EXPERIENCES IN THE NATIONAL REFERENCING PROCESS FINLAND Raija Timonen, Counsellor of Education Recognition and International Comparability of Qualifications Finnish National Board of Education

How you present that the NQF and its qualifications are based on learning outcomes? Learning outcomes mentioned in national legislation – provisions on the qualifications and goals/ required learning outcomes of education are laid down in the legislation. Outcome-oriented approaches in curriculum policy have been present in the Finnish VET-education system nearly twenty years. In national core curricula goals are written in the form of learning outcomes. At upper secondary level both initial and additional VET training has been based on learning outcome-approach from In higher education the process started in 2005 and it’s still ongoing.

What kind of qualifications are included in the NQF and what qualifications are not in the NQF? One overarching NQF- all official national qualifications are included In the first phase, the NQF will include only the qualifications defined in the legislation of the educational and other administrative sectors. NOT included: modules of qualifications, education not leading to a qualification, procedures to grant the right to practice a profession or undertake certain work duties. In the second phase, the NQF should be extended to cover all knowledge, skills an competences e.g broad courses of various administrative sectors that are not included in the qualification system, but learning outcomes are defined by a competent authority

How you involve quality assurance agencies in the referencing process The referencing process is ongoing - authorities responsible for quality assurance are involved in the process - feedback (twice) on the draft NQF proposal was requested from the Education Evaluation Council and the Higher Education Evaluation Council and also the National Education and Training Committees - feedback on the referencing report will also be asked from these agencies

Which stakeholders are involved in the referencing process? The Finnish NQF process has been organised to include as broad a range of stakeholders as possible. The NQF Committee consisted of the following representatives: 1.The Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Employment and the Economy, Defence Command Finland (Ministry of Defence) 2.Finnish National Board of Education 3.Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland (AKAVA), Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK), Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK), Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities, Finnish Confederation of Professionals (STTK) 4.Association of Vocational Adult Education Centres (AKKL), Rectors' Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences (ARENE), Vocational Education Providers in Finland (KJY), Finnish Association of Principals, The Finnish Council of University Rectors, Finnish Adult Education Association, the National Union of University Students in Finland and the Union of Finnish upper secondary students

If there are any stakeholders that are not happy with the results of the referencing process, what are the issues? Meetings of the NQF Committee have been very constructive and consensus has been easy to reach during all the processes. Some comments from HEIs and working life representatives on descriptors; modifications have been made based on them,e.g. addition of enterpreneurship and language skills. Placement of qualifications was made in consensus, only a few comments from the polytechnics and universities.

Who are international experts and how you selected them? Stefan Skimutis, International Coordinator, Department of Analysis and Research, Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education, Sweden Eduard Staudecker, Strategy Development (VET), Federal Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, Austria Gunnar Vaht, Head of the Estonian ENIC/NARIC, Estonia NQF Committee agreed on the following criteria for selection: Should represent education administration; be familiar with NQF work at EU level; know Bologna process, be internationally well-known and appreciated, know the entity of the qualification system or represent expertise of general education, VET or HE; and if possible be familiar with Finnish education system. Invitation by the Ministry of Education and Culture..

What is the role of international experts? To ensure, that questions concerning referencing have been answered transparently and in an understandable way. To comment the draft text of the report.

Your experiencies with the translation of the referencing report The Committee report on the NQF proposal was written in Finnish and translated into Swedish and English. The referencing report is written in Finnish and will be translated into Swedish and English. Translation takes time. Translators are not always familiar with education and EQF terminology. Education specialists and those who know well the EQF terminology are needed in the process to check the translation.

Particular challenges that you are facing during the referencing process Ensuring international understanding – concepts and their meanings differ Giving clear and easily comprehensible information of the national system and its goals, values and development issues. Pointing out how criteria 2 ja 4 are fulfilled Transparency: descriptions of learning outcomes should not be very long but they should point out the connections between level descriptors and qualifications Transparency of the placement process of qualifications Writing the report is very challenging, need to express briefly information based on a number of documents Time for writers and the feedback team

Issues that you have successfully addressed Cooperation with and between different stakeholders Good preparation of the materials for the Committee Access issues are not a problem – based on law, no dead ends (works also in practice) Placement of qualifications is clear and understandable – all stakeholders involved in the process & consensus found Learning outcomes are the basis of placement, not VET/HE division e.g. some VET qualifications are placed on level 6

Issues that the referencing process helped bring to the surface and discuss with the stakeholders No big problems – all things have been discussed in cooperation In the future, discussion on the placement of preparatory education to VET and competencies outside of the official system - widening the NQF to the NF for other learning

Aspects in which you think your national referencing process is strong and can be suggested to other countries Clear political mandate given in the Development Plan for Education and Research 2007–2012 Involvement of all stakeholders from the very beginning, wide participation and wide consultation process in each phase. The committee report formed a basis for the Government Proposal to Parliament for an Act on the National Framework for Qualifications and Other Learning. Excellent cooperation between Ministry and FNBE/ NCP. Good coordination of the work, clear roles. No consultants from outside, the work was in the hands of those who are experts in the education system and development of qualifications and are reponsible for them.