NQF Workshop From Starts April 12

BARBADOS:  Policies and procedures developed for this island’s National Qualifications Framework (NQF) will be examined next week by members of the Mauritius Qualifications Authority (MAQ), in collaboration with the Barbados Accreditation Council (BAC).
This is when the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Human Resource Development (MLSD) facilitates a two-day workshop for representatives of key organisations involved in the development, implementation and maintenance of the NQF.
The sessions will be held from Tuesday, April 12 to Wednesday, April 13, at Almond Bay Caterers, Hastings, Christ Church, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The workshop is part of a scoping mission being conducted from April 11 to 15 between the Mauritius Qualifications Authority and the BAC, both of whom have entered into a partnership arrangement to share knowledge, experience and expertise for the implementation of the NQF.
One of the objectives of this partnership is to implement an integrated, internationally-comparable, credit and standards-based NQF in Barbados.
This will involve building capacity within the tertiary educational training institutions and the BAC; assisting with the populating of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) qualifications into the NQF; and formulating a work plan to inform the implementation of the NQF.
The development and implementation of the NQF is a critical activity under the Barbados Human Resource Development Strategy 2011-2016. This Strategy is being implemented by the MLSD with funding from the European Union.
The consultancy for the design and development of the NQF ended in 2014, and is a framework with eight qualifications levels and one Access Level, reflecting the current system of education and training in Barbados.
During the Stakeholder Consultation Workshops for the NQF, it was recommended that a pilot programme should be implemented to test the NQF policies and procedures which have been developed. The April 12-13 sessions seek to provide such an opportunity.
Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ronald Jones, will address the official opening of the workshop on Tuesday, April 12, at 9:00 a.m.
He will speak to an audience comprising the Programme Manager (Education) of the Delegation of the European Union, various Permanent Secretaries and Deputy Permanent Secretaries, the Chief Education Officer and Deputy Chief Education Officers.
Other guests expected to be in attendance are the Principals of the Erdiston Teachers’ Training College, the Barbados Community College and the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic, as well as the Executive Directors of the TVET Council and the BAC.
joy-ann.gill@barbados.gov.bb