Study on competency-based education and training in vocational education and training in Namibia

Transcription

1 Study on competency-based education and training in vocational education and training in Namibia Issues and Options Paper October 2014 RFP2013/03 CBET STUDY Issues and Options paper

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3 Content Abbreviations... 4 Glossary Introduction Preparation of the Issues and Options Paper Current state of CBET implementation Factors that have impeded implementation of CBET in the VET system Issues and options for reforming the CBET system A proposal for a reformed CBET model Appendix 1: Draft CBET model for VET in Namibia RFP2013/03 CBET STUDY ISSUES AND OPTIONS PAPER 3

4 Abbreviations CBET COSDEC GIZ (German) ISC NATED NCSA NGO NICE NIED NNTO NQA NQF NTA NTTC ProVET RPL RTTU VET VTC WVTC Competency Based Education and Training Community Skills Development Centre German Agency for International Cooperation Industry Skills Committee National Technical Education Namibia Construction Skills Academy Non Government Organisation Namibian Institute of Culinary Education National Institute for Educational Development Namibia National Training Organisation Namibia Qualifications Authority National Qualifications Framework Namibia Training Authority National Trade Testing and Certification Centre Promotion of Vocational Education and Training Recognition of Prior Learning Roads Technical Training Unit Vocational Education and Training Vocational Training Centre Windhoek Vocational Training Centre RFP2013/03 CBET STUDY ISSUES AND OPTIONS PAPER 4

5 Glossary Accreditation Assessment (Assessor) Competency Based Education and Training Credit Curriculum Industry Skills Committee Job attachment National Qualifications Framework Qualification Quality assurance Unit standard Vocational Education and Training A formal status granted by the Namibia Qualifications Authority [NQA] under section 13 of the NQA Act 1996, certifies that a provider has the capacity to provide the learning programmes and/or conduct assessment against unit standards. The process of (The person who is) gathering, verifying and judging evidence to decide whether a person has achieved a standard of performance. Competency Based Education and Training [CBET] is training that develops the skills, knowledge and attributes required to achieve competency standards. A value assigned to a unit standard that reflects the relative time and effort required to complete its outcome. One credit equals 10 hours of notional learning time. A set of written statements describing what a person needs to be taught in order to competently assessed against a set of unit standards. Industry Skills Committee [ISC] refers to a group of industry representatives, which provide the Namibia Training Authority [NTA] with strategic information on the training needs of a specific industry sector. Job attachment can be defined as a period of time in a workplace setting where a trainee obtains practical experience in his/her line of work in order to compliment the theoretical knowledge that he/she obtained during his/her studies. Job attachments are usually not linked to a fix term contract with the employer. Refers to an intended register of all relevant and legal qualifications in Namibia. The National Qualifications Framework [NQF] will promote the consistent use of qualification titles and provide a clear understanding of what a person holding a particular qualification has achieved. Any award which represents the attainment, after a following robust assessment processes, of a coherent cluster of specified outcomes of learning to prescribed standards of performance. Quality assurance is the continuous process of ensuring the effective and efficient management of competency-based provision and assessment within the Vocational Education and Training [VET] sector. A level or measure of achievement, devised by general consent; a statement of performance or outcome criteria. Vocational Education and Training [VET] is post-compulsory education and training, excluding degree and higher level programmes delivered by higher education institutions, which provides trainees with occupational or work-related competencies and skills. RFP2013/03 CBET STUDY ISSUES AND OPTIONS PAPER 5

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7 1 Introduction This Issues and Options Paper has been prepared to promote discussion and gather information, viewpoints and opinions on the future development of competency-based education and training [CBET] in the vocational education and training [VET] sector in Namibia. The paper provides a brief overview of the status of CBET implementation in the VET sector [see section 4], an outline of the factors inhibiting CBET implementation [see section 5] and a discussion of the options for addressing the key issues impacting on CBET implementation [see section 6]. This Issues and Options Paper shall inform the draft CBET model which will be placed on the Namibia Training Authority [NTA] website during October and stakeholders and other interested groups will be invited to respond to the proposals for addressing these issues. The Issues and Options Paper will also provide the focus for a series of stakeholder workshops that will be conducted during October It is envisaged that the key outcome of this consultation process will be a proposal for a reformed model and implementation plan for CBET that best fits the VET system in Namibia. 2 Preparation of the Issues and Options Paper In preparing this Issues and Options Paper, the Project Team undertook an environmental scan of the key issues impacting on the implementation of CBET in the VET system in Namibia. This involved: conducting face to face interviews with the key stakeholders, including: the Namibia Training Authority, the Namibia Qualifications Authority, the Namibian Employers Federation, the Namibia Tourism Board, the Hospitality Association of Namibia and the Namibia National Students Organisation. undertaking site visits to training centres, including all Vocational Training Centres conducting two surveys one of trainees and the other of key stakeholders. holding discussions with the Project Reference Group established by the NTA. The Project Team prepared a draft version of the Issues and Options Paper based on the outcomes of the environmental scan. This was discussed and approved for consultation purposes by the Senior Management of the NTA. 3 Current state of CBET implementation The Namibia Training Authority is committed to the implementation of competency based education and training. The Authority s strategic plan for 2014/ /19 calls for the development of a blue print for the implementation of competency-based education and training, implementation of the outcomes of the CBET review that forms the focus of this study, and increasing the number of training providers exclusively applying the NTA CBET model. The NTA s approach to CBET is clearly aligned with the National Qualifications Framework. The outcomes to be achieved are expressed as unit standards. These standards are registered, credit rated and packaged to form nationally recognised qualifications that are registered by the Namibia Qualifications Authority and listed on the National Qualifications Framework. The NTA registers providers of these qualifications and encourages them to seek accreditation with the Namibia Qualifications Authority which RFP2013/03 CBET STUDY ISSUES AND OPTIONS PAPER 7

8 is responsible for quality assuring all persons, institutions and organisations providing education and courses of instruction or training in Namibia. As well as working with the relevant Industry Skills Committees to develop nationally recognised unit standards and qualifications, the NTA manages the national assessment arrangements for the VET system and develops a range of support products to facilitate implementation of the unit standards based qualifications. These support materials include national curriculum documents that reflect the outcomes expressed in registered unit standards and training manuals for trainees. These materials are supplied to trainees and training organisations at low cost. To date the NTA, working with the Industry Skills Committees, has developed a range of unit standards and qualifications up to level 5 on the National Qualifications Framework in areas such as tourism and hospitality, automotive engineering, general construction, beauty services, business services, manufacturing surface mining and quarrying, and mechanical engineering. The NTA has also worked with its industry partners to develop unit standards and qualifications in industries such as road construction and maintenance. In addition, the NTA is also working with its development partners, such as GIZ, which through the ProVET project is developing unit standards and qualifications in agriculture, diesel mechanics, fire fighting and occupational health and safety. Although the development of unit standards and qualifications has not been as rapid as expected some considerable progress has been made. One indicator of progress is that unit standards and qualifications are available for most occupational areas in which training is provided by the Vocational Training Centres. This means that all the government owned Vocational Training Centres could be offering unit standards based qualifications in virtually all programme areas. While not offering unit standards based qualifications in all programmes areas, virtually all the Vocational Training Centres are offering at least some of the new qualifications [see Figure 1]. FIGURE 1: NTA CBET programmes offered by VTCs NTA CBET NQF LEVEL Name of provider Level1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Eenhana VTC Nakayale VTC Okakarara VTC Rundu VTC Valombola VTC Windhoek VTC Zambezi VTC Source: NTA October 2014 RFP2013/03 CBET STUDY ISSUES AND OPTIONS PAPER 8

9 To date two of the Vocational Training Centres, Rundu VTC and Zambezi VTC, have attained NQA accreditation and are offering unit standard based qualifications in almost all of their programme areas. Some centres, as illustrated in Case Study 1 Windhoek Vocational Training Centre, have either experienced difficulties in implementing the NTA CBET system. Case study 1: Windhoek Vocational Training Centre WVTC WVTC is a semi autonomous training provider that is governed by the Namibia National Training Organisation Board [NNTO]. The Board comprises representatives of private and public organisations. The Centre offers full-time training in 14 occupational areas within the mechanical and electrical engineering, building construction and business services sectors. In 2001, with support from the GIZ, WVTC piloted the development of CBET material and established a CBET Implementation Unit. Then in 2008, WVTC commenced a pilot delivery of the new unit standards based qualifications developed by the Namibia Training Authority in Bricklaying & Plastering, Joinery & Cabinetmaking, Plumbing & Pipe-fitting, Office Administration, and Automotive Mechanics. WVTC continues to offer the new qualifications in Office Administration. However the Centre s management decided to stop delivery of the other qualifications. The reasons cited for this include: Management, trainers and trainees felt unprepared for the implementation of the new training arrangements. The unit standard based qualifications were perceived as being of a lower standard than the courses they replaced. There was a lack of training materials and technical support available to assist the Centre with implementation of the new unit standards based qualifications. The lack of articulation arrangements with higher education institutions, such as the Polytechnic of Namibia, due to the absence of discrete English, Mathematics and Science subjects in the unit standard based qualifications. The increased cost of training associated with the unit standards based qualifications. The lack of flexibility in the assessment arrangements in the unit standards based qualifications and the delays experienced in receiving certification from the NTA. While providers, such as Windhoek VTC, have experienced difficulties in implementing the NTA CBET model, others have not. The Namibian Institute for Culinary Education [NICE], a leading restaurant and training facility in Windhoek [Case study 2] has pioneered the training of hospitality staff using the registered unit standards and qualifications for hospitality. Likewise, the Roads Authority, through the Roads Technical Training Unit [RTTU], with support from donors has developed unit standards based qualifications and a workplace training delivery model for the entire Roads Construction sector. These materials have been used to train Road Workers, including a significant number of small contractors, by the Namibia Construction Skills Academy NCSA [Case study 3]. The NCSA also used these materials when it took part in the NTA s RPL pilot project that was conducted earlier this year. RFP2013/03 CBET STUDY ISSUES AND OPTIONS PAPER 9

10 Case study 2: Namibian Institute for Culinary Education NICE NICE is an accredited training centre linked to a commercial restaurant that is located in the heart of Windhoek. Currently, NICE works with the Wolwedans Desert Academy to provide a training programme that covers both lodge and city based hospitality and restaurant operations. This unit standards based programme leads to the award of the National Vocational Certificate in Hospitality and Tourism (Level 2 - Accommodation service and Food and Beverage Services) and (Level 3 Core Commercial Cookery Skills). Trainees seeking to enter this programme must hold a Grade 10 certificate as well as sound English language and communication skills. NICE has established a selection process for the programme. This involves a face-to-face interview, the practical demonstration of communication skills, a project and a study programme. The selection process runs over a period of 41/2 months. The training programme involves 28 months of full-time study. Practical training is conducted on-site, in the kitchen, bar and restaurant, under the guidance of professional chefs and experienced managers. In addition, a teacher facilitates theory classes based on the NTA curriculum. To date, 270 trainees have participated in the programme with about 90% of graduates gaining employment in the industry. While NICE has successfully implemented the new unit standards based qualifications, the Training Manager believes that the following matters need to be addressed: Stakeholders need to be better informed about the system so that they can play their role. Improved guidance is required on NTA and NQA processes such as provider registration and accreditation. Information for industry and trainees on the NTA CBET system needs to be more widely available. CBET implementation processes need to be carefully planned. As the NTA s capacity is limited it should not attempt to implement CBET in all industries at the same time. The NTA assessment system needs to be more flexible. Trainees should not have to wait for scheduled NTA assessments and consideration should be given to introducing assessment centres and workplace assessment arrangements. The assessment tools/instruments used by the NTA do not meet industry requirements. This is due in part to limited industry participation in standards and test item generation. The Industry Skills Committee does not adequately reflect the range of businesses in the hospitality sector. Case study 3: Namibia Construction Skills Academy NCSA Since 2005, the NCSA has been engaged in skills development and capacity building projects in the construction and road construction industries in Namibia. NCSA is registered with the NTA and accredited by the NQA. NCSA offers a range of training solutions including workplace training, small contractor development programmes, on-the-job mentorship and support programmes for entrepreneurs. The target groups include school leavers and general workers, as well as supervisors and unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers and operators in the construction industry. NCSA has developed a mobile training concept. This involves negotiating with companies to provide training in the workplace using the facilities of the participating companies. This approach ensures trainees are work ready, maximises industry participation and reduces the cost of training. RFP2013/03 CBET STUDY ISSUES AND OPTIONS PAPER 10

11 The training programmes offered by NCSA use best-practice CBET principles and are based on unit standards. Trainees participate in structured training programmes that include theory sessions, practical skills development activities, training in real work contexts, and on-the-job coaching and mentoring. Assessment is conducted in the workplace, occurs soon after training has taken place and is based on individual or groups of unit standards. The NCSA maintains its own register of assessment results and issues internal awards to successful candidates. The NCSA had also been actively involved in the RPL pilot run initiated by the NTA. While NCSA has successfully implemented training courses based on the new unit standards, the Training Manager believes that the following matters need to be addressed: Clear standards need to be set for trainers in the construction and road construction industries. They should have a strong technical background with 10 years of industrial experience, including 3 5 years of training experience. Trainer requirements should be set by ISC for each industry sector and the NTA should offer recognised train-the-trainer programmes to build the pool of skilled trainers in Namibia. Funding levels for training in the Construction and Road Construction industries should be revised as the cost of training in these industries is very high. The certificates issued to leaners should indicate the scope or type of equipment or /machinery the trainee was assessed on. The current NTA assessment system is too rigid and consideration should be given to introducing assessment centres. The NTA s verification, expansion, and re-registration processes are too cumbersome and should be revised. The Industry Skills Committee does not adequately address the needs of training providers. While there are a number of examples of successful implementation of the unit standard based qualifications, there are very few situations where the full NTA CBET model, which envisages the use of recognition of prior learning, self paced delivery, flexible entry and exit to qualifications, and assessment on demand, is being implemented. Nevertheless the recent piloting of the NTA s recognition of prior learning model in the hospitality and road construction industries suggests that key components of the NTA CBET model are taking shape. RFP2013/03 CBET STUDY ISSUES AND OPTIONS PAPER 11

12 4 Factors that have impeded implementation of CBET in the VET system Discussions held with key stakeholders as part of the preparation of this Issues and Options Paper identified a number of factors that have adversely impacted on the implementation of the NTA CBET model. These include: A lack of leadership skills in VET institutions which means that principals, managers and heads of department are not well equipped to apply the change management strategies needed to support an innovation such as the introduction of CBET. The complexity of the registration and accreditation arrangements administered by the NTA and NQA, respectively, is a barrier to training providers gaining registration and accreditation to provide the unit standards based qualifications. Inflexibility in the national assessment arrangements leading to delays in trainees being assessed and issued with certificates. The absence of qualifications pathways that link schools, VET and higher education and which provide progression routes for trainees discourages providers from offering the unit standard based qualifications. The existence of legacy training and assessment models, such as the former NTTC and South African NATED courses, that act as a barrier to the take up of unit standard based qualifications. Trainer quality particularly in relation to the lack of higher-level technical skills means that many providers are unable to offer the new unit standards based qualifications. The lack of fit for purpose training and assessment products to support the implementation of the NTA CBET model. The absence of a systematic planned implementation strategy for the NTA CBET model. The lack of registered unit standards and qualifications in a range of industry and occupational areas has meant that some providers are unable to switch to the new system. RFP2013/03 CBET STUDY ISSUES AND OPTIONS PAPER 12

13 5 Issues and options for reforming the CBET system As discussed in the preceding section, a range of issues has impacted on the implementation of CBET in the VET system. Some of these are directly related to the design of the unit standard based vocational qualifications and others are generic issues that would impact on any reform to the training system. 5.1 Specific issues related to the design of the unit standards based vocational qualifications The consultations identified five key issues directly related to the design of the CBET system. These are: Design of vocational qualifications Support materials for vocational qualifications Assessment of vocational qualifications CBET programme design and implementation Each of these issues and the options for addressing them are discussed in the ensuing section of this paper DESIGN OF VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS Vocational qualifications define the skills, knowledge and understandings that individuals require for entry into an occupation or progression in a career. In short, they define the outcomes required by industry for people working in a particular occupation or industry sector. The NTA has adopted a system of unit standards based qualifications that is consistent with the National Qualifications Framework. These qualifications, which are developed by industry, are progressively replacing the former NTTC modular curriculum based courses. However given the relatively slow pace of unit standards based qualifications development, the former NTTC courses, other legacy courses such as the NATED programmes and a range of VET programmes from other countries, continue to be offered in Namibia. The lack of understanding of these different qualification structures has emerged as a significant influence on the implementation of competency based education and training in the VET sector. The consultations identified five key issues associated with vocational qualifications, which are described as follows: STRUCTURE OF VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS As already mentioned there is a range of vocational qualifications on offer in Namibia. The NTA has promoted the development of unit standard based qualifications. This is consistent with the National Qualifications Framework. These unit standards based qualifications offer the chance for trainees to gain national recognition / certification at both full qualification level and at sub qualification level. As such, unit standards based qualifications have multiple exit points if a trainee does not complete a qualification they will still receive national certification for the units that they have completed. These new unit standards based qualifications also provide for considerable choice in the range of electives that trainees may undertake. This enables providers to build qualifications that meet the skill development needs of trainees and industry. Unit standards based qualifications are progressively replacing the NTTC and NATED courses that have relatively fixed content and a single exit point. RFP2013/03 CBET STUDY ISSUES AND OPTIONS PAPER 13

14 Option A Commit to unit standard based qualifications in VET sector The NTA has supported the development of unit standards based vocational qualifications. However a range of different types of vocational qualifications continue to be offered in Namibia. This has contributed to a situation in which vocational qualifications are poorly understood, qualifications levels and their relationship to the NQF are not clear, and qualification pathways are ill defined. Under this option, the NTA would recommit to establishing a single national set of vocational qualifications based on unit standards. 1 ) National recognition and certification provided at full qualification level as well as sub qualification level i.e.: unit standards 2) Trainees can undertake full qualifications at a specific training provider or progressively acquire unit standards and build a full qualification over time 3 ) Recognition is portable and trainees can obtain qualifications by undertaking training at different providers 4 ) Employers able to identify generic and work related skills held by graduates 5) Single national system of vocational qualifications will increase recognition and value of vocational qualifications 1 ) National vocational qualifications may be slow to emerge 2 ) Gaps in provision of qualifications may need to be met by imported qualifications Option B Adopt full vocational qualifications The National Qualifications Framework provides for the recognition of different types of qualifications. Full qualifications are qualifications where there is one exit point, which is when the trainee has completed the full requirements of the qualification. In these qualifications, formal recognition or certification is only issued once all requirements are met. 1) Simple qualification structure that is easy to explain to trainees and other stakeholders 2) Normally involve limited choice of subjects so industry can be certain about the nature of learning undertaken in the programme 1) No provision for sub qualification recognition of skill / learning 2) Limited flexibility in qualification structure meaning that learning cannot always be configured to meet trainee or employer needs 3) Trainees who fail to complete qualification do not receive any form of certification 4) Trainees have little control / influence over the content of the programme i.e.: limited elective choice RFP2013/03 CBET STUDY ISSUES AND OPTIONS PAPER 14

15 Option C Provide for multiple forms of vocational qualifications The National Qualifications Framework provides for the recognition of both unit standards based and portal qualifications. Under this option, any form of outcomes based, quality assured qualification could be offered in the national VET system. While the NTA may continue to develop unit standards based qualifications, other organisations including industry associations, parastatals, training providers or commercial organisations could develop or import qualifications and have these registered on the NQF. 1) Gaps in provision of vocational qualifications can be addressed by importing qualifications 2) Qualifications can be selected that best meet industry training needs 1) The presence of different qualification structures in the national VET system severely restricts national portability of qualifications 2) Difficult for trainees to move between training providers offering different qualifications 3) Confusion in training market about relative value of different types of qualifications Recommendation 1: National vocational qualifications Accept - Option A DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS The NTA, working with the relevant Industry Skills Committees, has taken the lead role in the development and maintenance of vocational qualifications, including unit standards. In addition, a range of industry and community organisations has worked with the NTA to develop sector specific vocational qualifications. Nevertheless the pace of development has been slow and there are many sectors in which unit standards based vocational qualifications are not available. The lack of unit standards based qualifications has emerged as a key issue impacting on the implementation of CBET in the VET sector. Option A - NTA to develop and maintain vocational qualifications The NTA has limited internal capacity to develop and maintain vocational qualifications. Under this option the NTA would expand its capacity in this area through recruitment and training of specialist staff, increased expenditure on the development and maintenance of vocational qualifications, and the implementation of a three-year plan for vocational qualifications development and maintenance. As such, the development and maintenance of vocational qualifications would be centralised, with the NTA having primary responsibility for developing and maintaining industry relevant vocational qualifications. 1) Consistent product development 1) Potentially slow product development 2) NTA builds expertise in vocational qualifications development 2) Vocational qualifications expertise limited to one organisation 3) Product development may be decoupled from industry RFP2013/03 CBET STUDY ISSUES AND OPTIONS PAPER 15

16 Option B NTA to outsource development and maintenance of vocational qualifications This option recognises that the NTA is unlikely to have the capacity to develop and maintain the full range of vocational qualifications. Under this option, the NTA in conjunction with the Industry Skills Committees would establish a three-year plan for vocational qualifications development and outsource the development and maintenance of these qualifications to specialist qualifications developers. The NTA s role in this process would be to manage the development schedule select appropriate qualifications developers, quality assure the qualifications, and oversee their registration on the NQF. A key role for the NTA would be to support the development of a national pool of qualification developers. Experience in other countries suggest that this will require the NTA initially to: [1] provide training for new individuals and organisations wishing to enter the market as qualification developers, [2] facilitate networking amongst qualification developers, [3] ensure that qualification developers have up to date information and access to authoritative sources of advice on qualifications developers, and [4] provide a steady stream of work so that good quality developers are able to attract sufficient work to ensure the viability of their businesses. 1) Vocational qualifications expertise spread throughout training system 2) Lower costs of product development due to competitive processes 1) Variation in product development across service providers 2) Need to develop quality assurance skills in NTA 3) Potentially faster product development 3) Vocational qualifications expertise resides outside NTA Option C NTA to devolve the development and maintenance of vocational qualifications to industry This option recognises that industry should be responsible for the development and maintenance of vocational qualifications. Under this option, key industry groups, which may include ISCs, industry associations, parastatals, would take full responsibility for the development and maintenance of vocational qualifications in a particular sector. The NTA s role would be to determine which industry organisations have responsibility for particular vocational qualifications, allocate funds for vocational qualifications development, quality assure the qualifications and oversee their registration on the NQF. 1) Vocational qualifications reflect industry-training needs 2) Vocational qualifications reflect current industry practices 3) Greater acceptance of vocational qualifications by industry 1) Industry lacks expertise in developing vocational qualifications 2) Potential lack of focus on qualifications development and maintenance 3) Potential for significant variation in quality of product development Recommendation 2: Development and maintenance of vocational qualifications Accept Option B RFP2013/03 CBET STUDY ISSUES AND OPTIONS PAPER 16

17 GUIDANCE ON FORMAT AND CONTENT OF VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS The NTA has adopted the guidance on the format and content of vocational qualifications, including unit standards, which is specified by the Namibia Qualifications Authority. This advice is cross-sectoral and there appears to be scope for the NTA to provide supplementary sector specific advice on qualifications design that will ensure that vocational qualifications are more responsive to industry, user friendly and relevant to the VET sector. Option A - Follow NQA guidance on qualifications development Under this option the NTA would continue to use the guidance provided by the NQA on qualifications design, including the advice on the format and content of unit standards. 1) Consistent with NQF requirements 1) Products may lack relevance to VET 2) Support articulation of same format used in other education sectors 2) Products may be overly complex 3) VET sector may lack ownership of products Option B - Establish VET sector specific guidance for vocational qualification developers While the advice provided by the NQA on qualifications design has provided a sound basis for the development of vocational qualifications, there is scope for providing VET sector specific guidance on the format and content of vocational qualifications, including unit standards. For example, guidance could be provided on: [1] the structure of qualifications including the use of core, elective and streams; [2] the preparation of unit standards such the number of elements and performance criteria, the information to be included in Special Notes and the use of range statements; [3] the use of Plain English in writing unit standards so that they are accessible to end users; and [4] ways of developing qualifications and unit standards that facilitate pathways that link school, VET and Higher education qualifications. 1) Greater VET sector ownership of products 1) Potential inconsistency with NQF requirements 2) Product customised to VET sector needs 3) Format and content builds on lessons learned in developing products Recommendation 3: Guidance on format and content of vocational qualifications Accept Option B RFP2013/03 CBET STUDY ISSUES AND OPTIONS PAPER 17

18 INCLUSION OF GENERIC COMPETENCIES IN VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS The treatment of generic competencies related to areas such Mathematics, English, Science and Technical Drawing in vocational qualifications emerged as a significant issues during the consultations. Critics of the unit standards based vocational qualifications argued that the qualifications lacked a sufficient focus on these generic skills and that this limited the attractiveness of the qualifications to trainees, hindered the development of articulation arrangements with Higher Education, and resulted in trainees being inadequately prepared for work and further study. Opponents of this view noted that generic skills were adequately covered in the relevant technically focused unit standards. Option A Integrate generic competencies in work related unit standards Under this option the NTA would not develop separate unit standards for generic areas such as Mathematics, English, Science and Technical Drawing but would integrate these competencies, as required, into the relevant technical unit standards. 1) Encourages providers to deliver generic skills in their correct work context 2) Minimise chances that generic skills will act as a barrier to some trainees gaining technical qualifications 1) May limit pathways development as providers do not see explicit delivery and assessment of generic skills 2) Generic skills may be overlooked when not explicitly included in qualifications Option B Incorporate separate unit standards focused on generic skills in an optional strand of each vocational qualifications Under this option, qualification developers will include a compulsory set of technical, occupation-specific unit standards in Mathematics, English and Science. All qualifications at NQF levels 3 and 4 will also include an optional strand comprising unit standards in generic Mathematics, Science and English that align with the NIED programmes at Years 11 and 12. This optional strand will be available to all trainees and may be particularly attractive to trainees seeking entry to further or higher education. The qualification will also provide clear advice on pathways that link the qualification with relevant qualifications in the schools, VET and Further / Higher Education sectors. 1) Explicit identification of generic skills required by people working in the vocational area 2) Supports the establishment of qualification pathways 3) Address industry concerns about needs for generic skills 1) Generic skills may be delivered out of their industry context RFP2013/03 CBET STUDY ISSUES AND OPTIONS PAPER 18

19 Option C Incorporate separate unit standards focused on generic skills in the core of each vocational qualifications Under this option, qualification developers would incorporate separate unit standards covering key generic skills areas, such as Mathematics, English, Science and Technical Drawing, into the compulsory sections of all vocational qualifications. These core unit standards would be compulsory and trainees would need to successfully complete these unit standards to achieve the qualification. The completion of these core unit standards would be a requirement for all trainees, including those undertaking qualifications through institutional, workplace and RPL pathways. 1) Explicit identification of generic skills required by people working in the vocational area 2) Supports the establishment of qualification pathways 3) Address industry concerns about needs for generic skills 1) Generic skills may be delivered out of their industry context 2) Inclusion of generic skills in core of qualifications may act as barrier to some trainees attaining qualifications Recommendation 4: Inclusion Of Generic Competencies In Vocational Qualifications Accept Option B RFP2013/03 CBET STUDY ISSUES AND OPTIONS PAPER 19

20 IDENTIFICATION OF QUALIFICATION PATHWAYS THAT LINK SCHOOL, VET AND HIGHER EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS As well as preparing trainees for the world of work, VET qualifications should be designed so that trainees can pursue further studies in the same or a related field to their VET qualification. One criticism of the unit standards based vocational qualifications that emerged during the consultations was that there are few if any clearly defined qualification pathways linking the new qualifications with courses and qualifications offered by higher and further education providers such as the Polytechnic of Namibia. A number of the other matters raised in this paper impact on this issue, these include the questions related to the treatment of generic competencies [see Issue ] and the use of graded assessment [see Issue ]. In considering the following options, attention should also be given to these issues. Option A Negotiate pathways during the qualification design phase Qualification developers would be required to identify potential qualification pathways during the design of the qualifications. Developers would be required to show whether pathways are required and to negotiate pathways, including access and credit arrangements, as part of the qualifications design process. 1) Stakeholder involvement in pathway discussion builds ownership of the arrangements 2) Offers opportunities to incorporate features into qualifications that enhance pathways development 3) Pathways actively considered during design of qualifications 1) Complex and time consuming arrangements to establish 2) Individual providers may choose not to follow national guidelines 3) May extend time required to develop qualifications Option B Establish generic articulation arrangements between schools, VET and higher education qualifications A set of generic articulation and credit transfer arrangements would be established between school, VET and higher education qualifications. For example, a national vocational diploma may be deemed to provide entry with a prescribed level of credit to a bachelor degree provided that it is in the same field of study. 1) Once systemic arrangements are in place pathways can be easily established between schools, VET and Higher Education 2) Cost effective solution as it avoids negotiations on individual qualifications 1) Complex and time consuming arrangements to establish 2) Individual providers may choose not to follow national guidelines Recommendation 5: Identification of qualification pathways that link school, VET and Higher Education qualifications Accept Option A RFP2013/03 CBET STUDY ISSUES AND OPTIONS PAPER 20

21 ENTRY REQUIREMENTS FOR VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS AND ADMISSIONS POLICY FOR VET INSTITUTIONS An admissions policy defines the criteria and conditions that potential trainees must meet in order to gain admission to a training provider. The criteria may include educational requirements, such as a minimum level of schooling, and/or other criteria, such as a minimum age. The provider s admission policy is separate from the entry requirements and selection criteria that may apply to NQF qualifications that are offered by the provider. The entry requirements for a training programme leading to a qualification identify the basic criteria that trainees must meet before applying at a training provider. The associated selection criteria provide a way in which training providers may rank prospective trainees for selection into training programmes when there are more eligible applicants than places for a training programme. Option A Training providers determine the entry requirements and selection criteria that apply for the qualifications they offer The entry requirements for vocational qualifications registered on the NQF are normally specified by industry in the relevant qualification document. Training providers are required to follow this advice but are free to establish their own selection criteria provided that these are non-discriminatory. Under this option all providers would be required to comply with the prescribed entry requirements and develop and make public the selection criteria that applies to each qualification on their programme profile. 1) Entry requirements comply with qualification rules in qualifications registered on the NQF 2) Public selection criteria ensure that selection processes are transparent and fair 1) Selection criteria may vary from across training providers Option B The NTA establishes a system wide admissions policy for training providers Under this option the NTA would establish an admissions policy for training providers. This should clearly identify the educational requirements, e.g. Year 10 pass or equivalent work experience and other requirements, e.g. Minimum age for entry 15 years that trainees should meet in order to gain entry to different types of training providers. 1) Admissions policy assists trainees to select an appropriate VET provider 2) Public selection criteria ensure that admission processes are transparent and fair 1) Admission criteria may restrict entry of some classes of trainees to particular training providers Recommendation 6: Entry requirements for vocational qualifications and admissions policy for VET institutions Accept Option A RFP2013/03 CBET STUDY ISSUES AND OPTIONS PAPER 21

22 5.1.2 SUPPORT MATERIALS FOR VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS To assist training providers implement the new unit standards based vocational qualifications, the NTA developed a range of support materials including: curriculum documents, training manuals for trainees and course delivery guides. The NTA has experienced difficulties in both producing and distributing these support materials and in ensuring that they are kept up to date. Partly in response to this, the NTA has ceased to produce these materials but continues to distribute existing training manuals and curriculum documents. While training providers use the training manuals and curriculum documents a number of them consulted during the current project complained about both the availability and quality of these products. The main complaints were: [1] poor quality reproduction, [2] slow delivery of products, [3] products not kept up to date, and [4] missing, inaccurate or incomplete content. Option A The NTA focus on the development of unit standards based qualifications and training providers assume responsibility for sourcing and/or developing support materials Under this option the NTA would focus on the development of unit standards based qualifications. This work may be undertaken directly by the NTA or be managed through an outsourced arrangement or a delegation to industry bodies. The NTA would no longer produce or distribute support materials. The sourcing and/or production of support materials, including training manuals, internal assessment tools and curriculum, would be the responsibility of the training providers. Providers may choose to develop their own products or work in collaboration with other providers. It is envisaged that the current stock of curricula and training manuals would be made available to providers in electronic form so that they could reproduce copies for their own use. The NTA would discontinue distribution of all support products. 1) Lead to development of high quality unit standards and vocational qualifications 1 ) Training providers may lack capacity to take on responsibility for support materials 2) Proposal within resource and capability of NTA 2 ) May lead to duplication of effort across the provider network in terms of sourcing and 3) Effective division of tasks between NTA and developing materials providers Option B The NTA provides a minimum support materials package for delivering training programmes leading to NQF registered qualifications During the process of developing a vocational qualification, the qualifications developer would be expected to [1] identify a list of training resources, including instructional materials and essential equipment, to support the delivery of the qualification and [2] develop a model curriculum to provide a guide on how training programmes leading to the award of a qualification may be delivered in an off-the-job training context, including a period of job attachment. The curricula would not be mandatory but would provide guidance on how to implement the training programmes. It is envisaged that both the curricula and resource listing would be updated when the qualification is updated. 1) Proposal within capability of NTA 1) Requires training providers to take on more responsibility for support materials 2) Training providers given guidance on relevant training materials and programme design 3) Low cost intervention 2) Model programmes may become the de-facto national courses RFP2013/03 CBET STUDY ISSUES AND OPTIONS PAPER 22

23 Option C The NTA outsources the development of support materials The production of support materials, particularly for high demand qualifications, should be outsourced to a quality educational publisher. Under this option the publisher would be fully responsible for the consistency between unit standards/qualification and curricula, design, marketing and distribution of the products. The NTA s role would be limited to advising on the qualifications for which products are required and quality assuring the final products. It is envisaged that the products, which may be limited to a trainers guide and a trainees guide for the qualification, would be sold on a commercial basis and may be available in electronic and/or print form. Any agreement with an educational publisher must include a requirement that the support materials are aligned with the relevant vocational qualification and are regularly maintained. The NTA would need to monitor the impact of outsourcing on the cost of training support materials and ensure that pricing did not act as a barrier to both trainees and training providers accessing the materials. 1) Educational publisher responsible for production of support materials 1) Potential loss of editorial control of materials 2) High quality production 2) Restricts opportunities for VET sector personnel to develop skills in support materials development 3) Distribution provided by publisher 3) Cost of support materials may increase and could act as a barrier to their adoption by training providers Recommendation 7: Support materials for vocational qualifications Accept Option A+B The NTA should not be involved in the development of support materials, other than supporting the production of a resource list and model curriculum for each qualification. RFP2013/03 CBET STUDY ISSUES AND OPTIONS PAPER 23

24 5.1.3 ASSESSMENT OF VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS The current national assessment arrangements, which are administered by the NTA, were developed at a time when there were no NQA accredited training providers, few providers had quality assured assessment arrangements in place and there were hardly any trained assessors. Since that time, the level of expertise in assessment across the VET system has improved, the number of accredited providers has increased, and demand for assessment in on and off the job contexts and through RPL is set to grow. Taken together these changes are placing considerable pressure on the current highly centralised national assessment arrangements. While these arrangements have helped to ensure the integrity of assessment outcomes and through that the quality vocational qualifications offered by the NTA, the consultations identified the assessment arrangements as a major impediment to the implementation of competency based education and training. In short, the current arrangements were seen as being inflexible and unable to respond to the demands of training providers who want to be able to offer NQF qualifications at a time and place that meets industry and client requirements. The consultations identified four key issues associated with assessment of vocational qualifications. These are: FLEXIBILITY OF NATIONAL ASSESSMENT ARRANGEMENTS At present, assessments for national recognition are administered through the NTA s Assessment and Certification Division. These assessments are conducted according to a schedule developed by the Division. The assessments are based on full qualifications and tend to comprise a mix of knowledge and performance based assessment tasks. The assessments, which are conducted by registered assessors, are held in venues across the country. In many ways the current assessment process mirrors the approach to assessment used in the NTTC programmes. With a growing number of training providers gaining NQA accreditation and demand for new assessment services, such as assessment on demand, RPL assessment and assessment of individual or clusters of unit standards there is a need for more flexibility in the national assessment arrangements. Option A - Retain current assessment arrangements Under this option the existing national assessment arrangements would be retained. With growth in the VET system, the existing staffing allocation would need to be reviewed and new approaches would need to be introduced to handle new forms of assessment, including RPL assessment and assessments of individual or clusters of units of competency. 1) Established assessment system with strong quality assurance features 1) System too inflexible to deal with increased demand for assessment 2) Existing stock of assessment tools 2) System not able to meet demand for assessment on demand, workplace assessment, RPL assessment or assessment of individual unit standards 3) Established group of registered assessors 3) System does not recognise capacity of NQA accredited providers to conduct assessments RFP2013/03 CBET STUDY ISSUES AND OPTIONS PAPER 24