Sinaia, 25-27 September 2006

1. Conference on "Sectoral partnerships for qualification development“Toward a National Qualification Framework in Romania Ana Elena CostinNational Adult Training Board – National Authority for Qualifications Sinaia, 25-27 September 2006

2. After the consultation process on EQF (finalised in December 2005), Romania decided to develop a NQF correlated with EQF • “Romania is supporting EQF and is ready to implement it on volunteer basis. We are aware of the preparatory work we have to do to this respect but actions to be taken are already part of our long term action plan.” • Rationale • Facilitating the comparability of Romanian NQF with other NQFs • Improving transparency, quality and relevance of Romanian qualifications • Enabling more progression and mobility • between different learning systems through the recognition of prior learning • between different working areas (including migration) through the transparency of competences

3. Main elements of EQF 8 REFERENCE LEVELS

4. Vision on NQF • NQF correlated with EQF, based on the consensus of the main stakeholders • EQF terminology adopted • Romania taking part in all related developments, such as: quality assurance in all education and training systems, prior learning validation, counselling and guidance, key competences, ECVET/ECTS, Europass, etc. • A coherent methodological framework developed (for qualifications’ development, validation, and certification) • Responsibilities clearly defined • Legislation adapted • Institutional arrangements operational at national and sectoral level • Full involvement of the social partners in development and implementation of NQF ensured • A coherent National Qualification System (including IVET, CVT, HE, apprenticeship at the workplace) developed

5. Reference levels • State of the art • 5 qualification levels (VET: 1-3; HE: 4-5) • correlation between education levels, existing qualification levels and the 8 EQF reference levels proposed • Steps to be taken • National reference levels (8 in principle – VET: 1-5; HE: 6-8) defined • Each level defined by a set of descriptors indicating the learning outcomes relevant to the award of a qualification (knowledge, skills,competences – autonomy and responsibility) • Current qualification levels correlated with the 8 EQF reference levels • Coherent set of national qualifications correlated to European reference levels developedand introduced in the National Register for Qualifications

6. Qualifications - VET • State of the art • VET qualifications are learning outcomes based • A qualification is described through competence units • A competence unit consists of competences, as a coherent set of learning outcomes • Units of key competences are elaborated within each qualification to assure a common ground to build general working capacities • A qualification can be linked/associated with one or more occupations • Different sets of qualifications – achieved: • both through IVET and CVT • only through CVT (usually associated with one occupation)

7. Qualifications - VET • State of the art • Competences and learning outcomes are standardised through occupational standards (OSs) and training standards (TSs) • OS – a document which describes the competence units related to a qualification usually linked with one occupation • used for prior learning validation, but also within formal CVT and apprenticeship • TS – a document which describes the competences units related to a qualification linked with more occupations • developed for IVET • applied within IVET, but also within formal CVT, assessment of prior learning and apprenticeship

8. Certification – VET– IVET • State of the art • A Qualification Certificate is issued when all the competence units related with a qualification (from TS) have been achieved – represent the legal entitlement to practice one or more occupations • The competence units are mentioned in the QualificationCertificate • Discrete competences and competence units could be certificated through the Lifelong Learning Individual Portfolio, which helps to keep track of all competences acquired by a student, in addition to the full awards • Awarding bodies: MoER – accredits thetraining providers – national awards

9. Certification – VET – CVT • State of the art • A Qualification Certificate and aCertificate Supplement are issued when all the competence units related with a qualification (from OS/TS) have been achieved and represent the legal entitlement to practice one or more occupations • A Graduation Certificate and aCertificate Supplement are issued when a subset of competence units relatedto a OS or TS have been achieved – facilitated by the modularisation of learning programmes • Competences centres issue Competences Certificates for the competences achieved within non formal and informal learning contexts • The competence unit is the minimum element that can be certificated • Awarding bodies: MoLSSF and MoER– accredit, through NATB, the training providers and the competences centres – national awards • Training for occupations could be also certificated by non accredited training providers or employers – awards are not national (unless validated by a competences centre)

10. Qualifications&Certification – VET • Steps to be taken • Qualifications • associated with more occupations • associated with one occupation – “partial” qualification • Certificates • Qualification Certificate – all the competence units related with a qualification achieved (“partial” qualifications included) • Competences Certificate – one or more competence units achieved • Role, content and application of OSs and TSs, and link between related competence units clarified– possible scenario: • OS - competences oriented (assessmentandtraining at the work place, prior learning recognition) – developed by sectors • TS - learning outcomes oriented (qualification programmes) – developed by awarding bodies through aggregation of more OSs • Compatible methodologies for defining and reviewing national qualifications developed • Coherent set of national qualifications developed, correlated with European reference levels

11. Qualification - HE • State of the art • University studies organised in 3 cycles: Bachelor degree, Master degree, Doctorate studies according to Bologna Process and follow-up documents; • Study cycles organised based on the prior identification and definition of the general and specific knowledge and competences, and of the cognitive skills specific of the profession envisaged (Law no. 288/2004 on the organization of university studies) • Establishment of National Agency for Qualifications in Higher Education and Partnership with Economic and Social Environment – ACPART(G.D. no. 1.357/ 2005) • Designing and implementing the National Register of Qualifications for HE (NRQ-HE) by means of the submissionof the standardized forms and their methodological guide to all accredited/authorised state and private universities to be completed • Qualification Profiles represent the reference standards for HE– a Qualification Profile is described in the Specialisation Form for each of the specialisations within various fields of study • OS are occasionally developed and applied by universities

12. Qualification - HE • Steps to be taken • Registering all qualifications certified by HE institutions in the NRQ-HE as well as its IT implementation and continuously up-dating • Conceiving a flexible methodology for defining and permanently reviewing the national qualifications for HE correlated to the reference levels by means of workshops, reunions, seminars with both representatives from HE institutions and from social and economic environment • Description of the HE qualifications in terms of competences for each of the 3 cycles of study • Collaboration with NATB/NAQ and other stakeholders involved in development and implementation of NQF in order to ensure a coherent approach • Elaboration of a mandatory legislation for qualifications

13. Certification - HE • State of the art • The HE Diploma is the legal entitlement to practice one or more occupations according to the specialisation awarded. • A Diploma Supplement annexed to the HE Diploma (Bachelor and Master degrees) will be issued for HE graduates starting with the academic year 2006-2007 • Awarding bodies: MoER – authorised/accredited universities – awards are national • Steps to be taken • Conceiving a set of validation procedures for certifying each qualification in HE • All qualifications in HE, after being certified, included in the NRQ-HE

14. Credits – IVET • State of the art • Credits are allocated according to the complexity of the tasks • 1 credit is attributed for the learning outcomes/competences achieved during 60 hours of learning activities/workload. One unit can have from 0.5 up to 2 credits • Accumulation of credits is used by vertical progression and horizontal mobility for qualifications clustered in one vocational domain or similar vocational domains • Steps to be taken • Credits recognised in the Certificate Supplement • Responsibility for allocation of credits established – possible scenario: credits allocated by awarding bodies (especially if TSs are developed by awarding bodies) • Definition and allocation of credits in IVET better explained to all training providers • Barriers: certification is realised only for the full qualification, after finalising the training programme

15. Credits – CVT • State of the art • Credits are not yet implemented, but prior learning (competence units achieved within different learning contexts) are recognised within CVT • Steps to be taken • Credits allocated by sectors – competences associated with workplace requirements • Credits recognised within and between formal CVT system and non formal/informal CVT system – recognised in the Certificate Supplement • Transferability of credits facilitated by the correlation between TSs’ competence units and related OSs’ competence units

16. Credits – HE • State of the art • Application of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) in all universities is mandatory • ECTS is workload based • Recognition of credits is realised by mutual agreements between universities and based on the equivalent of hours of study • Steps to be taken • Harmonization at the national level of the specific credit systems - by means of reunions participating university consortia or groups of faculties sharing the same area of study • Conceiving of a Informational Package by each HE institution in the form of a study guide for its own students and also for the potential partners interested in inter-university cooperation • Founding of Counselling and Orientation in Career Centre in each HE institution (MoER Order no. 3235/2005)

17. Credits – LLL perspective • In a LLL perspective, the vertical progression and horizontal mobility should be facilitated by recognition of credits accumulated in various learning systems • IVET, CVT, HE should be based on compatible or at least transparent credit allocation and transfer systems • Recognition/transferability of credits between different learning systems is conditioned by: • Consensus building – active partnership between different decision makers and stakeholders • Common QA principles implemented within different learning systems

18. Quality Assurance in E&T • State of the art • Different QA approaches in: • Education system (IVET and HE included) – Law no. 87/2006 on the QA in education, recently implemented within the educational institutions promoting CQAF principles – specific methodologies and instruments (self assessment, external evaluation) developed • Formal CVT, apprenticeship – standard system for authorisation of the training providers, based on inputs standards and indicators • Validation of non formal/informal learning – approach close to CQAF principles • Responsibilities clearly defined and specific institutions in place:ARACIP – IVET; ARACIS – HE; NATB/local ACs – CVT; MoLSSF/local ACs – apprenticeship; NATB – validation of prior learning • National Reference Point – set up as a steering group to assure the consistency of QA measures and the implementation of the QAF in VET – link between national level and European level (representatives in ENQA-VET)

19. Quality Assurance in E&T • Steps to be taken • QA seen as a system ensuring the relevance and transparency of the NQF • QA dealing with: • the content of qualifications in terms of learning outcomes; • the provision of E&T programmes; • the assessment and certification of learning outcomes • QA framework for E&T built at national level • A set of QA principles and mechanisms adopted by the relevant stakeholders – taking into consideration the impact of Law no. 87/2006, ensuring the compatibility with CQAF in VET and Standards and Guidelines for QA in HE • Current QA legislation adapted to include all training providers • Inter-institutional cooperation of the QA institutions – acting by means of Thematic Working Groups and the Forum of NRP to assure a coherent implementation of the common legislation in all the E&T systems

20. Institutional responsibilities • The consensus-building in policy development regarding NQF is a social and political process, as well as a technical one • A large consultation base ensures the coherence of the NQF design and implementation and the trust between various parties who will use the qualifications • Policy development is the result of the consensus based decision of the Government and Social Partners (SPs) – main role in case of Government belongs to MoER and MoLSSP • Technical points of view are formulated by institutions currently involved in managing the existing qualification system and in implementing the process of reform in E&T under the Copenhagen and Bologna Processes (NCDVET, NATB/NAQ, ACPART, NAE) • A crucial role have the sectoral committees (SCs), as representatives of the employers and business sector, trade unions, professional bodies, regulation bodies etc. – SCs are directly involved in the development and validation of qualifications • Relevant stakeholders may include also: providers of E&T, learners and students, teachers and trainers

21. Institutional responsibilities • State of the art • NATB is acting as National Authority for Qualifications (NAQ) – autonomous tripartite body (including representatives of MoER, MoLSSF, other ministries, and SPs) • Main attributions: • Ensuring NQF methodological framework at national level • QA of CVT provision (CVT providers and competences centres) • Management of National Register of Qualifications (NRQ) for all qualification levels • Coordination of SCs • Cooperation with NCDTVET(attributions in qualifications’ development inIVET), and withACPART (attributions in qualifications’ development in HE) • SCs involved in validation of qualifications • 23 sectors – 18 SCs established through sector agreements, based on National Tripartite Agreement(February 2005)

22. Institutional responsibilities • Steps to be taken • NATB/NAQ – methodological framework, format of qualifications and structure of NQR defined, with the consultation of ACPART, NCDTVET and other stakeholders • SCs established as legal bodies • Needed human resources trained – EU support through Phare Programme, ETF, LdV and bilateral projects • Activity of the SCs co-financed by the Government and SPs – a dedicated fund for E&T could be a solution • Development of qualifications – qualifications developed by interested bodies (sectors, awarding bodies) and validated by the SCs – new qualifications and priorities for qualifications development approved by SCs – EU support through Phare Programme • NQR completed with validated qualifications • NQR managed by NAQ

23. Conclusions …and recommendations • Romania • Parallel developments • Different approaches • Significant progress • Need of coherence based on consensus • Clear objectives • Determination • Dialogue, dialogue, dialogue • Team working • Consensus building • Sectors first Thank you!