Vocational Education in EnglandThe View from the Regulator

Fiona Pethick, Director of Regulation25th January 2011

Regulation – Our mission

As the independent regulator, Ofqual strives to secure

qualifications, examinations and assessments that are

valued and trusted by learners, users and the wider public

The importance of qualifications

Motivate and demonstrate achievement

Provide a clear and understandable route for progression

AND

Meet the recognised needs of employers

Regulating awarding organisations

We undertake our regulatory duty by:– Acting in accordance with the principles of better regulation– Basing our decisions on evidence– Targeting our interventions – Engaging fairly and openly with regulated organisations– Using proportionate enforcement sanctions where necessary– Contributing evidence-based advice on policy options– Making sure our staff have the right skills and knowledge

Regulating awarding organisations

We require awarding organisations to:– Be accountable for the quality and standards of the qualifications

they award and the efficiency with which they operate– Make sure their organisation behaves in accordance with the

conditions of recognition– Respect Ofqual’s role as regulator and cooperate with us– Take remedial action if things go wrong, and notify us promptly

Ofqual’s response to the Wolf Review

Regulation applies to all qualifications

The regulator’s role is to provide a quality benchmark for qualifications and secure fitness-for-purpose

Ofqual will hold awarding organisations accountable for quality and standards

Vocational qualifications for young learners must contribute to progression routes

Providers’ performance measures should not distort choice or create inefficiency in the system

A single framework will embrace qualifications of different design and assessment models