National Qualifications Systems Forum

FOREIGN QUALIFICATION RECOGNITION AND CANADIAN STANDARDS

The Canadian Forum of Labour Market Ministers (FLMM) recently released the Pan Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.  The framework poses questions and challenges for professional regulatory authorities.   

In Canada, qualification recognition for regulated occupations is primarily a provincial and territorial responsibility that often is delegated, in legislation, to professional regulatory authorities.    

The Pan-Canadian Framework describes the ideal steps and processes that Canada aspires to build in order to address the current gaps to successful immigrant labour market integration.

It defines foreign qualification recognition (FQR) as the process of verifying that the knowledge, skills, work experience and education obtained in another country is comparable to the standards established for Canadian professionals and tradespersons.

Regulatory authorities, in each jurisdiction, have the primary responsibility for establishing occupational standards that ensure public, consumer and environmental protection.

There is no legislated approach to standards in Canada. What then is the Canadian context for standards?

 There are three noteworthy systems that co-exist.  

1. The National Occupational Analysis (NOA) system for standards  is a proven system of national co-operation
2. The National Occupational Standards (NOS) system for standards is a sector specific system.
3. There is a Canada version of the UK National Vocation Qualification (NVQ) system for standards which aligns with emerging international qualifications frameworks.

THE EUROPEAN QUALIFICATION FRAMEWORK LEVELS

The European Qualifications Framework (EQF) for lifelong learning creates a common platform that links the qualifications systems of the forty or so participating nations.

Their purpose is to enable labour market mobility and to facilitate lifelong learning that benefits the people and the country.
 
The EQF is based on learning outcomes. A learning outcome is defined as what a leaner knows, understands and is able to do upon completion of a learning process.

It is outcome based not input defined. 

This establishes a harmonious and balanced work place system that defines qualifications in different ways including theory and experience, technical and practical, individual and collective. It also addresses initial qualifications from schooling and continuous education. 

There are eight levels in the EQF.   Learning outcomes are defined as knowledge, skills and competence

A LITTLE THEORY ABOUT NATIONAL VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

I enjoyed reading the article “National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ): One route to improve the status of women in Libraries. “ by Sandra Parker, Catherine Hare and Pat Gannon-Leary from the University of Northumbria at Newcastle in the United Kingdom.

It provided a concise overview of the some of the theory behind national vocational qualifications.

National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) exist in England and Wales while Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) exist in Scotland. They are both are underpinned by national occupational standards-a concept we have embraced here in Canada.

The following is taken from the section of the paper presented in Jerusalem, Israel entitled “What is an SVQ or NVQ and what is involved in getting one.”

 “NVQs measure skills that are directly relevant to the everyday world of work (Arundale 1995). They are competence based (Dakers 1994b and 1994c) and measure whether a person can carry out his or her work to the defined national standards of current best practice (Dakers 1997b).

THE EUROPEAN QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK

The European Qualifications Framework (EQF) has a competitive advantage in the global marketplace because it signals a more balanced approach to qualifications and it addresses what I think is a systemic issue in education and training.

The EQF is a common European reference framework which links countries’ qualifications systems together, acting as a translation device to make qualifications more readable and understandable across different countries and systems in Europe. It has the twin purposes of promote individual  mobility between countries  and facilitating lifelong learning.

The EQF seeks to balance input qualifications with output qualifications and to focus on vocational qualifications that are considered vital to sustain a competitive advantage.  

Output qualifications are called learning outcomes which are defined “ as a statement of what a learner knows, understands and is able to do on completion of a learning process.

The EQF emphasizes the results of learning rather than focusing on inputs such as length of study.