QQI in collaboration with Solas has extended its suite of professional award-type descriptors to NFQ levels 5 and 6, and adopted standards for five reviewed craft awards (apprenticeships) at NFQ level 6.
The newly adopted learning-outcome-based standards are:
Carpentry and Joinery
Electrical
Plumbing
Metal Fabrication
Heavy Vehicle Mechanic
Solas, Ireland’s FET (Further Education and Training) authority, has statutory responsibility for the organisation and control of designated apprenticeships, under the Industrial Training Act 1967 and the Labour Services Act 1987.
QQI is the national body that makes craft awards to learners who successfully complete an apprenticeship in one of the designated trades. It is also responsible for the external quality assurance of apprenticeship programmes of education and training and for maintaining the NFQ (National Framework of Qualifications).
The Solas Apprenticeship is a demand-driven, employment-focused quality model that enables learners get knowledge and skills to meet labour market needs, to respond to technical change, and to progress in education and training.
Solas is advised on the development of the apprenticeship system in Ireland by the NAAC (National Apprenticeship Advisory Committee) which represents social partners and other stakeholders.
QQI and Solas are also represented on the Apprenticeship Council, which was launched on 18 November 2014.
The Apprenticeship Council is tasked with the expansion of apprenticeship across a range of qualification levels into new sectors of the economy. It also maps out the sectors where new apprenticeships can make a real difference to both employers and employees.
Solas has developed the apprenticeship programmes in partnership with employers, trades unions, the Department of Education and Skills and the Institutes of Technology (public higher education institutions).
Five New Craft Standards
The five new standards are placed at Advanced Craft level 6 in the NFQ and the volume of learning associated with each is 240 FET credits (this is consistent with a four-year programme of education and training). The new standards are available
here.
Two new Professional Award-types established
Each of the five new standards must be used in conjunction with the new QQI NFQ Level 6 Professional Award-type Descriptor (generic standard). When the new apprenticeship programmes are validated by QQI both standards, the particular and the general, must be achieved for the craft award.
The two new professional award-type descriptors are available
here.
In the new year these will be re-published as a set that includes the three pre-existing professional award-type descriptors; making a set spanning NFQ levels 5 to 9.
Validation
QQI will validate the five programmes in 2015. Programme validation is a process that evaluates:
the design and implementation of the education and training processes that enable apprentices to achieve intended learning outcomes;
the reliability and validity of the assessment arrangements;
the suitability of the detailed intended apprenticeship learning outcomes in light of QQI's standards and programme validation criteria.
External Evaluation Reports
The new standards were adopted on the basis of external evaluations of the outcomes of curriculum reviews conducted by Solas.
In each case, the evaluation recommended the NFQ level for the award most suited to the learning outcomes determined by the curriculum reviews. The evaluations considered international comparators. The reports are available
here.
Notes
For information on apprenticeship in Ireland please see the Department of Education and Skills
webpage (January 2014).
