Peer Learning Cluster or other group
Recognition of Learning outcomes
Background
The fifth PLA on the theme of national qualifications frameworks (NQF) organised by the Cluster on Recognition of Learning Outcomes was hosted by the Malta Qualifications Council together with the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry.
The PLA built on the previous work of the Cluster and significantly on the outcomes of the PLAs held in the 2007-2009 period. The latter all highlighted the necessity for an NQF to be “owned” by a broad range of parties.
Against this background, the Maltese PLA has discussed the roles stakeholders play not only in designing NQFs but also in their implementation and the implementation of learning outcomes based approaches in education and training. As such, the PLA focused mainly on engagement of labour market representatives (trade unions and employers), education and training providers and also learners.
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Description
The PLA explored the benefits of NQFs for different stakeholders (including learners) and the means through which they can be engaged in the NQF process. It also discussed existing national approaches to engaging representatives of the labour market in designing learning outcomes based qualifications, which are a precondition for most existing or developing NQFs.
The following themes were discussed during the PLA:
- General consideration on stakeholder involvement
- Forms of stakeholder involvement
- Issues around involving stakeholders in NQF design
- Involving stakeholders in NQF implementation and parallel processes
- Learners’ perspective
The discussions during the PLA were stimulated by presentations from participating countries. The Maltese hosts presented the Maltese qualifications framework and its specific features as well as the points of view of different actors at several occasions during the event. Inputs based on findings of a survey of NQF developments in the Member States were also provided by Cedefop. The way how stakeholders were involved in this process was particularly highlighted.
Conclusions
The PLA succeeded in stimulating a range of exchanges and conclusions including that follows:
- The strategic vision for the NQF should be clearly expressed and communicated. This will enable stakeholders to formulate their positions, establish dialogue and contribute to reaching this vision. Otherwise there is a risk of mistrust and lack of response from the side of stakeholders.
- In many countries NQFs bring in new concepts and these need to be discussed and explained if they are to be translated into reality.
- The qualifications framework should build on existing structures describing them through the language of learning outcomes.
- In addition to the political vision the NQF also requires a management process. The NQF management should create the link between a top-down political process and the bottom-up process of creating qualifications and translating labour market and learners’ needs into qualifications.
- The management process is facilitated by existence of leadership that is accepted by the different parties. This process also requires clear operational and financial framework.
- Social partners but also sectoral organisations already have roles and responsibilities regarding VET qualifications however their engagement with the higher education sector is weak. This could become stronger with development of VET at higher levels.
- Higher education sector has stronger tradition of engaging learners’ representatives in quality assurance of programmes and qualifications, which is a dimension frequently missing in VET.
- The existing stakeholders’ responsibilities constitute the basis for NQF quality assurance.
- Stakeholders are the interface between policy-makers and learners.
- Testing and piloting of level descriptors on specific qualifications is a good opportunity to give stakeholders a hands-on experience and understanding of what is a NQF and what does is imply in practice.
- From the side of policy-makers it is important to be able to manage stakeholders’ expectations and also to have adequate capacity to address the needs a proper dialogue with a variety of players requires.
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