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The Secretary for Education, Mr Eddie Ng Hak-kim, today (December 9) presented certificates of commendation to over 140 organisations for their support and contributions to the Qualifications Framework (QF).
Speaking at the QF Partnerships Commendation Ceremony, Mr Ng said that, at present, 20 industries, covering about 48 per cent of the total labour force in Hong Kong have set up their Industry Training Advisory Committees. Seventeen industries have developed their Specification of Competency Standards (SCS) while three other industries are expected to complete their SCS in one to two years.
He said, "There are now more than 8 000 qualifications and their respective courses recognised under the QF and listed in the Qualifications Register available for learners. Ten industries have put into force the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) mechanism, through which almost 12 000 practitioners have obtained over 20 000 statements of attainment.
"To promote seamless articulation between different qualifications attained by learners along their study pathways, the Education Bureau (EDB) promulgated in July this year the policy and principles for credit accumulation and transfer (CAT). We now have a pilot project to put into practice the policy and principles of CAT and to draw up a set of operation guidelines. We are also encouraging training institutions to plan and develop their curriculums more thoroughly so as to improve the co-ordination and co-operation among institutions and different sectors."
Looking forward, Mr Ng said that the EDB will seek to gain more support and promote the QF among different sectors, as well as assist more organisations in joining the QF so as to further promote lifelong learning.
The organisations are commended for their outstanding performance in promoting RPL, developing SCS-based courses and adopting the QF in human resources development as well as actively publicising and promoting the QF.
Regarding the promotion of the RPL mechanism, the commended organisations have actively encouraged and supported their employees to apply for RPL qualifications to have their knowledge, skills and experience recognised under the QF.
As for the development of SCS-based courses, the commended organisations have adopted SCS in developing education and training courses. Some of them have developed or turned their in-house training programmes into SCS-based courses, which will best suit the needs of the industries.
In respect of the application of the QF in human resources development, the commended organisations have actively utilised SCS to design progression pathways for their respective industries, so as to help practitioners identify their study needs and make future development plans. Some organisations use the guidelines to formulate relevant management policies, enabling better development and utilisation of human resources.
There are also some organisations commended for their active support of the QF, including trade associations, trade unions, institutions, professional bodies, government departments and public organisations. These organisations have publicised the benefits of the QF in upgrading the quality of human resources.
The EDB established a $1 billion QF fund in September 2014 with a view to supporting different projects, such as sponsoring organisations or bodies to conduct programme accreditation to ensure the programme quality, developing SCS-based and Specification of Generic Competencies-based courses which meet the needs of industries, conducting QF-related studies or projects and public education.
The QF is a seven-level hierarchy covering qualifications in the academic, vocational, continuing education and training sectors. It aims to provide a transparent and easily assessable platform to promote lifelong learning and enhance the capability and competitiveness of the local workforce.
Ends/Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Issued at HKT 16:08
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