Fiji's Attempt on Achieving International Accreditation and Certification for TVET Institutions
1. INTRODUCTION
The Republic of Fiji comprises of some three hundred and twenty islands in the South Central Pacific Ocean, only about one hundred islands are inhabited.
With a total area of 18,330 square kilometres, Fiji has a population of less than a million, a density of forty two per square kilometre. Native Fijians and Indo Fijians make up the major races with the Chinese population on the increase. Other pacific Islanders make up a small portion of the total population.
2. ACCREDITATION
This term accreditation refers to the formal recognition of a programme or institution by an external body. The assessment of quality programmes is the result of an evaluation of quality assurance procedure and assessing whether a programme or institution meets the academic or professional standards.
Accreditation is generally seen as the specific result of external quality assurance procedures. It can guarantee that the accredited programme or institution meets the recognized standards. It can also be a guarantee that the qualification from the Programme or the institution is marketable to the employers. For institutions and programmes, accreditation leads to formal external recognition of quality.
Accreditation is based on accepted standards where every institution will be evaluated in terms of appropriateness and adequacy of its philosophy and objectives. The degree and competence with which it achieves its goals are also evaluated.
It also provides opportunities for an institution to attain standards above those prescribed as minimum requirements. It encourages growth through continuing self evaluation and institutions.
3. THE EDUCATION SYSTEM IN FIJI
Only a handful of secondary school in Fiji offer Technical and Vocational Training. It is rather unfortunate that our system is still very much academic and examination oriented. It seems that failure from the academic streams take up Vocational training thus it is regards as courses for failures rather than an alternative. Students are introduced late to the basics of Trade and Vocational Courses.
The figure below illustrates roughly what is presently the system in Fiji.
The Educational System in Fiji
Fiji Institute of Technology, the biggest technical Institution in Fiji offers Certificates and Diplomas in Technical and Vocational Training. The Trade certificates are franchised to secondary schools that meet their standards in facilities and staffing qualifications. The institution provides the curriculum and sets the examination.
4. STATUS OF NATIONAL ACCREDITATION SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY AND ITS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTION
The National Qualifications Framework: A Way Forward for Systematic Vocational Training
Formerly known as the Fiji National Training Council, which was established in 1973 as a response to post Independence skill shortages, the Training Productivity Authority of Fiji has been given the task of settling up the National Qualifications Framework for Fiji.
Functions in Fiji National Training Act
Provide, arrange for or regulate the appropriate training in connection with employment.
Cooperate in, approve, or advise on any such arrangement
Arrange for employment who are under training or who have completed training.
Advise on and disseminate information about training
Provide a consultancy service
Investigate and make recommendations
make grants or loans to persons providing such courses or other training facilities
Assist and contribute towards the course of training and the promotion of training of any person or class of persons.
Registration of such training courses or facilities and approvals of such courses or facilities.
Issue certificates.
5. TRAINING AND PRODUCTIVITY AUTHORITY OF FIJI [TPAF]
Training and Productivity Authority of Fiji
Standard and Accreditation Council is one of the many functions of TPAF. The organization also provides Vocational Training, however, once the National Qualification Framework is finalised, it will become a separate body.
6. THE NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK [NQF]
The TPAF has been empowered to carry out the task through an Act of Parliament. The NQF is a framework on which standards and qualifications agreed to by the stakeholders throughout the country will be registered. It will rationalize industry, vocational and technical training into a single system of qualification.
Objectives
Allow the award of National Certificates set against National Standards for Technical and Vocational Training.
Provide for the offering of different levels of programmes at different centres/institutions but which can lead to a National Qualification.
Ensure that the quality of training provided meet basic needs of industry.
The framework will outline how competency standards may be packaged to form a qualification.
Each qualification will outline the minimum number of competency standards a learner must achieve.
Where a learner has achieved some but not all, a statement of attainment will be awarded.
What Is It? - NQF
A framework on which standards and qualifications agreed to by the stakeholders throughout the country will be registered. It will rationalize industry, vocational and technical training into a single system of qualification.
What Will It Do?
Allow the award of National Certificates set against national standards for technical and vocational training
Provide for the offering of different levels of program at different centres / institutions but which can lead to a national qualification.
Ensure quality of training provided meets basic needs of industry.
The Framework will outline how competency standards may be packaged to form a qualification.
Each qualification will outline the minimum number of competency standards a learner must achieve.
Where a learner has achieved some but not all, a statement of attainment will be awarded.
All Qualifications will:
Be aligned to the NQF.
Be based on national industry competency standards.
Recognize the competencies of people who are already in the industry.
Provide multiple pathways to achieving a qualification.
How will it happen and who will make it happen?
Unit standards will be set by committees and will focus on what is expected of an employee in the workplace. Expressed as outcomes they embody the ability to transfer and apply skills and knowledge. Since the standards will be set by the industry and stakeholders, they will ensure that training and assessment meet industry requirements. The Framework
Fundamental to the framework are the unit standards as they are the building blocks. Numerous standards will be developed to cover skills and knowledge required for employment in today¡¯s industries. All learning aligned to the framework will be assessed against unit standards.
Achieving Credits
In order to gain credits towards a qualification, learners must achieve the specified skills and knowledge required in the standard. These will be clearly specified in the unit standards. Record of Learning
It is a database that will contain record of all credits gained from the unit standards achieved. This will be updated as new credits are earned.
How will the system work?
Providers develop learning programs that can be assessed against unit standards.
Credits gained at any of these institutions can be accumulated towards a nationally recognised qualification.
How will quality be maintained?
Providers will be part of a Quality System that will be set up to oversee all training aligned to the framework.
The Process
Phase 1: Identification of Stakeholders and the creation of a database. Phase 2: Creating awareness. Phase 3: Model and Framework Presentation. Phase 4: Model Development. Phase 5: Finalization of Model Framework. Phase 6: Implementation of the National Qualifications Framework.
The Benefits
Learners
provision of quality educational qualification that enjoys national recognition and international comparability
Works
clear learning path in the qualifications structure that facilitates and supports lifelong learning.
Employers
competent workforce with the required skills and knowledge.
Society
benefits from a learning nation with the ability to adapt quickly to changing environmental situations.
The Framework will provide for the establishment of an integrated education and training system that acknowledges the achievement of all learners equally and supports life long learning.
7. ROLE OF INDUSTRIES AND STAKEHOLDERS
The process will depend largely on the involvement of industries and stakeholders. Competency standards will be developed by standard setting committees made up of industry and stakeholder representatives. Since other models and frameworks are available, a guideline on a suitable model will be developed after a round table discussion As the Training and Productivity Authority of Fiji will only be playing a facilitator role, the whole process will be driven by the industries and key stakeholders.
8. PRESSING PROBLEMS IN ACQUIRING FIJI'S ACCREDITATION AND CERTIFICATION
Establishing a regional accreditation and certification system will face the following pressing problems:
meeting the institutions academic aims and objectives in the region
provision of the necessary infrastructure, equipment and resources
design of quality programs to produce technical manpower to meet local industry and competitive human resource for the global job markets
co - ordination between technical institutions and industry in deciding about the content of syllabus and re - structuring of various programmes in TVET providers
9. RECOMMENDATION IN RELATION TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ACCREDITATION AND CERTIFICATION BODY FOR FIJI
Because of the rapid pace of globalization and technological advancement, it is important that the Pacific learns from the successful Asian countries. The quality and relevance of Technical Education programmes will be improved if we adopt a new approach appropriate to our needs. Once NQF for Fiji is implemented the next phase is to establish Accreditations and Certification body for Asia and the Pacific region.
Home 
