Achievements (Reporting Period: 01 April 2006 – 30 June 2006)

National Qualifications System

The Project support to the establishment of an NQS in Turkey continued during this reporting period, through short-term international expertise provided by Ron Tuck during April 2006.  

The project focused on:

•  Overall NQS piloting strategy
•  Institutional accreditation criteria and procedures
•  Preparation of an implementation plan for accreditation pilot by involved stakeholders
•  Training for the institutional accreditation pilot 
•  Development of a template integrating the current formats for occupational and training standards (qualifications)
•  Draft Law of VQA (MYK)

NQS Piloting Strategy

The overall NQS pilot was aligned with Project's two other piloting, namely, that of quality assurance and decentralization. Two phases of NQS piloting is foreseen. While Phase 1 will focus on NQS pilot in the institutions listed below, Phase 2 will involve six institutions selected for piloting of quality assurance and decentralization. The institutions initially running the NQS pilot in Phase 1 will swap during Phase 2.

INSTITUTIONS FOR NQS PILOT

Accreditation Pilot

In this period, the pilot institutions submitted their self-evaluation plans based on an evaluation grid discussed in the two workshops held in April. The Accreditation pilot plan was drawn, in turn, as follows:

Qualifications Template

A workshop was held in April on development of a template integrating the current formats for occupational and qualifications. The Labour Market Task Force working on occupational standards, and National Curriculum Development Group, working on the curricula and training standards were brought together to formulate a template for qualifications and qualifications units. It was agreed that a set of qualification units will be comprised of performance criteria, range statements and evidence requirements. The existing information compiled in the new curricula, training modules and occupational standards seem to provide adequate information to develop qualifications and qualification units. Some additional work is required to develop full set of qualifications under the SVET mandate, i.e. 64 occupational profiles under 17 job families.

Draft Law on MYK

During this reporting period, the Draft Law of VQA (MYK) was discussed and passed in Commission on Health, Family, Labour and Social Work at The Turkish Grand National Assembly. Three more Commissions need to approve the Law before the Grand Assembly deliberations, namely,

1. Commission on Education, Culture, Youth and Sports (discussions in progress)
2.Commission on  Harmonization with the EU (discussions in process)
3. Planning and Budget Commission (discussions in process)

As soon as the Law is approved by all commissions, it will be sent to the Grand Assembly. The Grand Assembly is expected to be discussing the law by the beginning of September 2006, when it is back in session.

Work Plan for the next reporting period (Reporting Period: 01 April 2006 – 30 June 2006)

In the next reporting period, two short-term expert missions by two EU experts are planned during September 2006.

The purpose of these missions are to undertake further activities as required to prepare for the establishment of VQA (MYK), to develop samples of qualification and qualifications units with the Joint Task Force on Qualifications (Labour Market Task Force and EARGED NCDG) based on the agreed template, further work on the accreditation pilot of training institutions, elaborating on institutional self-evaluation plans, and further work on piloting of examination commissions and validation of qualifications.

The following outputs are foreseen for these missions:

•  Handbooks on Levelling and Credit-rating
•  Criteria and Procedures for the Accreditation of Training Institutions, based on pilot exercise.
•  Sample Qualifications based on Occupational Standards
•  Development Plan for the Joint Task Force on Qualifications
•  Criteria and Procedures for the Validation of Qualifications, based on pilot exercise.
•  Procedures for the Operation of Examination Commissions, based on pilot exercise.
•  Handbook on Evaluating Prior to Certification.
•  MYK Handbook (including finalisation of NQS Functions Flowchart)

The plan on development of qualifications and qualifications units for 64 occupational profiles in 17 job families will be drawn during the next reporting period, which is to be implemented by the Joint Task Force on Qualifications in the following reporting period.  

During this reporting period, the Draft Law of NQA (UYK) is foreseen to be passed from the three commissions, and deliberated at the Turkish Grand National Assembly, which will lead into the establishment of NQA.