Quality and Qualifications Ireland ( QQI )
QQI is a state agency established by the Quality Assurance and Qualifications ( Education and Training ) Act 2012 . QQI is responsible for the external quality assurance of further and higher education and training , for the validation of programmes and making awards . QQI is also responsible for the promotion , maintenance , and review of the National Framework of Qualifications ( NFQ ).
As an awarding body QQI made more than 378,000 awards to learners in a wide variety of award fields at all levels of the NFQ in 2015 . QQI has developed infographics which present a detailed awards overview in a graphic format . See http :// infographics . qqi . ie /
In 2015 QQI launched a new award brand for further and higher education and training , the QQI Award . To gain wider recognition of its new award , and to ensure consistent referencing of QQI and promotion of the award , QQI developed a marketing campaign - “ QQI Award . Know it when you see it ”. The campaign will run into 2017 and includes radio and print advertising , digital marketing and promotional materials . For more information visit www . QQI . ie .
As well as QQI responsibilities for quality assurance , making awards and supporting the NFQ , QQI is also responsible for a number of important European initiatives which are outlined below .
BELLTIME
Europass has five key tools that provide information in a template agreed across the EU :
Europass CV helps record skills and achievements , can be uploaded to Europe wide job-search engines and is a popular CV template .
Europass Diploma Supplement provides supplementary information to graduates , specific to the programme taken and the award achieved ;
Europass Certificate Supplement for vocational qualifications is available on-line to download from QQI . ie
Europass Mobility is a formal record of learning experiences in work and study overseas . This can be part of programmes of vocational and higher education under Erasmus +, and the Mobility document is an important record ;
Europass Language Passport helps to benchmark language skills to the common European Framework of Reference for Language . This tracks progress and helps plan future learning .
These documents can be saved on-line by creating a European Skills Passport . This can be used for career management and development , along with references , records of any employment , awards and achievements .
Europass Ireland , hosted by Quality and Qualifications Ireland ( QQI ) is one of a series of free supports to help users to have their skills , abilities and qualifications better understood by education and training providers and employers both in Ireland and across Europe . Europass aims to facilitate worker mobility and standardise approaches to CV development .
In 2015 , 38,000 persons in Ireland were recorded to have used Europass and developed a European CV . Europass is also used by participants of Erasmus + and in 2015 , 684 mobility documents were issued ( figures courtesy of Léargas ).
How do I use Europass ?
Log onto www . Europass . ie and follow the signposts to the documents that interest you . Join us and follow on Facebook for regular updates . We can also provide you with fact-sheets and promotional material to help you and your students engage with Europass .
Contact us at info @ europass . ie for information .
QQI through Europass also facilitates a national EU reference group which convenes annually to share information on relevant EU developments and we would like to invite new participants to join us . Topics covered relate to Euroguidance , Erasmus +, EQAVET , European Qualifications Framework ( EQF ), NARIC Ireland and other activities . The proceedings of the 2015 meeting are available for review at www . europass . ie /
QQI also hosts NARIC Ireland which facilitates the academic recognition of foreign qualifications . The complexity and range of qualifications available continues to grow and the NARIC Ireland service provides advice on foreign academic qualifications in the context of the Irish National Framework of Qualifications ( NFQ ).
NARIC Ireland is based at QQI and the free web-based system allows users to check their qualifications from a database of more than 650 individual qualifications from approximately 100 countries . NARIC Ireland will , if required , research new foreign qualifications to determine the comparable level of that qualification on the Irish NFQ .
See www . naric . ie for more information .
Supported by the Erasmus + Programme of the European Union
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