Mihai Iacob – junior researcher INSTITUTE OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES, Bucharest , Tallinn, Estonia Overview of the implementation of NQF in Romania

Romania at a glance Population: 22 million Surface: km² Government: Semi-presidential republic Currency: New Leu (RON); forecast adoption of Euro: 2014 Economic growth rate: -8% in 2009 Political status: government deposed; presidential election on 22 nd of November

Partner institutions in NCP-VET-CO Institute of Educational Sciences, Bucharest (ISE) National Adult Training Board (NATB) – National Agency for Qualifications National Center for the Development of Vocational Education and Training (NCDVET)

ISE National research body on education Current structure: Dept. of Counselling and lifelong learning Dept. of Curriculum Dept. of Theory of education Dept. of Educational management Dept. of Educational policies As of the 1 st of January 2010 the structure will undergo considerable changes

NATB Autonomous authority Autonomous authority 1 president nominated by prime minister at the proposal of the ministry of labor and the ministry of education 1 president nominated by prime minister at the proposal of the ministry of labor and the ministry of education Tripartite structure: public administration, trade unions, employers associations Tripartite structure: public administration, trade unions, employers associations Departments: a) Methodology and QA; b) Standards and Assessment; c) Programmes and Innovation Departments: a) Methodology and QA; b) Standards and Assessment; c) Programmes and Innovation

NCDVET The Center was established with the aim of coordinating the reform within the VET sector Main attributions: Policies and strategies on VET VET qualifications VET curriculum Coordination of the personnel involved in VET Involvement in specific projects In the timeframe, it will be an intermediary body in the management ESF, on matters related to its field of expertise

NQF in Romania The National Qualifications Framework contributes to assuring the quality of vocational training system, being based on national standards, used equally to training and evaluation of competences, regardless the context in which they were acquired. The National Qualifications Framework contributes to assuring the quality of vocational training system, being based on national standards, used equally to training and evaluation of competences, regardless the context in which they were acquired. Standards are elaborated by specialists, then they are subject to analysis, on content and methodology, being then validated by sectoral committees. Standards are elaborated by specialists, then they are subject to analysis, on content and methodology, being then validated by sectoral committees. Sectoral committees are social dialogue structures. They have, generally, a multipartite structure (social partners, government, professional associations, chambers of commerce, training providers). Sectoral committees are social dialogue structures. They have, generally, a multipartite structure (social partners, government, professional associations, chambers of commerce, training providers).

NQF in Romania Sectoral committees have the following attributions: Participate in the development of the normative framework on the training, the evaluation and certification of competences Participate in the development of the normative framework on the training, the evaluation and certification of competences Promote the competence based training and evaluation system Promote the competence based training and evaluation system Develop and update, under the coordination of the NATB, the qualifications relevant for each domain; Develop and update, under the coordination of the NATB, the qualifications relevant for each domain; Validate qualifications and associated standards; Validate qualifications and associated standards; Identify specialists in order to do the occupational analysis, to define competences and qualifications, and for evaluation and certification; Identify specialists in order to do the occupational analysis, to define competences and qualifications, and for evaluation and certification; Encourage participation of organizations and individuals to continuous vocational training and to technical and vocational education. Encourage participation of organizations and individuals to continuous vocational training and to technical and vocational education.

Instruments used in building qualifications for VET 1. Occupational analysis for the identification of occupational area 2. Occupational Standard (OS) – a document which describes the competences units related to one occupation; 1. used for prior learning validation, but also for qualification within formal CVT and apprenticeship 3. Training Standard (TS) – a document which describes the learning outcomes related to a qualification linked with one or more occupations 1. developed for IVET 2. applied within IVET, but also within formal CVT

Qualifications in HE  University studies organised in 3 cycles: Bachelor degree, Master degree, Doctorate studies according to Bologna Process and follow-up documents;  Institution responsible: National Agency for Qualifications in Higher Education and Partnership with the Economic and Social Environment – ACPART  Designing and implementing the National Register of Qualifications for HE (NRQ-HE) by means of the submission of the standardized forms and their methodological guide to all accredited/authorised state and private universities to be completed

Problems met Identification and organization of the representative stakeholders from each of the 23 sectors of activity (nominated by the National Authority for Qualifications) Identification and organization of the representative stakeholders from each of the 23 sectors of activity (nominated by the National Authority for Qualifications) Juridical statute of the sectoral committees Juridical statute of the sectoral committees Identification of a large number of sectoral experts to be involved Identification of a large number of sectoral experts to be involved The need of quality assurance in sectoral committees involvement (occupational analyses, occupational standards development and validation, qualifications’ development) The need of quality assurance in sectoral committees involvement (occupational analyses, occupational standards development and validation, qualifications’ development) The sectoral committees financing system as a consequence of: The sectoral committees financing system as a consequence of:  their very important role in NQF development and sustainability  the great volume of occupational analyses and standards waited by sectors to be developed and validated  absence of constant sources of funds for spaces, administrative costs, logistic arrangements and experts’ payment

Solved problems Creation of 23 sectoral committees composed by representative organizations at the national and sectoral level: trade unions, employers associations, chambers of commerce, professional associations, regulating authorities, training providers Creation of 23 sectoral committees composed by representative organizations at the national and sectoral level: trade unions, employers associations, chambers of commerce, professional associations, regulating authorities, training providers Reorganization of the Sectoral Committees based on a special law (268/2009) as institutions for social dialogue and for public interest with well defined attributions in the field of qualifications and financed by state for administrative costs and services costs Reorganization of the Sectoral Committees based on a special law (268/2009) as institutions for social dialogue and for public interest with well defined attributions in the field of qualifications and financed by state for administrative costs and services costs Training of 114 sectoral committee experts (19 sectoral committees from 23) Training of 114 sectoral committee experts (19 sectoral committees from 23) Help for the sectoral committees activities by offering equipment and technical assistance Help for the sectoral committees activities by offering equipment and technical assistance

Challenges for a NQA Changing the name of National Adult Training Board (NATB) into National Authority for Qualifications (NAQ) Changing the name of National Adult Training Board (NATB) into National Authority for Qualifications (NAQ) Implementation of the quality assurance system in the NAQ activities Implementation of the quality assurance system in the NAQ activities Continuous human resources development Continuous human resources development Financing new projects, new activities, new experiences, quality assurance and sustainability Financing new projects, new activities, new experiences, quality assurance and sustainability Having a joint approach, together with other institutions involved in developing qualifications (NCDVET, ACPART) Having a joint approach, together with other institutions involved in developing qualifications (NCDVET, ACPART) A weak institutional capacity of NATB in human and logistic resources for the new attributions as NAQ A weak institutional capacity of NATB in human and logistic resources for the new attributions as NAQ Lack of experience in what means to be a National Authority for Qualifications Lack of experience in what means to be a National Authority for Qualifications

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