Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) approved for implementation

The Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) has been approved for implementation. Following two years of tests and trials by QCA, the new QCF has been approved by the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills for implementation. Learners will be able to study credit-based units of learning, building up a portfolio of accredited training which suits their individual needs under a new system approved by Further Education Minister Sion Simon. The new Qualifications and Credit Framework will enable people to gain qualifications at their own pace, from a number of sources, in a way that suits them - and to carry the modules with them if, for example, they change jobs. Employers will find it easier to find or develop employees with the skills they need for business success. By 2010 all key vocational qualifications will be approved by Sector Skills Councils and readily available to learners in small, credit-based units of learning. This new modular approach to the way vocational qualifications are awarded will make them more relevant to the needs of employers and more flexible and accessible for learners, without compromising quality. Following a two-year pilot, there are now almost 1,000 qualifications on the framework. http://www.qca.org.uk/qca_8152.aspx

External Link: http://www.qca.org.uk/qca_8150.aspx