Transcript QF Levels - Hkwatch.org

Effective Staff Training
to Make a Success
Mr. Patrick Pang, General Manager
Qualifications Framework Secretariat

Why is QF of Value to the Watch & Clock (W&C)
industry in Hong Kong?

What have been done so far in the context of QF
implementation in the W&C industry?

How can the W&C industry can ride on QF to enhance
its professionalism?

Where is the Way Forward?
Global perspectives
• Global economic downturn
• European liquidity crisis
Local situation
• Introduction of Individual Visit Scheme attracted 42
million Mainland tourists to Hong Kong in 2011; and
• Hong Kong reached a record high of HKD 68.9 billion
worth of watch and clock exports in 2011.
Issues to be tackled:
• Exploring emerging markets;
• Development of new technologies; and
• Quality manpower : efficient and effective staff training
is critical
• Provide a platform to promote and facilitate manpower
development and upgrading through life long learning;
• HKQF is established by HKSAR Government and formally
launched in May 2008;
• Qualifications Framework Secretariat (QFS) is the executive
arm of the Education Bureau to implement HKQF.
Enhancing the competitiveness of the workforce
• HKQF is a 7-level hierarchy which covers qualifications from
academic, vocational and continuing education sectors;
• QF levels are measured against the Generic Level
Descriptors (GLD) under HKQF;
• QF levels define the relative complexity and depth of
learning outcomes required of qualifications and their
associated training programmes;
• QF-recognised qualifications are quality assured
Vocational &
Continuing Education
On-going
development
under HKQF
QF level
Academic
Level 7
Doctoral Degree
Level 6
Master Degree
Level 5
Bachelor Degree
Level 4
Associate Degree, Higher Diploma
Level 3
S6, HKDSE, Diploma, (HKALE)
Level 2
S5, Certificate ( S5, HKCEE)
Level 1
S3, Certificate
•
A new piece of legislation to underpin QF development :
Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications Ordinance,
Cap 592 has been fully operational w.e.f. 5 May 2008;
•
The Ordinance empowers the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation
of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) as the
Accreditation Authority and the Qualifications Register (QR)
Authority;
•
All learning programmes have to be accredited by the HKCAAVQ
before they can be registered in the QR and become QF
recognised (except those offered by self-accrediting institutions e.g.
those UGC-funded Universities).
Primary Objectives : to foster Life Long Learning (LLL)
through articulated and quality-assured multiple learning
pathways; and in particular, the VET sector can leverage
on QF to enhance its development and provision in
terms of : -
•
Quality
• Transparency
• Transferability
• Articulation
• Recognition
• Transnationalisation
• Education Bureau (EDB) implements QF for the vocational
sector on industry basis;
• It assists industries to establish Industry Training Advisory
Committees (ITACs);
• ITACs comprise key representatives of employers,
employees, trade associations, trade unions, professional
bodies and relevant government bodies of the industries;
• So far, 18 industries, covering about 45% of total labour
force, have set up ITACs; and
HKQF is
Industry-led
Printing &
Publishing
Electrical &
Mechanical
Services
Import &
Export
Banking
Watch and
Clock
Chinese
Catering
Hairdressing
Property
Management
Beauty
Automotive
ITACs includes
employers, employees,
trade associations, workers’ unions,
professional/regulatory bodies
Jewellery
Manufacturing Technology
(Tooling, Metals & Plastics)
Retail
Insurance
Information &
Communications
Technology
Logistics
Testing,
Inspection &
Certification
Elderly Care
Service
The ITAC is primarily tasked :
 to draw up Specification of Competency Standards (SCSs),
which represents the competency requirements and
outcome standards at various levels under different
functional areas of an industry;
 To develop the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
mechanism for the industry; and
 To promote QF to various stakeholders of the industry.
• Watch & Clock ITAC was established in 2004,
comprising 20 members;
• Majority of the members come from the supporting
organizations below:




The Federation of HK Watch Trades & Industries Limited
HK Watch Manufacturers Association Limited
HK Department Stores & Commercial Staff General Union
HK & Kowloon Clock & Watch Trade Workers Union
Major uses of SCS
Human
Resources
Development
& Management
e.g. in-house training,
job specifications,
recruitment
Vocational
Education
& Training
e.g. SCS-based
courses, in-house
training
Basis for
Benchmarking
e.g. Recognition of
Prior Learning,
benchmarking
initiated by
professional
bodies
• Education and Training providers are encouraged
to develop SCS-based Courses;
• Employers are also encouraged to develop SCSbased in-house training;
• Government subsidies in programme
accreditation and SCS-based course
development (QF Subsidy Scheme).
•
We work closely with industries in developing
progression pathways for various job roles
and positions;
•
QA Manager/Engineer
Education and training providers can make
use of the information to produce training
programmes relevant to the needs of the
Assistant QA
Engineer
industries; and
•
They also provide informed choices to young
people for learning articulation and career
development.
Quality Assurance
Technician
• RPL mechanism gives formal recognition to the knowledge,
skill and experience previously acquired by practitioners in
the workplace;
• Experienced industry practitioners do not need to start from
the scratch when they pursue further training;
• RPL mechanism has been launched for 7 industries;
• Watch and Clock industry is one of the first 3 industries
which pilot-run RPL in 2008.
Recognition
Employers can make use of the QF to:
• Design effective job descriptions and specifications for
different job roles;
• Help to recruit right person for the job;
• Create a workforce development plan for your organisation;
• Have your internal in-house training recognised; and
• Assign the right person to the right job or task.
• With a clear learning and progression pathway, employees
are more inclined to improve their skills and knowledge;
• With the QF platform, employees can map out their own
learning and career development plans; and
• Through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
mechanism, experienced employees are given more
opportunities to receive further education and training.
Infrastructure
• More ITACs and more Specification of Competency Standards (SCS)
• Extension of RPL to more industries
• Mapping out of Learning & Progression Pathways
• Projects on QF Credit and Award Titles
Application
• Promoting application SCS/SGC in learning programmes
• Adoption of SCS/SGC in HR functions
• Promotion of QF, QR and QFSS
Promotion of Recognition
• Collaboration with overseas QF authorities (e.g. EQF, SCQF, AQF)*
• Interface with the occupational qualifications system of the Mainland
(e.g. GD-OSTA)
______________________________________________________________
*EQF: European Qualifications Framework
SCQF : Scottish Credits and Qualifications Framework
AQF : Australian Qualifications Framework
GD-OSTA : Guangdong Occupational Skills Testing Authority
•
There are over 130 countries which have developed or are
developing its QF or qualifications systems;
•
Developed countries, such as the UK, Australia, Ireland, New
Zealand have implemented QF for some 20 years. They have
similar objective of promoting life-long learning;
•
The establishment of the QF facilitates workforce mobility and
flexibility;
•
For employers, QF will make it easier to interpret qualifications of
different regions/countries; and
•
As a leading country for the Watch and Clock Trade in
the world, Switzerland is also establishing its own QF.
• Scottish Credit and Qualifications
Framework - Video Case Studies Microsoft
• HKQF established solid relationships with overseas QF
authorities and conducted a feasibility study on
referencing HKQF with European Qualifications
Framework (EQF);
• A MOU with the Scottish Credit and Qualifications
Framework Partnership (SCQFP) was signed in
March 2012; and
• A Letter of Intent with Guangdong Occupational Skill
Testing Authority (OSTA) was signed in 2010 to
explore the flexibility of benchmarking competency
standards between HK and Mainland China.
• Human capital is the single most precious
resource of Hong Kong and hence continuous skills
enhancement and upgrading of the workforce is
crucial;
• Keep up with
competition;
changes
to
face
the
fierce
• Qualifications Framework (QF) is a platform to
assist the society to build up a workforce that
meets
the
ever-changing
world
through
continuous education and training of manpower.