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Qualifications Framework

for the Emirates (QFEmirates)

Sue Parker

Expert, Qualifications Policy and Qualifications

Framework

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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’

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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

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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)

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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)

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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

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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

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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

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QFEmirates implementation: who?

Commissions Entities

Ministries Public interest International

interest

Employers Providers

Learners

NQA

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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