Quality Assurance Guidelines for Apprenticeship in Ireland

2. Alex Keys Quality and Qualifications Ireland

3. Contents • Introduction • European influence on quality assurance • The Irish model of quality assurance • QQI’s Quality Assurance Guidelines for Apprenticeship

4. The Journey …

6. Fire Fighting …

7. Crossroads …

8. Collaboration …

9. European Context of Quality Apprenticeship • There is not a commonly agreed definition of apprenticeship1 in Europe; • Opinions vary on whether apprenticeships are based on employment contracts and whether apprenticeships are remunerated or not1 • Ireland: has an agreed definition and a national approach to apprenticeship and understand what we mean by quality and quality assurance. • The term ‘quality assurance’ is used to describe the processes that seek to ensure that the learning environment and education and training providers can reach an acceptable threshold of quality. QA is also used to describe the enhancement of education provision and the standards attained by learners. UNESCO defines quality assurance (QA) as “…an ongoing, continuous process of evaluating (assessing, monitoring, guaranteeing, maintaining and improving) the quality of …[an] education system, institution or program.”

10. European Context of Quality Apprenticeship • QQI has an external QA role in ensuring and communicating to the public that providers have appropriate QA procedures in place and that these are implemented and effective. This is achieved by: • Issuing guidelines for the establishment of providers’ QA procedures • Reviewing the effectiveness of those procedures • PATD are part of NFQ which is referenced to EQF

11. European Impact on Quality Apprenticeship

12. European Impact of Quality Apprenticeship

13. European Impact on Quality Apprenticeship

14. European Impact of Quality Apprenticeship

15. Developing a National Apprenticeship

16. Ensuring Quality

18. Introduction: Core QA Guidelines

19. Statutory Core QA Guidelines

20. Statutory QAGs for Apprenticeship

24. Top Tips: Policy QA Principles

25. In Conclusion Tell me and I'll forget. Show me, and I may not remember. Involve me, and I'll understand.Native American Saying

26. Useful Resources • Further Research: • https://www.eqavet.eu/About-Us • https://www.eqavet.eu/Aligning-with-EQAVET/Aligning-a-QA-approach/Bruges-communique • https://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/higher-education/bologna-process-and-european-higher-education-area_en • https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?newsId=2818&langId=en&catId=89&furtherNews=yes& • https://blog.uiin.org/2018/07/quality-assurance-work-based-learning-european-higher-education-sector/ • http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/fr/news-and-press/news/european-ministers-endorse-riga-conclusions-vet • https://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/eu-policy-in-the-field-of-vocational-education-and-training-vet_en • QQI Resources: • QQI website • Online QA Guidelines • QA Guidelines (main site) • Initial Access to Programme Validation • Programme Validation • Application for Validation (FET)