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This report looks at various aspects of the role that certification systems, understood in the broad sense, can play in the very different ways in which competences are recognised in enterprise or in the labour market. There is undoubted interest in these certification systems in the European Union. Faced with the ‘maze’ of education systems and the fact that the certificates that they award are felt to be unable to adapt to new qualification needs, the problem of identifying competences is raising increasingly urgent questions as regards certification systems. Being able to identify the learning acquired from occupational experience and providing the best possible match between individuals and production functions, while ensuring that they are still adaptable, and therefore more employable, seem to be the current expectations. The answers that the various systems are providing in this respect are examined below from both an institutional and a methodological point of view: from an institutional point of view, the report looks at the role that the state has played in the past in constructing systems responsible for education and training and certification, and goes on to examine contemporary developments that are tending to make certification more independent from education and training with the result that skill identification is tending to make these skills independent from formal learning routes; this therefore raises new methodological problems. First, defining competences through performance standards raises the question of how and to what extent actual work can be taken into account. Second, the construction of assessment standards, analysed here using the accreditation of prior learning as an example, must include thinking about the nature of the competences that are being validated and the legitimacy of validation bodies. Competences are certified and recognised in different ways, depending on national traditions, but the procedures used in all cases have to address the same kind of problem: they must be precise enough to enable efficient adjustment and socially legitimate enough to pave the way for their general validity.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner.

The volume from which this chapter is taken is indexed at TD/TNC 66.507. Volumes two and three are indexed at TD/TNC 66.508 and TD/TNC 66.509. Individual chapters from the three volume set are indexed from TD/TNC 66.510 to TD/TNC 66.540.

The first background report, published in two volumes, is indexed at TD/IRD 88.38 and TD/INT 58.286. Show less

The purpose of the project was to develop ways of formulating examination exercises which shed light on various aspects of competence to perform occupational activities. The first part of the project, which sought to establish how far this can be achieved by programmed exercises, is now complete. The approach was to be so general that its applicability was limited neither to certain subject matter nor to specific forms of examinations and exercises. Show less

A study conducted by the Group Training Association of Victoria (GTAVic) into the information required by employers from vocational and education and training (VET) students reports on results when recruiting applicants. GTAVic conducted a survey of employers across a range of industries. The key messages from the report include: (1) employers' information needs from certification and student results are pragmatic; they scan certification and results reporting to see the highest level of schooling achieved, whether any subjects or units are relevant to the job and if there have been any practical elements to the learning, for example, a work placement; (2) information in VET certificates and related student reporting is only one element, and often a minor one, in a comprehensive range of the information needed by employers; and (3) overwhelmingly, the employers responding to this survey confirm that certification is not accepted as a stand alone indicator of a candidate's ability. It is regarded as a signal of the potential for further learning and skill development, but not usually as a signal of immediate competence. Show less

This report was developed in the context of many changes in the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system. Focusing on cooperation with the business sector in vocational education and training (VET), the report reflects the following key findings: (1) Numerous guiding documents on the implementation of the VET Law were issued yet the implementation process of policies on cooperation with the business sector still encounters many difficulties; (2) The labour market had a strong effect on the TVET system; (3) The network of TVET institutes was considerably expanded, which means a need for the network restructure to ensure efficient operations of TVET institutes; (4) Admissions to TVET institutes increased in 2016 compared with 2015 but the number of admissions had not reached the planned target - TVET graduation and job placement achieved over 70 per cent; (5) The number of TVET teachers increased because of the unification of the TVET system, the qualification of the teachers was improved, yet teachers' occupational skills, computer skills and foreign language competencies were still limited; (6) There was still a limitation in the development of National Occupational Skill Standards (NOSS) and examinations and assessments of National Occupational Skills (NOS); (7) VET quality accreditation was inactive due to a lack of legal guidance for implementation; (8) Though financing VET has become a matter of concern, financial resources allocated to TVET institutes remain limited in practice; and (9) Cooperation with the business sector in vocational education and training was challenging for various reasons, however several pilot models of cooperative training have achieved certain successes.

Besides the foreword and key findings, the report consists of the following nine chapters: (1) Overview of vocational and education training policies; (2) Vocational education and training for the labour market; (3) Network of TVET institutes; (4) TVET admissions and graduations; (5) TVET teachers and management staff; (6) National occupational skills standards, assessment and certification of national occupational skills; (7) Accreditation and quality assurance; (8) Financing vocational education and training; and (9) Cooperation with enterprises in vocational education and training.

Edited excerpts from publication. Show less

The paper presents the trade or journeyman's examinations as the final quality control in [vocational education and training] VET, the certification to the world of work and, in the 21st century even a pathway to further education and training and life-long learning. Questions are raised whether there is a tension between the different objectives. Furthermore, the paper discuss validity of test tasks and assessments practices and different stakeholders' roles in trade examinations. The study is based on data from a national project on quality assessment. In the final phase of the project, our study focused on analyses of test tasks, assessment schemes and candidates' documentary evidence supported by stimulated recall interviews with examination board members. The study draws on examples from three different trades: plumbing, industrial mechanics and sales.

Published abstract.

The volume from which this paper is taken is available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 123.477. Show less

Skills testing and certification can help youth transition into the labour market by improving the information available to recruiting companies. It also allows for workers in the informal economy to have their skills recognized and facilitates their mobility – their potential shift to formal jobs. In some countries, certificates are linked to wage scales negotiated between social partners. Testing also gives important feedback on training outcomes to training providers and can thereby help improve their programmes. Finally, it provides useful information on the available labour supply for policy-making purposes. Overall, there is a great deal of potential for national testing and certification systems to impact positively on the functioning of labour markets. In Jordan, the Centre of Accreditation and Quality Assurance (CAQA) is entrusted with conducting skills tests and issuing occupational licenses for craftspersons, skilled and limited-skilled workers. The scope of this manual includes the testing and certification procedures directly under CAQA's responsibility (the vocational training track). This manual contains the minimum requirements for skills testing and certification processes in Jordan. The manual consists of four chapters, respectively dealing with: (1) a brief description of assessments and tests in Jordan; (2) the fundamentals of assessment and occupational tests; (3) guidance on how to design skills tests; and (4) guidance on how to conduct skills tests.

Edited excerpts from publication. Show less

The enactment of the Framework Act on Qualifications in 1997, increased the diversity of the qualification system in Korea by allowing more private sector participation in the administration of qualifications. This stimulated competition between and among national and private qualifications and led to the overall improvement of the system. This booklet describes the current qualifications system in Korea and outlines how national and private qualifications operate in practice. It concludes with recommendations for the further improvement of the system. The contents are: Institutional framework; National qualifications; Private qualifications; Future prospects. Show less

This draft country background report on the recognition of non-formal and informal learning in Ireland has been completed as part of an OECD activity on the ‘Recognition of Non-formal and informal learning’ (2006-2008) in which Ireland participates. The report was drafted in 2006/07 by the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland with the assistance of an Advisory Group and, in particular, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council and the Further Education and Training Awards Council. The aim of this report is to document and review the current scenario with regard to the recognition of prior informal and non-formal learning insofar as it relates to qualifications. It describes in detail the existing policy with regard to the recognition of prior informal and non-formal learning and the technical and procedural arrangements that have been put in place by Irish institutions and other actors in the area to facilitate such recognition. This focus is in line with the Irish national policy approach to the Recognition of Prior Learning and the development and implementation of the Irish National Framework of Qualifications.

Excerpts from publication reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

In the multitude of available badging platforms, it is not easy to choose the appropriate one to support a particular badging (sub-)system. A list of badging features provided for a certain platform is often not informative enough and might even be misleading. To address this problem, this chapter provides a deeper insight into current features of badging platforms, and thus help one make more informed decision when choosing a platform for a specific application case.

To this end, we first examined relevant academic literature and other relevant resources, and based on the obtained insights, developed several scenarios describing typical forms of interaction with badging systems. Then, we identified functional requirements related to each scenario and established a set of comparison criteria for badging platforms, namely supported scenarios, variety of badging features, and supported badging and teaching/learning practices. Using these criteria, we reviewed, analyzed and compared features of six selected badging platforms.

The study results reveal feature-wise differences as well as differences in supported practices among the platforms, many of which are the result of different origin and focus of the platforms. In addition, the results offer a realistic insight into the capabilities of the selected platforms.

Published abstract.

The volume from which this chapter is taken is available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 140.620. Show less

This report responds to OECD's questions by providing information on policies and activities in British Columbia. Formal education, non-formal and informal learning in British Columbia occur within a diversified post-secondary educational system, consisting of both public and private institutions. Components covered include: Demographic change; Internationalization; New ICT; Economic development and skills shortage/mismatch; Social developments; Description of institutional arrangements; Government and the role of government; Resources; Qualifications, qualification systems, qualifications framework; Credit accumulation and transfer; Assessment methods and procedures; Characteristics of stakeholders; Access; Participation; Incentives and disincentives; Economic benefits; Educational benefits; Social benefits; and Personal benefits.

The pan-Canadian overview is indexed at TD/TNC 92.610. Individual province/territory reports are indexed from TD/TNC 92.611 to TD/TNC 92.620. Show less