UK EQF Coordination Group - Membership and remit

Membership

1. The following frameworks will be represented on the Group:

• Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) – represented by QCA
• Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW) – represented by DCELLS
• Framework for Higher Education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland – represented by QAA
• Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) – represented by SCQF Partnership.

2. Each administration will be represented:

• Department for Innovation, Industry and Skills
• Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, Welsh Assembly Government
• Department for Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland
• Lifelong Learning Directorate, Scottish Government

3. The UK regulatory bodies will be represented:

• Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
• Council for Curriculum, Examination and Assessment
• Scottish Qualifications Authority

4. Other members of the group (those currently not represented are marked with an *):

• Sector Skills Development Agency/UK Commission for Employment and Skills

NARIC*

5. Details of the current group members are contained in Annex A.

Remit

6. The recommendation to establish the EQF specifies that Member States should designate national coordination points, linked to the particular structures and requirements of Member States, to support and, in conjunction with other relevant national authorities, to guide the relationship between the national qualifications system and the EQF, in order to promote the quality and transparency of that relationship.

The tasks of the national coordination point should include:

• Referencing levels of qualifications within the national qualifications systems to the EQF levels
• Ensuring that a transparent methodology is used to refer national qualifications level to the EQF in order to facilitate the comparison between them and ensuring that the resulting decisions are published
• Providing access and guidance to stakeholders on how national qualifications relate to the EQF through national qualifications systems
• Promoting the participation of all relevant stakeholders, including, in accordance with national legislation and practice, higher education and vocational education and training institutions, social partners, sectors and experts on the comparison and use of qualifications at the European level.

The four administrations have agreed that in the UK each framework would relate directly to the EQF and that there will therefore be a number of coordination points. It was also agreed that the four countries would collaborate as they carried out their duties as national coordination points. The UK EQF Coordination Group provides the forum for the national coordination points and the most relevant stakeholders to work together to provide a coherent approach across the UK.

The proposed remit of the group is to:

• Co-ordinate the implementation of the EQF across the UK.

Each framework will relate directly to the EQF so there will be separate national coordination points that will undertake work on referencing the qualifications frameworks in the UK to the EQF. For example Scotland has designated the SCQF Partnership to act as the national coordination point. In order to promote trust and transparency across the UK and Europe the UK EQF Coordination Group will provide a forum for each coordination point to share information and work together as referencing work is undertaken.

• Ensure that progress, concerns and suggestions related to the implementation tasks are directed to the EQF Implementation Group through the UK's representative, Mike Coles.
• Communicate the outcomes from the EQF Implementation Group to the relevant structures covered by each of the Co-ordination Points.

The Commission has established the EQF Implementation Group and the UK Government were asked to nominate a representative for the UK.Mike Coles was appointed to undertake this role. The UK EQF Implementation Group will provide a forum for each country/framework to feed issues, questions or concerns into the Implementation Group and for Mike Coles to report back on any relevant issues. It is proposed that the UK EQF Group will meet prior to the Implementation Group meetings.

• Explore the options to establish a UK information point for individuals and employers which would direct them to the relevant National Co-ordination Point.

Although each framework will relate directly to the EQF it has been agreed that there should be one electronic portal that would serve to provide an overview for the UK and then direct people to the relevant authorities for further information on a particular country or framework. The UK EQF Coordination Group will provide a forum for the various organisations involved to work together to explore the options for this.

Annex A – Current membership of UK EQF Coordination Group