Quality and Qualifications Ireland

Angela Lambkin

QQI, an integrated agency for quality and qualifications in Ireland

QQI is a state agency established in November 2012

by the Quality Assurance and Qualifications

(Education and Training) Act 2012 with a board

appointed by the Minister for Education and Skills

Our functions include those previously carried out by

the Further Education and Training Awards Council

(FETAC); the Higher Education and Training Awards

Council (HETAC); the Irish Universities Quality Board

(IUQB) and the National Qualifications Authority of

Ireland (NQAI)

Quality and Qualifications Ireland

QQI – functions

• Quality assure providers of further and higher education and training

• Promote, develop and maintain the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ)

• Validate programmes and make awards

• Inform the public about the quality of education and training programmes and qualifications

• Advise the Minister in relation to national policy on quality assurance and enhancement in education and training.

QQI – Numbers

• 600 providers across public and private, further, higher and English language sectors

• 3,951 Honours Bachelor Degrees (2016)

• 280, 291 awards (2016)

QQI, an integrated agency for quality and qualifications in Ireland

Education and training providers

• Universities: Designated Awarding Bodies

• Institutions of Technology: Delegated Authority Education & Training Boards - QQI awards

• Private – further and higher - QQI awards

Quality and Qualifications Ireland

• Information Services – Qualifications Directorate

Includes:

• Qualifax – national learner’s database

• Naric Ireland part of the ENIC-NARIC network

• General information on qualifications

• Europass / mobility activity (NEC)

• Certificate and diploma supplements

Qualifications Directorate

• Maintain and promote the NFQ

• Guide and support use of NFQ nationally and internationally

• Provide authoritative information on programmes & qualifications

• Provide comparative advice on foreign qualifications

• Certification

QQI, an integrated agency for quality and qualifications in Ireland

Information Services Unit

• Qualifax.ie a programme and course information database

• NARIC.ie - recognition and Enic-Naric

• Europass.ie – promotion of mobility

• Qualifications information & monitoring

QQI, an integrated agency for quality and qualifications in Ireland

Qualifax

• National learner database

• Comprehensive information on programmes and courses

• Supports students and educators

• .5m users per year

QQI, an integrated agency for quality and qualifications in Ireland

The Irish ENIC-NARIC Centre: What do we do?

• Part of an initiative of the European Commission, the Council of Europe and UNESCO to help organisations and individuals find information relating international academic and professional mobility, and on procedures for the recognition of foreign qualifications.

• Facilitates the recognition of foreign qualifications in Ireland by offering advice on how foreign qualifications compare to Irish qualifications placed on the NFQ

• Variety of stakeholders: Award-holders/individuals

Recruiters

Employers

Education institutions

Guidance professionals

Government departments.

The Irish ENIC-NARIC Centre: Who are we?

• Facilitates the recognition of foreign qualifications in Ireland

• Facilitates the recognition of Irish qualifications – at home and abroad / Verification service for QQI awards

• Acts as a referral service for professional recognition

• Approximately 33,000 website hits NARIC.ie

• Informal queries 5,000

• Free of charge service

The Irish ENIC-NARIC: How?

• Facilitates the recognition of foreign qualifications in Ireland by offering advice on

how foreign qualifications compare to Irish qualifications placed on the NFQ – variety of stakeholders: award-holders, recruiters, employers, education institutions, guidance professionals, government departments.

• Applicants are issued with a statement of comparability which compares their qualification to an Irish award, e.g.

“… is comparable to an Honours Bachelor Degree which is placed at Level 8 on the Irish National Framework of Qualifications”

• Provides information on the Irish education and training system, promotes recognition of Irish qualifications abroad

2016 Analytics

Country Sum of Unique Pageviews

Brazil 2800

UK 2552

Poland 1785

Spain 1764

Croatia 1295

India 1124

Pakistan 1045

Romania 923

USA 829

Ireland 791

Australia 669

Italy 644

Lithuania 596

Germany 514

France 449

Philippines 441

South Africa 418

Nigeria 398

Russia 368

Venezuela 324

Canada 274

Hungary 257 QQI, an integrated agency for quality

and qualifications in Ireland

The Europass Tools 1. Europass CV

2. Europass Language Passport

3. Europass Mobility Document

4. Europass Certificate Supplement

5. Europass Diploma Supplement

Cover letter

Europass Skills Passport

Where is Europass going?

• European Area of Skills and Qualifications

• Global context needs to be more widely used

• Interoperability, Compatibility

www.naric.ie www.QQI.ie

www.qualifax.ie www.education.ie

QQI, an integrated agency for quality and qualifications in Ireland