Provider Quality Assurance and Registration
The Qualifications and Quality Assurance Bill was published in July 2011. The Bill provides for the amalgamation of the National Qualifications of Ireland (NQAI), the Higher Education and Awards Council (HETAC) and the Further Education and Awards Council (FETAC) into a new agency named The Qualifications and Quality Assurance Authority of Ireland (QQAI). The new agency will also take responsibility for the external quality assurance review of the universities, a function which is currently performed by the Irish University Quality Assurance Board (IUQB). When QQAI is established FETAC as an organisation will be dissolved.
In order to prepare for the dissolution of FETAC, the transition of functions to the new agency and the reassignment of resources across the new organisation, FETAC Provider Registration has closed and a number of other services have been suspended, pending amalgamation.
The establishment of the new agency is contingent on the enactment of the legislation and the subsequent determination of a specific establishment date by the Minister. It is anticipated that the legislation will be enacted by summer 2012. Follow this link for progress on the legislation.
The new agency will facilitate the achievement of a coherent and consistently applied system of qualifications and quality assurance in education and training nationally. It will maintain, promote and develop the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), working with Institutions and providers to ensure that greater opportunities will be available to learners nationally for participation in high quality education and training.
Aspirant providers are advised that, following the establishment date, QQAI will implement integrated policies on provider registration across further and higher education and training. In anticipation of the establishment date, aspirant providers should familiarise themselves with the draft provisions set out in the 2011 Bill. Aspirant providers should also familiarise themselves with the full range of options for offering awards that are part of the NFQ, including options for direct provision, linked provision, collaborative provision, second provider arrangements and alignment processes.
The wider landscape of further education and training is also undergoing a period of significant transformation. On 22 July, 2011, the Government announced its intention to establish a new authority to coordinate and fund Further Education and Training (FET) in Ireland called SOLAS. As part of the change, the FAS Training Division is set to transfer to the VECs and those VECs will report to the new authority SOLAS in respect of FET. Furthermore, the existing 33 VECs are being rationalised into 16 Local Education and Training Boards (LETBs). These changes are likely to have implications for the structures and provision of further education and training in the longer term.