Skills portability and the ability to recognise learning across borders are becoming increasingly important in a changing global economy. Jeff Protheroe, ColegauCymru’s Strategic Adviser for Work-Based Learning and Employability, recently attended the Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) conference, which brought together organisations from across the globe to explore skills portability and talent mobility. Here, Jeff reflects on some of the key themes from the conference and what they could mean for Wales.
Qualifications serve as a vital currency in the world in which we live, and the way we describe and organise qualifications is critically important - for learners, for employers, for education providers, and for policy makers. The Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW) is a national framework designed to describe and organise qualifications and learning in Wales. It is an inclusive learning framework, which levels capture all learning from the very initial stages (Entry, 1, 2 & 3) to the most advanced (Level 8). ColegauCymru manages the CQFW on behalf of the Welsh Government, and last week the Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) conference offered the opportunity to explore skills portability and talent mobility with organisations from across the globe. The UK’s changing relationship with the European Qualifications Framework following Brexit has led to deeper consideration as to whether closer cooperation or comparison could help make qualifications easier to understand and recognise across borders. One thing is clear, if we want people to be able move between learning and work, change careers, build on what they have already achieved or take their skills elsewhere, they need confidence that what they know and can do will be understood and valued. Employers and education providers need that confidence too. For Wales, then, the challenge is not simply about making qualifications comparable. It is about making skills genuinely portable.
Making learning and experience count
Whilst qualifications frameworks can sound technical, the drivers and questions behind them are straightforward. Can an employer understand what knowledge someone possesses, and what they are able to deliver? Can a learner build on progress to the next stage of their learning journey without any unnecessary repetition? Can those all-important skills gained through employment, training or education be recognised when an individual moves between institutions, sectors or countries? The CQFW provides Wales with a way of describing and organising learning, supports progression and helps us understand how qualifications relate to those delivered elsewhere in the world. The key question here is whether learners, at any stage of their journey, can carry their learning and achievements with them to their next stage. Here, recognition of prior learning (RPL) is critical. RPL is a process where evidence of a learner’s previous learning and / or achievement is assessed and can be used to exempt the learner from all or part of a qualification. When a learner is ready to progress to the next stage of their learning journey, or step back into education after a period away, it is important to begin with understanding what knowledge a learner already possesses, what that learner is able to do, and what that learner may have learnt through work and life that could count towards their next step. RPL can reduce unnecessary repetition, recognise learning gained through employment and help people progress towards recognised achievement. It is about recognising existing learning, with rigour and with quality assurance. RPL can be transformative, and an effective RPL system would mean ensuring pathways to lifelong learning for all, which in turn would support the Welsh Government to meet its ambitions.
Flexible learning for a changing world
Last week’s QQI conference was also a moment to reflect on the development and delivery of micro-credentials - a shorter, modularised approach to learning. Increasingly, individuals need opportunities to develop their skills alongside work and other responsibilities, while employers need a skills system that can respond as jobs and skills requirements change. There is a growing need for learners to be able to access the information to understand what a micro-credential represents, and further opportunities for employers to understand what they recognise in their context, and whether it can contribute towards further learning. The challenge for policy makers is finding the right balance as micro-credentials develop - keeping learning flexible and responsive, while providing clear outcomes, credible assessment and straightforward progression.
An opportunity for Wales
Wales already has many of the key building blocks in place - including the CQFW, developing work on RPL and micro-credentials, and a wider commitment to flexible lifelong learning. With a new government committed to developing a Welsh skills system fit for the future, we have an opportunity to make sure that education and training opportunities are aligned with the real needs of Welsh employers and industries, and reflect future opportunities in the Welsh economy.
Further Information
ColegauCymru and the Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW)
ColegauCymru: Recognition of Prior Learning
Jeff Protheroe, Strategic Adviser - Work-based Learning and Employability
Jeff.Protheroe@ColegauCymru.ac.uk
