1. The Establishment of NQF - Korea
Dr. Dong-Im LEE
Department of Qualification Research, KRIVET

2. Youth Unemployment
8.4%
Youth
3.2%
Adult

3. College Enrollment
80%
KOREA
56%
OECD Average

4. Agenda: To Familiarize Korean QS & NQF
1. Overview of Korean Qualification System(QS)
Structure and Operation of QS
Strength and Weakness of QS
2. Establishing NQF
Demands and Goals of NQF
Developmental Progress of NQF
Direction of NQF
Future Policy Tasks
Benefits of NQF

5. 1 Overview of Korean Qualification System(QS)
Structure and Operation of QS
Strength and Weakness of QS

6. Vocational Training System
1. Overview of QS: Separation of 2-Tier System
Education System
Vocational Training System
Doctorate Degree (3 year)
Training for National Basic Industry
Training for the Employed
Pre-employment Training
Support for the Employee
Training for the Unemployed
Public Vocational Training (Polytechnic Colleges, etc.)
Support for the Employer
Master’s Degree (2 year)
Bachelor’s Degree (1 year) d
University
Bachelor’s Degree
(4~6 years)
Work v
Experience
Junior College
Associate’s Degree (2 years)
VES
Academic Upper Secondary School (3 years)
Vocational Upper Secondary School (3 years)
Primary School (6 years)
Secondary School (3 years)

7. 1. Overview of QS: Multiple Approaches to VQS
Vocational Qualification Testing System
Vocational Qualifications
National V. Qualifications
Private V. Qualifications
National Technical Qualifications(NTQ)
National Technical Qualification Act
26 Technical/service Categories in 2013
522 items in 2013 (professional engineer, engineer, etc)
National
Professional Qualifications
Separate acts under related ministries
148 items in occupational fields (lawyer, accountant, Patent attorney, etc.) in 2013
Authorized Private Qualifications
Basic Act on Qualification
Authorized 91(57 AB) Qualification items in
Private Qualifications
No legal basis
Accurate name of items or number of items undetermined
Introduction of Registration System

8. Professional Engineer No minimum requirements
1. Overview of QS: Operational Entities & Eligibility Requirements for NTQ
National Technical Qualification (NTQ) System
Operation of NTQ
Eligibility for NTQ
Ministry of
Employment and Labor
Overall Management of Qualification System
Operation of NTQS Review Commission
Planning & execution of qualification exam
Administration of qualification system
Other Related Ministries(18)
Utilization of Qualification Holders
Related acts
Administrative action
(i.e. cancellation of qualification)
Awarding Bodies
(HRD Korea, KCCI etc.)
Implementation and Administration of Certification
Formulation of exam.Questions
Implementation of exam.
- Engineer + 4years
University graduate years
Practical experience : 9years
Professional Engineer
Technician + 5years
Craftsman + 7years
Practical experience: 9years
Technician + 1year
University graduate
Practical experience : 4year
Craftsman + 1year
Junior College graduate
Practical experience: 2year
No minimum requirements
Engineer
Technician
Craftsman
Master Craftsman

9. Account for Lifelong Learning Self-Study Degree / Diploma
1. Overview of QS: Approaches for LLL System
Other Life-long Learning System
Credit Bank
System
Provide a opportunity to get degree to adult
through accumulated credit, by acquiring
a vocational certificate or non-formal learning
Support a systematic method of continued
education by recording an individual’s various
learning experience and accumulating these
to a learning account system
Account for Lifelong Learning
Self-Study Degree / Diploma
Acquire bachelor’s degree or middle &high school diploma by passing exam
Facilitate self-directed learning activities

10. Centralization Benefits Promoting Lifelong Learning
1. Overview of QS: Multiple Strengths of QS
National Standards
National curriculum for vocational education(VE)
Training standard for vocational training(VT)
Testing standard for NTQ
Centralization Benefits
Streamlined NTQ system - low operating cost
Costs reduced by elimination of redundant testing bodies
Testing Based NTQ
Time lag to supply skilled workers to market vastly reduced
Diverse lifelong learning(LLL) systems
Credit Bank system links vocational qualification(VQ)
and academic qualification(AQ)
Promoting LLL by upgrading NTQ levels
Promoting Lifelong Learning

11. Satisfaction Degree of NTQ
1. Overview of QS: Better Results of VQ System
VET Market
(skill development)
Labor Market (work)
Employment
system
Vocational
Qualification
Testing System
VET system
Role of NTQ
Satisfaction Degree of NTQ

12. 1. Overview of QS: Limitations of QS
Low Practicality
and
Low competency
Some VET and VQ do not meet demand of Industry
LLL System mainly relies on school & university curriculum, not competency-based
Particular aspects of VT are not recognized nationally
Non-formal and in-formal learning recognized
partially, work experiences not recognized nationally
Non-Recognition
National Curriculum, Training Standard, Testing Standard are independent
VE & VT are separated
VQ is not necessary accompanied with VET
VQ and other life-long learning recognition results are partially linked
Non-Integration
and
Non-Linking

13. 2 Establishing NQF Demands and Goals of NQF
Developmental Progress of NQF
Direction of NQF
Future Policy Tasks
Benefits of NQF

14. Technical Advancement
2. Establishing NQF: Demands of System
Background of NQF Establishment
Globalization
Require qualification to be compatible
and transparent NQF
Technical Advancement
Require qualification to be practical and
competency-based National competency
standards(NCS) development
Require employee to learn Lifelong to be
employed NQF
Labor Market Change
Political Demand
Require competency-oriented Society
NQF
Individual Demand
Require wider recognition of Learning
NQF

15. 2. Establishing NQF: Areas to be Focused
Priority Goals of NQF
Streamline International Workforce Mobility
Link AQ and VQ with other Recognition
of Lifelong Learning
Integration of VE and VT,
VET and VQ - course based Qualification
Quality Assurance of each Qualification
- especially VQ

16. 2. Establishing NQF: Development - NQF Levels
Korea’s NQF draft
Level of NQF
Academic Qualification
NCS Q.
Vocational Qualification
Level 8
Ph. D
Level 7
Master’s Degree
KVQ 7
Professional Engineer
Level 6
4-year College Graduate
KVQ 6
Engineer Master Craftsman
Level 5
2-year College Graduate +1
KVQ 5
Level 4
2-year College Graduate
KVQ 4
Industrial Engineer
Level 3
High School Graduate +1
KVQ 3
Level 2
High School Graduate
KVQ 2
Craftsman
Level 1
Middle School Graduate
KVQ 1
Level
Knowledge
Skill
Competence 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Level Descriptor: Knowledge, skill
competence
Level determinants: complexity, autonomy of job

17. Credit & Learning Hours in NQF
2. Establishing NQF: Development - NQF Credit system
Credit & Learning Hours in NQF
NQF
Minimum credits
per level
Accumulated
Credits
Notional time
Total accumulated
notional time
note
Level
Education 8
Ph. D
120
524
3,600
15,720
※ 1 Credit =30 hrs (notional time)
Attending time on formal education + self-directed learning hours & test preparation time 7
Master 60
404
1,800
12,120 6
Bachelor 30
344
900
10,320 5
Associate degree+1 yr
314
9,420 4
Associate degree
(high school diploma+2 yr) 40
284
1,200
8,520 3
High school diploma+1 yr
244
7,320 2
High school diploma
2041)
204
6,120 1
Below high school
～204
～6,120
Source: CHO, J.Y.(2013): Task Force on ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework(TF-AQRF) 2nd Meeting and Workshop

18. 2. Establishing NQF: Direction of NQF
President Park’s New Policy Initiative
Systems to be Reformed by NQF
New Degrees to reflect Industry Needs
Operational Flow of NQF

19. NQF 2. Establishing NQF: Direction - Park’s New Policy Directive
Higher reputation of
technical college as tertiary
vocational education institute
Enhancing vocational
education for more skilled
talents from secondary level
Establish national
lifelong learning system for the era of centenarians
Development of Competency-oriented Society
NQF
Based on NCS
Area for Work
Integration
Creation of New professional degrees
Systematic recognition of
Work experience as
Accumulated coursework credit
Linkage between
Learning outcomes
Area for Learning
Source: CHO, J.Y.(2013): Task Force on ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework(TF-AQRF) 2nd Meeting and Workshop

20. 2. Establishing NQF: Importance of NCS in NQF
Relationship between NCS and NQF
Skill Analysis
Job Analysis
Industry Analysis
Competency Development
Competency-oriented Labor Market
NCS
(National Competency Standards)
Formal Education
Informal Education
NQF
Curri -culum
Course
Assess-ment
Course based Certification
NCS Development
Learning Module Development
Curriculum Operation

21. NQF 2. Establishing NQF: Direction - Systems to be reformed by NQF
VE system VT system
LLL system
NQF
VQ system
Degree system

22. 2. Establishing NQF: New Degrees to Reflect Industry Needs
Creation of Professional Degree based on NCS
NCS based Q.
Industry
Graduate
School
Academic
M. Degree
Research-oriented University
General High School
Job-Based
M. Degree
School – to – Work
University
Work – to – School
Lifelong Learning-
oriented University
High School
Specialized High School
Meister School

23. NQF VEf VT 2. Establishing NQF: Operational Flow of NQF AQ VQ VE VT
Quality Assurance
VEf VT
Integration AQ VQ VE VT
LLL
NQF AQ VQ
LLL
Link VE VT VQ
Link
Integration

24. Social Consensus on NQF
2. Establishing NQF: Future Policy Tasks
Social Consensus on NQF
NQF Governance
NQF
Stakeholder’s
Role
NQF unknown with the public
Need for Seminars, Forums, better PR
Determine participants for establishing NQF
NQF decision-making system
Cooperation among multiple ministries
More Participation of Industry in QS and NQF i.e. development of a Sector Council
Modify Government Role : Planner, Regulator → Coordinator, Facilitator

25. 2. Establishing NQF: Benefits of NQF
Individual
Development of competency-based skills
More opportunities for employment and
shortening of job seeking duration
Hiring employee with high performance and increasing
satisfaction level of new employee’s competence
* the current degree: 67.3/100(KCCI, 2011)
Reduce re-training cost and duration for new employee
* re-training cost : 2.2million won per new employee for (KCCI, 2011)
Company
Government
Higher effectiveness by reducing skill mismatching(e.g. Unemployment allowance)
Facilitating international Workforce Mobility

26. Summary 1. Overview of Korean Qualification System(QS)
Structure and Operation of QS
Strength and Weakness of QS
2. Establishing NQF
Demands and Goals of NQF
Developmental Progress of NQF
Direction of NQF
Future Policy Tasks
Benefits of NQF

27. Thank You