and whether the correct method is used
- Daily reports on work-study findings, recommendations and results
Day 10 – Final assessment
Final Integrated Supervised Assessment (FISA)
- Practical assessment of up to three hours in a simulated work environment
- Preparing and conducting a time study and calculating basic and standard times
- Completing the time study sheets and presenting improvement opportunities
- Verbal questioning on the underlying knowledge; Competent or Not Yet Competent
How it is delivered
Ten contact days, 08:30-16:00, run as ten consecutive days or as five two-day blocks with time studies at the learner's workplace between blocks. The practical final assessment (up to three hours) takes place on the last day. There is no work-experience module. Training runs at your premises anywhere in South Africa or at BOTI's venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg; the practical work needs a work area with real operations to time, stopwatches and tools. One learner or a group of up to 15, the facilitator ratio for the practical sessions. Learner material is provided.
What our clients say
★★★★★ 4.8 on Google from 790+ reviews · word-for-word quotes from signed letters of reference, from clients on this and/or related BOTI courses
“The training was presented through an interesting and easy-to-use online platform, and we were impressed by its quality.”
“[The organisation] confirms that BOTI delivered the contracted services over the 24-month period, and we have no hesitation in recommending Business Optimization Training Institute (Pty) Ltd to any organisation seeking a similar e-Learning or skills development solution.”
“Throughout both interventions, BOTI demonstrated a high level of professionalism, subject matter expertise, and commitment to quality training delivery. Their ability to effectively manage virtual learning environments and engage participants contributed significantly to the success of the programmes.”
Frequently asked questions
Is this time study course accredited?
Yes. It is a QCTO occupational skills programme (SP-220331, NQF Level 4, 35 credits), and BOTI is accredited by the QCTO to deliver it (07-QCTO/SDP230726145004, valid from 17 July 2026 to 16 July 2031). The QCTO issues the certificate. The last date for enrolment is 11 March 2028.
What are the entry requirements?
NQF Level 3 with Mathematical Literacy and Communication, or NQF Level 2 with five years' practical experience in a production environment. Learners may also gain access through recognition of prior learning (RPL), and competencies already held may be exempted through RPL.
How is it assessed?
Continuously through exercises, tasks, assignments, reports and written and practical tests. The final assessment is a practical of up to three hours in a simulated work environment, with verbal questioning; learners are declared Competent or Not Yet Competent.
Can the practical work be done in our own factory?
Yes. If the programme runs in two-day blocks, learners carry out time studies at their own workplace between blocks; the training itself can run at your premises anywhere in South Africa.
Is it only for clothing and textile companies?
No. The programme document's subtitle names those sectors, but time study is used across manufacturing and other industries wherever work is measured and targets are set.
Ask a consultant for a written quote
A BOTI consultant emails you a written quote, usually within 15 minutes (Mon–Fri, 08:00–17:00). After hours, we reply on the next working day. To speak to someone now, call 011 882 8853.
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