Have your say: upcoming consultation on Levels 1-4 award standards
QQI is planning to conduct a public consultation on new broad award standards at NFQ Levels 1-4 later this year.
In addition to maintaining and reviewing the current standards, QQI’s mandate also entails development of new awards standards. The Levels 1-3 Award Standards Review.pdf (qqi.ie) published by QQI in 2018 reported on a wide range of opinions, ideas and suggestions received in relation to the existing Common Award System (CAS) and provided a basis for the development of broad standards at Levels 1-4.
This first suite consists of 21 draft broad award standards, that were co-created with experts from across the FET sector and are shown in the table below.
| Core broad standards at NFQ Levels 1-4 aligned with EU key competences for lifelong learning | Broad vocationally-oriented standards at NFQ Levels 3-4 |
|---|---|
| Core Competence Sustainability | ICT |
| Core Digital Competence | Science |
| Core Competence Mathematical | Construction and Engineering |
| Core Competence Literacy | Hospitality and Personal Services |
| Core Competence Science and Technology | Care and Community Work |
| Core Competence Entrepreneurship | Fine Arts and Crafts |
| Core Competence Citizenship | Retail |
| Core Competence Personal, Social and Learning to Learn | Administration and Office Work |
| Core Competence Cultural Awareness and Expression | Horticulture |
| Core Competence Foreign Language (e.g. ESOL) at NFQ Levels 1-4 | Agriculture |
| Aquaculture |
The draft broad standards in FET are a development which will allow more flexibility and innovation in the design of programmes and in teaching, learning and assessment. They outline a broader set of competences relevant to life and society in general and will allow providers to respond more readily to meet the personal, social and economic needs of learners.
Further updates on this consultation process will be published on this website and on our social media channels.