Consistent with its on- going efforts to directly communicate with the community and to better introduce the role of the National Qualifications framework (NQF) in achieving distinct national qualification that enhance the social and economic development, the National Qualifications Authority (NQA) held its first Introductory Forum to the vocational education and training providers (ETPs).

 Highlighted the strategic role of NQA and its recently launched smart service of the assessment and accreditation of ETPs, the Forum, which was held at the Rotana Beach Hotel in Abu Dhabi, marked NQA's legislative, regulatory, and coordinative relationships with other federal and local entities. It as well spelled out the key initiatives which aim at implementing NQF and achieving quality assured and labor market- driven vocational education and training.  

One in a series, the interactive Forum, attended by various ETPs from Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, and Western Region, emphasized the concept of NQF as a national reference point for the description, classification, and development of national qualification and for the equivalency of foreign ones.

His Excellency Dr Thani Almehairi, Director General of NQA, said, "Such forums not only endeavor to introduce the roles and policies of NQA at the national level, but also to help all ETPs be aware that the implementation of these policies and their associated procedures will benefit every relevant entity be it the community, the ETP, or the individual. It is time now we developed learning outcomes that can create highly skilled, educated, and competent workforce to sustain UAE international competitiveness and meet the requirements of attaining 2021 National Vision and other local visions. It is time now all ETPs avoided the random use of qualification title, and adhered to the unified standards and criteria developed by NQA, in particular those relevant to the allocation of credit hours, the types of qualification, assessment, and certification which altogether will lead to the development of a similar- value qualification whether issued by an ETP licensed and registered in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, or any other emirate."

"Interconnecting with the different segments of the community is a key task of NQA to communicate its key objectives, e.g. the importance of life- long learning as a sound practice to achieve self- development, and to transfer between an education or employment pathway and another," Dr. Almehairi added.        

Mr. Khalid Alobaidli, Director of NQA's Directorate of Vocational Qualifications and Labor Market Strategies, said that the First Introductory Forum was a real interactive platform whereby NQA could also shed light on the importance of National Occupational Skill Standard (NOSS) in building the partnership between the industry and the ETPs so as to develop national qualifications that can respond to the ever- changing requirements of the knowledge and technology economy.

"Discussing NQA's recent smart service of the assessment and registration of ETPs and the tri- relationship between the Vocational education and training Awards Council (VETAC), the awarding bodies, and the providers were further aspects the Forum covered," Mr. Alobaidli explained.

Another essential aspect the Forum covered was the role of NQF in promoting the quality of learning outcomes and the status of the education and training institutions. In this respect, Mrs. Nourah  almatroushi, Director of Qualifications Framework and Policies Directorate said "the Forum was comprehensive and engaging in which the process of aligning the learning outcomes to the levels of the NQF, the number of credit hours required to attain any of three types of qualifications, and the requirements for vertical and horizontal progress from a level to another were fully clarified."

She added that the Forum as well gave details to the benefits of the NQF to individuals as, e.g. the tool to open further and more flexible education and training pathways, to the ETP as to achieving better international ranking and developing learning outcomes that can ably meet the needs of the labor market, and to the community in general as to increase Emeratization and realizing more social interaction.

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