Standardisation of qualifications and licensing across the board

Quality assurance is paramount to Abu Dhabi’s education strategy, as evidenced by recent initiatives unveiled by the National Qualifications Authority (NQA), the federal body that has been active in implementing the Qualifications Framework for the Emirates (QFE mirates) handbook, which lays out education qualifications at all levels in the UAE. Plans to roll out new licensing procedures for teachers were recently announced, part of a concerted effort to improve vocational training for nationals and expatriates alike, while a stringent approval process for new vocational awarding bodies within the emirate will also bolster domestic training capabilities.

These ongoing qualifications initiatives will help meet the long-term development goals of the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 development plan, as well as the Ministry of Education’s (MoE) 2015-21 education strategy, which emphasises knowledge integration and the development of a well-educated, skilled workforce.

Educational Oversight

The development of new vocational qualifications available in Abu Dhabi is overseen by three entities. The Vocational Education and Training Awards Council (VETAC), operating under the auspices of the NQA, regulates and facilitates the development and approval process for national vocational qualifications based on occupational skills standards (known as “Q+NOSS”). Through recognised national development committees and sector advisory committees, industry drives the development of these qualifications to ensure they meet labour market needs. VETAC also considers foreign awards submitted by foreign awarding bodies for national recognition.

The Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education Training (ACTVET) manages the day-to-day operations associated with the industry and develops national vocational qualifications, which are endorsed by VETAC. ACTVET also regulates and oversees the development and accreditation of emirate-based programmes. The Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) regulates and manages non-vocational post-secondary programmes. Established in 2010, the NQA was mandated to create a national qualification system covering all sectors of education. VETAC, meanwhile, works under the NQA as a federal body, while ACTVET operates solely in the emirate, acting as an umbrella agency for two separate vocational training bodies: the Abu Dhabi Vocational Education and Training Institute and the Institute of Applied Technology.

Handbook For Success

The NQA’s most significant initiative thus far has been developing QFE mirates. This 10-level framework approved in February 2012 aims to create a consistent qualification system and reference point that enables all qualifications to be described and compared. Each level represents a defined level of difficulty, complexity and depth of learning, with learning outcomes defined according to knowledge, skill and competence. Credits are used to assess the amount of learning required to earn a qualification, with one credit corresponding to 15 hours of learning and accumulated credits transferrable between education and training providers.

The QFE mirates includes an agreed convention for titling qualifications and an individual profile for each qualification using level descriptors. There are three qualification types: principal qualifications (the major type of qualification) and the smaller composite and component awards. The framework also recognises formal, non-formal and informal learning, which can lead to individuals being awarded a qualification based on their prior learning. The framework serves as both a guide and a reference tool for a range of users: policy-makers, regulators, learners, employers, education and training providers, human resource managers, practitioners and the community.

Vocational Qualifications

In June 2014 the NQA announced new guidelines as part of the implementation of the UAE’s qualifications framework. These comprehensive guidelines relate to the development of vocational qualifications based on national occupational skills standards (Q+NOSS), registration and quality assurance of training providers offering national vocational qualifications, equivalency of foreign awards, establishment of awarding bodies as operational bodies to VETAC, and establishment of a national assessors and verifiers system.

VETAC has already endorsed around 60 qualifications and awards and hundreds of unit standards in the fields of aviation, construction, business administration, human resources, customer service, leadership, marketing, retail, and learning and development. Two awarding bodies were established in November 2014: ACTVET in Abu Dhabi and the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) in Dubai.

VETAC has approved several recognised national development committees to develop national qualifications. Around 100 education and training providers have applied to VETAC for registration. Thanks to these new initiatives, the vocational training landscape in the UAE is expected to improve significantly.

Beyond Borders

The NQA’s role will soon extend beyond the borders of the UAE, according to a November 2014 announcement of a new pilot project in which 2500 randomly chosen construction workers from India, Pakistan and the Philippines will undergo skills evaluations prior to being recruited for work in the UAE.

Under the two-year project workers will be provided with professional training in their home countries before coming to the UAE, using standards laid out by the NQA and the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council. The pilot project is part of the Ministry of Labour’s broader strategy to develop and enhance the skilled labour market, with workers also able to retain the qualifications they receive in the UAE to secure better employment on return to their home countries. According to reports from Trade Arabia, construction firms such as Arabtec, Al Habtoor, ATI Asco and Ghantoot have all welcomed the project.

Role Of The CAA

Within the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR), which is responsible for ensuring quality post-secondary education in the UAE, the CAA must approve all post-secondary institutions before they can obtain an operating licence. The CAA is responsible for two processes: the licensure of non-vocational post-secondary institutions and the individual review of accreditation, based on its 2011 Standards for Licensure and Accreditation.

Licensed institutions must meet myriad requirements, including those rules pertaining to governance structure, bylaws, regulations, policies, procedures, equipment, financial resources, staff and internal quality assurance. After receiving their licence, which is granted for five years, institutions must report to the CAA on an annual basis and display their status (“licensed” or “recognised by MOHESR”) on all of their documents and advertising.

Furthermore, every programme must be reviewed and accredited before licensure. “Quality is the name of the game, and that is how we have always operated,” M Badr Aboul-Ela, executive director of the CAA, told OBG. “We need to ensure that our graduates are achieving the intended learning outcomes, and that graduates are equipped with the appropriate competencies to transition into the working world.”

In recent years the CAA has also begun evaluating and ranking universities according to a system of benchmarks tailored to the emirate’s education system.

Teacher Testing

Under the UAE’s current teaching qualification system, authorities such as Dubai’s KHDA, the Abu Dhabi Education Council and the MoE list different qualification criteria for teachers. This provides each authority with some flexibility within their jurisdiction. As such, teacher training and licensure is a top priority for the NQA, which moved to establish the Supreme National Committee for the Licensure of Teachers and Administrators (NCLT) in 2013. The NQA is also working with the MOE to create a teaching career handbook, which will outline employment categories and detail the skills required at education levels.

According to Dr Thani Al Mehairi, director-general of the NQA, “The handbook will lay out occupational criteria to help authorities identify the best teaching professionals and safeguard the stable, long-term development of quality education standards at every level.”