How will QQI Re-Engagement

Impact On Your Training

Operation?

Cathleen Hartnett

QA Services

Ann Halloran

Head of Centre

In-Tuition Learning

and Development

How to Participate Today

• Open and close your Panel

• View, Select, and Test your audio

• Submit text questions

• Raise your hand

Poll

Do you plan to re-engage with QQI?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure yet

FET in Ireland Levels 1 to 6

QQI - Quality and Qualifications

Ireland

• 2012 Act

• FETAC, HETAC, IUQB and NQAI

• New website - ‘QHelp’ and ‘QSearch’ facilities

• ‘plain English approach to its documentation’

Re-Engagement

1. What is it?

2. How will it impact on you?

3. How much will it cost?

4. What do you need to do now?

1. What is Re-Engagement?

• Describes ‘transitioning’ journey from ‘legacy’

bodies to new quality assurance (QA)

arrangements with QQI

• Process is voluntary

What is Re-Engagement?

• Due to begin early 2015

• 2 to 3 years to ‘transition’

• Policy documents published by QQI - http://www.qqi.ie/Pages/Reengagement.aspx

• QQI will implement a communications

process

2. How will it impact on you?

• Will impact on all providers

• Change of relationship

• QQI is ‘open to re-engaging with all

providers, large and small’

What will QQI be looking at?

• Capacity – can you do all QQI will need you to do?

• Scale of your operation (in relation to QQI)

• Your level of activity

• Your track record in managing your quality assurance agreement

• Sustainability – have you a sustainable ‘business’ case?

Minimum Capacity

• Design, develop, deliver, assess ,evaluate and quality assure programmes

• Well-supported learning environment

• Human/financial resources

• Facilities and location

• ‘Education and training must be a principal function of a provider seeking to re-engage’

3. How much will it cost?

• Fee not yet confirmed

• In the ballpark of ‘€5000’ to apply

• Other costs – upgrading QA system

• Ongoing costs - managing and monitoring evidence-based QA system

• Invest in training/CPD

• QQI Fees schedule

4. What do you need to do now?

• Inform yourself

– Ensure QQI can contact you

– Review www.qqi.ie regularly

– Read the policy documents

– Sign up for QQI eZine

– Continuous monitoring of FET landscape

New QA Guidelines

• Review/know/compare them

• Governance and monitoring (KPI’s)

• Gone – Communications and Equality

• New - Quality Management and

Teaching and Learning

• Strong focus on PEL and ATP

Relationship with QQI

• Business as usual – keep your options open

• Ensure compliance

• Keep communicating

• Retain evidence of implementation of FETAC QA agreement

• Attend briefings/submit responses

• Use new QQI award brand and NFQ logo

• Level of activity – programme validation, certification

Self-Evaluation

• B9

• Every 2 years

• ‘Fundamental part of quality assurance

system’

• Regularly overlooked

• Can use it to evaluate how well QA is

working

Poll

• Are you due to undertake a Self-

Evaluation in 2014?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

Programme Validation

• Plan ahead

• Will be seen as a measure of activity

• May need additional programmes to

strengthen capacity

• ‘Seeking validation of new programmes

will trigger the re-engagement process for

some providers’

Network/collaboration

• Get to know other providers

• Network with others e.g. Aontas CEN/IITD

• Can be done now

• Must be quality assured

• Lead provider is responsible for QA

Look at Alternatives

• Research other accreditations e.g. City

and Guilds, Btec

• Provide non-accredited training

• Collaborate with others

Questions

Is QQI recognition critical to our training operation?

Can we afford the investment/can we afford not to invest?

Can/how can we work with others?

Are there other routes to accreditation which might suit us better?

Attendee Questions

How Can QA Services Help?

• Keep you informed

• Training – enhance internal capacity

• Benchmark existing QA systems/QA Audit

• Coordinate responses to QQI consultations

• Advise/facilitate collaboration/networks

• Facilitate PEL arrangements

• Advise on other routes to accreditation

• Self-Evaluation

Good Luck

• Welcome the process

• Welcome QQI’s efforts to engage positively and constructively

• Higher standards across the board

• Focus on welfare of learners

• Opportunity for providers to reassess

• Opportunity for providers to ‘think outside the box’

QA Services

• www.qaservices.ie

• info@qaservices.ie

• 087 2929793

"Build eLearning Capacity on a

Shoestring Budget" Seminar

How to build eLearning and training capacity

without expanding the training budget

Clare Education Centre, Ennis

Monday 17 November, 9.30am

(book on http://buildelearningcapacity.eventbrite.ie)

Attendee Questions