What's New
January 2012 Update
Expressions of interest for QQAI Board
The closing date for expressions of interest for positions for the QQAI board was 10 January 2012. Application through the website www.publicjobs.ie has now closed.
Expressions of interest for QQAI Board
The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., is seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified and experienced persons for positions for the board of QQAI. View details.
December 2011 Update
FETAC Christmas Greeting
The Chief Executive of FETAC, Dr Padraig Walsh, staff and outgoing Council thank all our partners, learners and award holders for their support and commitment to high quality achievement in further education and training over 2011.
FETAC wishes you success and happiness for Christmas and for 2012. We look forward to working together with you towards the establishment of the new national qualifications and quality assurance authority.
View our card produced by Ina Harte, Level 2 award holder from Cope Foundation Clonakilty.
Interim website for qualifications and quality assurance Ireland
An interim website for qualifications and quality assurance Ireland is available here. The website provides accurate information to learners, providers and the public on progress towards amalgamation.
October 2011 Update
Revised Procedures for the Protection of Learners (PFL)
FETAC registered providers who intend to offer programmes of 3 months duration or more on a commercial and profit making basis, are required to put arrangements for the protection of learners in place and agree them with FETAC.
The procedures for protection for learners have been revised. The updated FETAC Protection for Learners (PFL) procedures 2011 further clarify the protection for learner requirements and will ensure that there are sufficient safeguards for learners undertaking programmes of learning leading to FETAC awards. For further information, see Protection for Learners.
Providers who have existing Protection for Learners (PFL) arrangements in place are required to update their arrangements to meet the revised requirements. Arrangements must be updated and agreed with FETAC by 1 December 2011. After this date, all existing arrangements will be null and void.
September 2011 Update
Update of Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill, 2011
The Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill 2011 passed through the Second Stage debate in the Seanad, on Tuesday 20 September 2011.
The Committee Stage of the Bill will take place on Thursday, 29 September 2011.
Please view here.
Update on migration of awards to Common Awards system
August 2011 Update on Awards Plan
Awards for Consultation
The following award is currently in the consultation phase and feedback is being sought by 3 October 2011:
- Level 5 Certificate – Hairdressing
The following minor award has just been released as part of the Level 5 Certificate in Hairdressing. Feedback is being sought by 20 October 2011:
- Level 5 Minor - Barbering Techniques
August 2011 Update
FETAC Key Dates and Information 2012
FETAC’s Key Dates and Information 2012 leaflet containing important dates and information for providers offering programmes leading to FETAC awards has been published. Copies will be posted to centres shortly.
From 2012, six certification periods will be available to all providers. Certification periods now reflect the closing date of each certification period, i.e. for February, April, June, August, October and December.
Managing the transition to the Common Awards System (CAS)
An update to the information note is available to assist existing providers to manage the change to the Common Awards System. A particular point to note is that all existing level 3 awards will be deactivated after 5 December 2011 and no certification will be available on these awards after that date. The next version of the information note will be published at the end of September after the next series of publications of CAS awards. The publication and deactivation timetable is found on page 4 of the information note.
July 2011 Update
Publication of Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill, 2011
FETAC, along with the NQAI, HETAC and IUQB, today welcome the publication of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training ) Bill, 2011. The legislation provides for a new single national agency, Qualifications and Quality Assurance Ireland (QQAI), replacing FETAC, HETAC, NQAI and IUQB. It is anticipated that QQAI will be established in 2012. View bill
Alternatively main elements of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill 2011 can be viewed here.
Dr. Padraig Walsh, Chief Executive Designate said, “This legislation will amalgamate the existing national qualifications and quality assurance bodies for learners into one new agency. QQAI will be responsible for a wide range of functions, and will provide a more integrated, efficient and coherent range of services to learners across the further and higher education and training sectors to the highest international standards.”
QQAI will be responsible for building on Ireland’s reputation for quality in education and training and will be strongly positioned to highlight and promote best practice throughout the educational and training system.
The National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) will be further developed by QQAI, which will in time lead to greater opportunities for learners. The currency of all awards on the Framework remains guaranteed.
Dr. Walsh looks “forward, over the coming months and years, to building QQAI into an organisation serving learners and the public; building on the many achievements of the individual agencies and united by the National Framework of Qualifications.”
FETAC looks forward to the amalgamation and working with our stakeholders in building on the work to date and in the performance of the functions of the new amalgamated body.
Awards for Consultation
The following awards are currently in the consultation phase and feedback is being sought by 18 August 2011:
- Level 5 Certificate - Body and Beauty Therapy
- Level 5 Certificate - Sports Surface Operations
- Level 6 Certificate - Body and Beauty Therapy
- Level 6 Specific Purpose Certificate - Farm Expansion Planning
- Level 6 Specific Purpose Certificate - Commercial Gas Safety
- Level 6 Specific Purpose Certificate - Retail Sale and Supply of Animal Remedies
FETAC is continually engaged in efforts to upgrade and improve the annual awards dataset. The latest awards analysis was completed in June 2011 and supplements the data for 2010. It provides headline data and trend data and reveals further detail according to Award Type and Level, Fields of Learning, Region and Age.
June 2011 Update
Report on Providers' Activities 2010
FETAC has published its annual report on provider activities. This report includes information on new providers registered and de-registered, programmes validated and the outcome of monitoring and review activities. The report replaces FETAC's Annual Monitoring Report and sets out the extent to which registered providers are complying with FETAC's Quality Framework. View report.
Expansion of the FETAC External Authenticator Panel
The FETAC external authenticator panel is a resource for all FETAC registered providers. As part of their quality assured assessment and authentication process, all providers are expected to select authenticators from the panel to authenticate their results prior to submission to FETAC for certification.
FETAC now wishes to expand the panel.This will ensure that the requirements of registered providers for authenticators with the subject matter expertise to authenticate all awards are met. Please view authenticators.
New common awards and programme validation briefing
Attendance is mandatory for providers, prior to submitting a programme for validation. Programmes leading to new Common Awards must be validated before the programme is offered to learners. View briefings.
Dr Padraig Walsh, CEO of FETAC from 11 June 2011
The Further Education and Training Awards Council is pleased to announce Dr Padraig Walsh as its new Chief Executive, from 11 June 2011.
Dr Walsh has played a leading role in the development of a culture of quality within the higher education sector for over twenty years, first within Dublin City University and then as Chief Executive of the Irish Universities Quality Board (IUQB). He is currently a member of the Scotland Committee of the UK Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), the Scientific Advisory Board of the Centre of Accreditation and Quality Assurance of the Swiss Universities (OAQ), the Council of Appeals of the Agency for Evaluation and Accreditation of Higher Education in Portugal (A3ES) and the Steering Committee of the European University Association Institutional Evaluation Programme (EUA-IEP).
Dr Walsh is also now Chief Executive of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI), the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) and the Irish Universities Quality Board (IUQB). Padraig will lead the agencies through amalgamation towards the establishment of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance, Ireland (QQAI).
As Chief Executive Designate of QQAI, Padraig is committed to building an organisation that will serve learners and the public, building on the achievements of the last decade and promoting the National Framework of Qualifications as a structure of transparent, accessible, quality-assured qualifications encompassing general, further, higher and professional education.
Update on migration of awards to Common Awards system
June 2011 Update on Awards Plan
FETAC Business System (FBS)
WCES is being replaced with FETAC Business System (FBS). Since May 2010, FBS has been used by new applicant providers, for Awards and Standards development and the public website. Since January 2011, some 250 centres have been using FBS for certification. Some 800 remaining centres will be moved to FBS from Thursday, 9 June 2011.
The schedule of activities is as follows:
- FETAC’s Web Candidate Entry System (WCES or www.fetac.net) will close on Tuesday, 7 June 2011.
- If you have not used FBS previously, your user name and password will be emailed to your centre/provider co-ordinator on 8 June 2011. You can continue to use your current VASCO details.
You will find details about how to log in to FBS at:
http://www.fetac.ie/fetac/providers/tools/FBSRollout.htm
- Because of the migration of large numbers of users from WCES to FBS, you will not be able to access FBS on Wednesday, 8 June 2011.
- Statements of Results will be available in FBS from 21 June, 2011.