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1 9/30/2012 |
Qualifications Framework
for the Emirates (QFEmirates)
Sue Parker
Expert, Qualifications Policy and Qualifications
Framework
2 9/30/2012 |
NQA presentation aims and content
• To describe functions of NQA
• To outline the key drivers for the QFEmirates
• To describe the scope and architecture of the QFEmirates
• To outline qualification types included in and aligned to the QFEmirates
• To explain the relationship between education sectors education and employers within the context of the QFEmirates
• To describe the current stage of development of the QFEmirates
3 9/30/2012 |
NQA core functions
NQA
Policy Drivers: labour market. skills &
competency. Emiratisation
Strategies to deiver/enhance UAE education & training
reputation
Occupational standards
Improve labour market productivity, guide
qualifications, support testing in workplace
Quality assurance /standards
Set standards, assure quality, drive improvement across the
UAE
Alignment, recognition, & benchmarking National, international
World class
Stakeholder collaboration
Eg Gov. ministries, Commissions, entities, providers, employers
4 9/30/2012 |
Key drivers for the QFEmirates
• Address skills shortages and gaps in the labour market, including those with low skills or skills that are no longer required
• Creation of a new VET sector for the UAE, emphasising access, transfer to general and higher education and supporting progression
• Single reference point and common benchmark for all qualifications, including international alignment
• Quality, standards and consistency of approach
• Promote and support lifelong learning
5 9/30/2012 |
The place of the QFE in the UAE
EMIRATISATION
Labour market needs
Social development
Occupational standards
Research
Qualifications Framework
Recognition of prior
learning / experience
Commissions World class
system International benchmarks
World class economy
World class workforce
6 9/30/2012 |
Scope of the QFEmirates
• Single structure covering qualifications for: – School (general) education
– Vocational education
– Work-based training
– Professional education and training
– Higher education
• Formal learning
• Informal learning and non-formal learning through recognition of prior learning (RPL)
• All new qualifications to be referenced to QFEmirates
7 9/30/2012 |
Architecture of the QFEmirates
• Types of qualifications – Principal – Composite – Component
• Levels – Simplest: level 1 – Most complex: level 10 – Higher education at levels 5 to 10
• Learning outcomes – 5 strands – Knowledge – Skills – Aspects of competence (autonomy & responsibility, role in context, self-
development)
• The 10 levels and 5 strands form a grid of ‘level descriptors’
8 9/30/2012 |
Qualification types
• Principal qualifications: – major class of awards associated with each level
• Composite awards – used for a specified group of learning outcomes,
which may form part of the requirement for a principal qualification
• Component awards – used as the smallest form of formal recognition for a
set of learning outcomes – e.g. unit or module, for a relatively narrow set of learning outcomes designed for a particular purpose; it may also form part of the requirement for a principal qualification
9 9/30/2012 |
Principal Qualifications
Level Generic name Vocational education
and training Higher education General education
10 Doctoral degree — Doctoral —
9 Master degree (Applied) Master Master —
8 Graduate Diploma
Applied Graduate Diploma
Post Graduate Diploma —
7 Bachelor degree (Applied) Bachelor Bachelor —
6 Higher Diploma Advanced Diploma Higher Diploma —
5 Diploma / Associate
Degree Diploma Associate Degree —
4 Certificate Certificate 4 — Secondary School Certificate (G 12)
3 Certificate Certificate 3 — TBA
2 Certificate Certificate 2 — —
1 Certificate Certificate 1 — —
9
Life Long Learning
Re
cogn
itio
n o
f P
rio
r
Lear
nin
g (R
PL)
10 9/30/2012 |
The five (5) strands of learning outcomes comprise knowledge, skill, and aspects of competence - in terms of:
autonomy and responsibility,
self-development and
role in context
Level X
Strand 1 Strand 2 Strand 3 Strand 4 Strand 5
Knowledge Skill
Autonomy and responsibility
Self-development
Role in context
Aspects of competence
Five strands of learning outcomes
11 9/30/2012 |
Grid of level descriptors (HE only)
Level Name Knowledge Skills Autonomy & responsibility
Self-development
Role in context
10 Doctorate
9 Master
8 Graduate Diploma
7 Bachelor
6 Higher Diploma
5 Diploma/ Associate Degree
Level descriptors must reflect all five strands Increasing
level of complexity
12 9/30/2012 |
Content and assessment of qualifications
• Content and assessment is entirely the business of the organisation developing the qualification; NQA’s only interest is in it being ‘fit for purpose’
• However, for ‘applied’ subjects content should be guided by national occupational standards where they are available OR be developed in consultation with industry experts where they are not
• Assessment criteria must align to learning outcomes
• Assessment must be fit for purpose for the type of qualification/award
13 9/30/2012 |
QFEmirates and employers
• NQA collects labour market intelligence (LMI) from across the UAE and about the UAE from overseas (eg OECD, World Bank reports)
• LMI is a key driver in NQA determining which national qualifications should be developed for the labour market and which should be withdrawn
• Employers advise NQA and qualifications developers of their priorities to improve productivity and drive forward the labour market
• Employers, with NQA support, produce national occupational standards, (statements of competency), which are used to guide qualifications development
• Employers work together in Sector Advisory Committees within a given sector of industry to agree national occupational standards
14 9/30/2012 |
Occupational standards
• Produced by employers; overseen by NQA
• Specifications of performance and underpinning knowledge to be competent in a given occupation (eg chemical engineer, special needs teacher)
• Used to: – enable employers (for example) to benchmark jobs to best
practice or performance manage employees in order to drive forward productivity and economic prosperity
– provide information about skills gaps and shortages to governments
– advise learners about what they need to do next to progress in their chosen career, or another career
– guide qualifications development in many qualifications systems (eg UK, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, India)
15 9/30/2012 |
Inclusion
• Process whereby a qualification designed and developed in the UAE for the UAE by a recognised authority is placed on the Qualifications Framework for the Emirates
• Before this can occur: – higher education qualifications must be accredited
through normal institutional processes
– vocational qualifications need to be validated and endorsed by employers
16 9/30/2012 |
Issuing qualifications
• The issuing of qualifications is by a recognised authority – including institutions licensed by the CAA to whom this responsibility has been delegated
• Each has institution has full responsibility for: – the assessment process
– the decision to award
– safeguarding the national qualifications titles
– preparing the qualification record given to learners
– preparing the transcript detailing subjects/units
– providing and maintaining records of achievement
– reporting achievement to the CAA and NQA as required
17 9/30/2012 |
Alignment
• Simply means comparing qualifications to the design specification of the QFEmirates
• Two forms of alignment: – Existing qualifications accredited by a quality assured
national or international awarding organisation
– Local/UAE qualifications that employers value but which will not be developed as national qualifications
• Alignment is based primarily on level descriptors and checking that assessment is fit for purpose
• Alignment includes external review to ensure all qualifications recognised in the UAE are properly benchmarked to best international practice
18 9/30/2012 |
QFEmirates implementation: who?
Commissions Entities
Ministries Public interest International
interest
Employers Providers
Learners
NQA
19 9/30/2012 |
Current stage of development of the QFEmirates
• ‘Handbook’ approved by NQA Board of Trustees in February 2012
• Pilot projects underway at present covering the following: – Recognition, alignment and endorsement of current or new UAE
qualifications – International alignment – Advice/support for qualifications design and/or development – Project management, facilitating joint development between
organisations – Bilateral agreements and MOUs – One-off ‘special’ projects
• Evaluation of pilots: October - December 2012 • Feedback from stakeholders about early implementation • Full roll-out due to commence early 2013