With the advent of globalization, rapid advances and popularization in technologies and Hong Kong’s further transformation into a knowledge-based economy, the local workforce should be better equipped to enhance its capabilities and competitiveness.
To ensure sustainable manpower development amidst the rapidly changing world, we need to facilitate articulation among academic, vocational and continuing education through the establishment of a comprehensive and voluntary network of learning pathways – the Qualifications Framework (QF). By encouraging and promoting lifelong learning, the framework will enable individuals to pursue their goals according to their own roadmaps.
In such regard, the Executive Council endorsed the establishment of a seven-level cross-sectoral QF and its associated quality assurance mechanism in February 2004. The aim of establishing the QF is to clearly define the standards of different qualifications, ensure their quality and indicate the articulation ladders between different levels of qualifications.
The QF is a hierarchy that orders and supports qualifications of academic, vocational and continuing education. To strengthen the industries’ leading role in the development of vocational training so as to enhance the effectiveness of the latter, Specification of Competency Standards (SCSs) are formulated by the respective industries. To ensure wide acceptance of the qualifications conferred by various educational and training bodies under the QF, a quality assurance mechanism is set up. All QF-recognized qualifications are quality assured.
The Education Bureau (EDB) is assisting various industries to set up their Industry Training Advisory Committees (ITACs) in stages, which consist of representatives from employers, employees and relevant professional bodies. So far, ITACs have been formed for twelve industries, namely Printing & Publishing, Watch & Clock, Chinese Catering, Hairdressing, Property Management, Electrical & Mechanical Services, Jewellery, Information & Communications Technology, Automotive, Beauty, Logistics and Banking.
The ITACs are actively developing the SCSs for their respective industries in order to set out the competency standards required at different levels under the QF. Upon completion of industry-wide consultation on the draft SCSs, training providers may develop appropriate training programmes accordingly. The programmes and related qualifications will be recognized under the QF if they are quality assured by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ).
Under the QF, qualifications are not confined to academic and training attainment. A Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) mechanism developed by individual industries is in place to recognize existing workers’ skills, knowledge and work experience. With qualifications so obtained, the employees may pursue further studies at different levels to obtain higher and wider qualifications.
To facilitate lifelong learning, employees require flexibility in the mode and pattern of learning to cater for their work and family responsibilities. A Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CAT) system will provide the flexibility to suit individual circumstances and minimize duplication in training. With a CAT system, learners can systematically accumulate the credits of learning and training gained from various courses with a view to converting the accumulated credits into a recognized qualification. The development of the QF will facilitate CAT arrangement between sectors and training providers by providing a unified platform and common benchmarks.
Generally speaking, the QF has relevance not only to the workplace but also to secondary education. The SCSs developed by industries would support the Applied Learning Courses under the new academic structure for senior secondary education, so as to provide diversified learning experience and choices to students and enable them to master the basic skills required by various industries.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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