Previous consultations
These stakeholders include providers, professional recognition bodies, and staff and learner representatives, as well as other public bodies and state agencies.
You can find details of recently concluded consultations below.
Subject Matter
QQI is currently consulting on new Draft Awards Standards for Healthcare at NFQ Level 5 developed in collaboration with the Department of Health, Health Service Executive (HSE), Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI), the Leading Healthcare Providers Skillnet, Maynooth University School of Education and subject matter experts from the sector.
Objectives of the Consultation
The consultation paper outlines the rationale for reform and proposes a suite of draft awards standards designed to better reflect contemporary healthcare practice, enhance workforce readiness and support responsive programme development.
Suite of Draft Award Standards for Consultation
- Draft Broad Award Standards for Essentials of Healthcare Assistance and Person-centred Care (NFQ Level 5) outline broad statements of the knowledge, skill and competence expected across a range of core learning domains. These standards are designed to provide flexibility for providers to develop tailored programmes for different areas of specialisation across various healthcare settings.
- Draft Defined Award Standards (DAS) for Healthcare Support Essentials (NFQ Level 5) including qualification requirements. These awards are intended to equip the learner with the relevant knowledge skills and competence to provide person-centred care in a variety of healthcare settings, promoting best practice rooted in holistic, diverse and cultural care across the lifespan.
- Draft Defined Award Standards (DAS) for Pre-Nursing Studies (NFQ Level 5) including qualification requirements. These awards are designed to provide a foundational understanding of pre-nursing studies, integrating holistic care and professional responsibilities in a variety of healthcare settings. They are also intended to equip the learner with the relevant knowledge skills and competence to provide person-centred care in a variety of healthcare settings, promoting best practice rooted in holistic, diverse and cultural care across the lifespan.
The draft Healthcare Awards Standards are underpinned by Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) principles and place holistic, person-centred care at the heart of every learning outcome. They ensure that learners are equipped not only with technical skills but also with the empathy, cultural sensitivity, and ethical grounding needed to support individuals across the lifespan.
Who will this consultation be of interest to?
We welcome feedback from education and training providers, learners, and a wide range of stakeholders on the appropriateness of these new draft awards standards.
Opening and Closing Date of Consultation
The consultation opened on 10 October 2025 and closed on 30 January 2026 (an extension from the initial closing date of 28 November 2025).
How to Respond to the Consultation
Responses may be submitted via our online response forms:
- Draft Broad Award Standards for Essentials of Healthcare Assistance and Person-centred Care at NFQ Level 5 online response form
- Draft Defined Award Standards (DAS) for Healthcare Support Essentials at NFQ Level 5 online response form
- Draft Defined Award Standards (DAS) - Pre-Nursing Studies at NFQ Level 5 online response form
Alternatively, responses can also be emailed to: consultation@qqi.ie, referencing the relevant award standard.
Subject Matter
This White Paper builds on the proposal outlined in the Green Paper on Intermediate Qualifications at NFQ Levels 5 and 6 published at the end of 2024. The primary intent of the proposal is to introduce a single major award at NFQ Level 6 to replace the existing Advanced and Higher Certificates.
The White Paper also presents a minorly updated Outline of the Structure of the NFQ to replace the existing Determinations for the Outline National Framework of Qualifications which includes the new award at NFQ Level and reflects policy and legislative changes from the last few years.
Purpose of the Consultation
The purpose of the consultation is to gather final feedback and perspectives from stakeholders regarding the Policy on Qualifications at NFQ Levels 5 and 6. This proposal is in keeping with QQI’s Statement of Strategy 2025-2027 commitment to future proof the NFQ by reviewing and modifying the current award types in the NFQ to better serve learners in a more integrated tertiary education system. This proposal also reflects an aspect of policy development prioritised in the Programme for Review of National Framework of Qualifications Policies.
As part of the consultation, QQI will proactively engage with other agencies in relation to the implementation of this policy.
Objectives of the Consultation
A key objective of the consultation is to refine and finalise the policy approach and to identify and resolve any barriers to implementation.
The White Paper includes changes from the initial Green Paper which were informed by the consultation responses received from a wide range of stakeholders. The consultation report can be read here.
The main changes in the White Paper are:
- Updated language and terminology to more clearly articulate some aspects of the proposal with specific reference to the Level 5 Certificate
- Confirmation of the title of the new award and the agreed award-type descriptor
- Greater emphasis on the broader role of qualifications at NFQ Levels 5 and 6 for employment, social inclusion and lifelong learning.
- Confirmation of the ongoing role of smaller qualifications including micro-qualifications and micro-credentials at NFQ Levels 5 and 6.
- Modified timelines to ensure a smoother transition to the new single major award.
Who will this consultation be of interest to?
This consultation will be of interest to a diverse range of stakeholders including:
- Learners, those who represent learners across all aspects of tertiary education and those who support learners such as guidance counsellors
- Tertiary education providers and particularly those involved in the development and approval of programmes leading to qualifications included in the NFQ.
- Representative organisations related to tertiary education
- Those involved in the governance and funding of tertiary education including Solas, Higher Education Authority (HEA) and Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI)
- Those involved in the access, transfer and progression of learners in tertiary education including access and admissions officers and Central Applications Office (CAO)
- Those involved in the tertiary education space such as the National Tertiary Office (NTO) and the National Apprenticeship Office (NAO).
Opening and Closing Date of Consultation (DEADLINE EXTENDED TO JANUARY 2026)
The consultation opened on Monday 1 September 2025 and closed on Friday 9 January 2026.
How to Respond to the Consultation
Consultation responses can be emailed to nfq@qqi.ie with the subject line ‘White Paper on Qualifications at NFQ Levels 5 and 6’. Kindly indicate whether you are responding as an individual or on behalf of an organisation in your response.
There are currently no workshops scheduled to gather consultation responses and there will be limited capacity to arrange dedicated meetings with stakeholders in this period. However, requests for such engagements may be facilitated on a case-by-case basis if there is a sufficient number of attendees involved. Please email nfq@qqi.ie to request such a meeting.
If you have any questions about this consultation, please contact Órla Barry, Head of Qualifications Information and Learning Opportunities by emailing nfq@qqi.ie
Next Steps
Following the end of the consultation process, QQI will publish the findings in the form of a thematic analysis of the feedback. The insights gathered will inform the final policy which is expected to be presented to the Board for approval in early 2026.
QQI is consulting on a green paper on micro-credentials and the short programmes that lead to them.
Micro-credentials, sometimes referred to as micro-qualifications, are gaining significant attention across further education and training (FET) and higher education (HE) in Ireland. While small-volume qualifications are not novel in either FET or HE, micro-credentials are being used and marketed in new ways and are addressing new challenges.
We believe this is a timely opportunity to reflect, in consultation with stakeholders, on whether the current national infrastructure for quality assurance and qualification regulation is fit for purpose, or if additional supports are needed to ensure micro-credentials meet the needs of all users.
We welcome input from:
- Education and training providers
- Learners and prospective learners
- Professional, statutory, and regulatory bodies
- Employers
- Other stakeholders with an interest in micro-credentials and related short programmes
To respond, please email your submission to consultation@qqi.ie, with “Green Paper on Micro-Credentials” in the subject line. Kindly indicate whether you are responding as an individual or on behalf of an organisation.
The deadline for submissions was extended from the initial deadline of 28 November 2025 to 23 January 2026.
QQI is consulting on draft statutory quality assurance guidelines on programmes involving work-integrated learning. The draft guidelines apply to programmes of education and training that integrate the meaningful practice of work (e.g. practice placements, work experience, the on-the-job elements of apprenticeship, projects for industry etc.) and which are delivered in conjunction with a workplace partner, i.e. individuals or organisations external to the education provider that are involved in providing opportunities for work-integrated learning.
The proposed guidelines will be of interest to providers, learners, professional statutory and regulatory bodies and a range of other stakeholders with an interest in work-integrated learning. Consultation responses may be submitted using our online response form or emailed to consultation@qqi.ie, including “Draft Guidelines on Programmes Involving Work-integrated Learning” in the subject line.
The proposed guidelines are accompanied by two consultation webinars taking place on Friday 26 September and Friday 3 October. Further information and registration details are located on QQI's events page.
This consultation closed on 17 October 2025.
The white paper sets forth QQI's new policy and overarching framework for monitoring providers within the tertiary education system, including higher education, further education and training, and English language education, detailing the principles, types, and outcomes of monitoring activities. The new monitoring policy and framework aims to provide assurance to QQI and the public that education and training providers are fulfilling their regulatory obligations and maintaining the integrity, relevance, and currency of their qualifications.
We invite stakeholders, including education providers, policymakers, and the public, to review the white papers and provide your feedback to us during the consultation period. In addition to seeking submissions, QQI will be conducting some focus group discussions with providers.
QQI Monitoring Policy and Framework
How to Provide Feedback: email submission, noting the specific white paper in the subject line, ‘feedback on...’ to consultation@qqi.ie.
In response to requests from key stakeholders, the date for submission of feedback was extended to 15 August 2025, and is now closed.
This white paper sets out the procedure to be followed where QQI identifies the need to initiate a focused review of validated programmes under section 46 of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act 2012. A focused review is intended to:
- determine that a programme(s) continues to meet QQI’s validation criteria established under Section 44(1) of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act, 2012;
- confirm that a programme(s) complies with conditions set by QQI under Section 45(2) of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act, 2012; and
- evaluate any other concerns that may give rise to reasonable grounds for withdrawal by QQI of validation of a programme(s).
QQI may conduct a focused review of a provider’s validated programmes from time to time, as it considers appropriate, or in response to causes for concern that have come to its attention in relation to the validated programme(s). The white paper has been developed to complement the existing Procedures for Focused Reviews by QQI of the Implementation and Effectiveness of Provider QA Procedures, as well as QQI’s emerging Monitoring Policy and Framework.
We invite stakeholders, including education providers, policymakers, and the public, to review the white papers and provide your feedback to us during the consultation period. In addition to seeking submissions, QQI will be conducting some focus group discussions with providers.
Procedures for Focused Reviews of Programmes of Education and Training Validated by QQI
How to Provide Feedback: email submission, noting the specific white paper in the subject line, ‘feedback on...’ to consultation@qqi.ie.
In response to requests from key stakeholders, the date for submission of feedback was extended to 15 August 2025, and is now closed.
Procedures for focused reviews of the implementation and effectiveness of provider QA procedures were published in 2017. The document sets out procedures that will be followed where QQI identifies the need to initiate a focused review of the implementation and effectiveness of a provider’s quality assurance procedures under section 34(1)(b) of the 2012 Act.
This document has now been revised and is presented as a white paper for consultation. The proposed revisions add to the statutory grounding for focused reviews of the implementation and effectiveness of a provider’s QA procedures by invoking section 57 of the 2012 Act, which relate to reviews of procedures for access, transfer and progression. The changes proposed are minor, technical ones and concern:
- expansion of the document title,
- the addition of objectives for review that incorporate access, transfer and progression procedures,
- the potential for a review to be grounded in section 57 of the 2012 Act, and
- the inclusion of references to QA and/or access, transfer and progression procedures.
We invite stakeholders, including education providers, policymakers, and the public, to review the white papers and provide your feedback to us during the consultation period. In addition to seeking submissions, QQI will be conducting some focus group discussions with providers.
How to Provide Feedback: email submission, noting the specific white paper in the subject line, ‘feedback on...’ to consultation@qqi.ie.
In response to requests from key stakeholders, the date for submission of feedback was extended to 15 August 2025, and is now closed.
Consultation extended to Friday, 30 May 2025.
This consultation seeks views on the appropriateness of the Revised Draft Component Specification for Social Policy at NFQ Level 5.
This Revised Draft Component Specification for Social Policy would be an additional elective in the pool of the Applied Social Studies major award 5M2181.
After the consultation, the final version of the revised draft will undergo QQI’s governance process and, once approved by QQI’s Polices and Standards Committee, will be published on QQI website.
Consultation Arrangements
This consultation will remain open for the next few weeks commencing on Wednesday, 26 March and ending on Friday, 30 May 2025. Below you will find a link to the Revised Draft Component Specification for Social Policy at NFQ Level 5.
Revised Draft Component Specification for Social Policy
QQI looks forward to receiving your feedback at consultation@qqi.ie. Please mention the consultation title in the subject line of your email, and ensure you have provided your name, title/role, and in what capacity you are responding.
Context
The Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act 2012 empowers QQI to develop policies and criteria in relation to access, transfer and progression (ATP). QQI’s current ATP Policy is a restatement from 2015 of the ATP policy first established in 2003.
In 2023, a review examining ATP practice in Ireland commissioned by QQI was published. This review identified barriers created by current approaches and practices to ATP and provided a number of recommendations to improve ATP practice in Ireland. In order to act on these recommendations QQI is proposing that the ATP policy be updated.
This Green Paper outlines a proposal for an updated ATP policy. The proposed new ATP policy maintains a continued emphasis on credit systems, fair entry arrangements, information provision, and transfer and progression opportunities. The new policy also expands on key supporting elements of ATP central to creating clear pathways for learners.
Audience
QQI are keen to get diverse and varied perspectives on the proposed new ATP policy as well as to hear examples of barriers to accessing ATP pathways as well as examples of good practice.
Feedback can also be emailed to nfq@qqi.ie with the subject line: Public Consultation QQI Green Paper QQI’s Access Transfer and Progression Policy.
The consultation deadline has been extended to Friday 25 April 2025.
You can read the green paper below.
QQI Green Paper on QQI’s Access, Transfer and Progression Policy
Following the end of the consultation process, QQI will publish the findings, a thematic analysis of the feedback and our response. The insights gathered will inform the development of a White Paper, with the goal of implementing a robust ATP policy that supports diverse learner needs and aligns with Ireland's evolving educational landscape.
Context
The Irish National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) was established in 2003, covering school, tertiary education and professional awards, and has become a key reference for people and stakeholders over the past two decades. Visit National Framework of Qualifications page for more information about the framework. Since the establishment of the NFQ there has been frequent discussion and ongoing tension regarding the placement of separate further and higher education awards at NFQ Level 6, with the Advanced Certificate (AC) and Higher Certificate (HC) causing confusion and unequal progression opportunities. Several reports and reviews conducted in the last decade have pointed to this issue at Level 6. To date, the placement of major awards in the framework has never been reviewed or revised.
QQI has published a green paper relating to intermediate qualifications at NFQ Levels 5 and 6.
The Green Paper proposes changes to intermediate qualifications at NFQ Levels 5 and 6, introducing a single major award at Level 6 (termed the Tertiary Certificate), to replace the Advanced and Higher Certificates, and changes to the related Level 5 Certificate to address issues like credit volume, systems and titling. QQI hopes the changes proposed in the Green Paper will simplify the NFQ, improve access, transfer and progression opportunities for learners, and support a unified tertiary education system.
Audience
The Green Paper is a start of a conversation about the proposed change to the NFQ. QQI are keen to get diverse and varied perspectives to ensure all the relevant issues are addressed and that the proposed solution is fit for purpose.
QQI invite feedback from all types of people and stakeholders on various aspects of the proposal. If you want to give your feedback please fill out this form Intermediate Qualifications at NFQ Levels 5 and 6. Feedback can also be emailed to nfq@qqi.ie with the subject line: Public Consultation QQI Green Paper on Intermediate Qualifications at NFQ Levels 5 & 6.
You can read the green paper below.
QQI Green Paper on Intermediate Qualifications at NFQ Levels 5 & 6
Following the end of the consultation process, QQI will publish the findings, a thematic analysis of the feedback and our response. The next step will be to formalise the proposed approach in a White Paper for a final round of feedback before confirming the new award type descriptor for the single major award at NFQ Level 6 and any associated changes to NFQ Level 5.
This consultation is now closed.
Context
Last year (2023), QQI convened the Community Development Broad Award Standards Development Group that was led by the All-Ireland Endorsement Body for Community Work (AIEB) and was tasked with the review of:
- Award Standards for Community Development (5M3050) at NFQ Level 5
- Awards Standards for Community Development (6M3674) at NFQ Level 6
The revised draft Community Development Broad Award Standards at NFQ Levels 5-6 were the result of a year-long engagement process, based on collaboration between stakeholders including community work organisations, FET providers and HE community work educators, sectoral representatives and other subject experts.
The draft Community Development Broad Award Standards at NFQ Levels 5-6 were designed to provide maximum flexibility to education providers to design and seek validation for community development/work programmes (minor, major and/or special purpose) for their learner cohort.
This consultation sought views on:
- The appropriateness of the Draft Broad Award Standards for Community Development at NFQ Levels 5-6
- The appropriateness of the title for this award standards
The final version of the Broad Award Standards for Community Development at NFQ Levels 5-6 will undergo the QQI’s governance process, and once approved by QQI’s Polices and Standards Committee, the approved Broad Award Standards for Community Development at NFQ Levels 5-6 will be published on QQI website replacing the CAS Awards Standards in this field of learning.
Audience
This consultation was open to everyone with an interest in Community Development/Community Work. We wanted to know what education and training providers, teachers, social partners and learners thought about the appropriateness of this new Broad Award Standards for Community Development at NFQ Levels 5-6.
The consultation is now closed
Context
Youth work is an international informal and non-formal educational and reflective practice, committed to the personal/social development and empowerment of young people. Last year, QQI conveyed the Standards Development Group led by the North-South Education Training Committee for Youth Work (NSETS) which is hosted by the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI). The Standards Development Group was tasked with the review of Level 5 Awards Standards for Youth Work (5M4732).
The revised draft Broad Award Standards for Youth Work at NFQ Level 5 were the result of a year-long engagement process, based on collaboration between stakeholders including community work organisations, FET providers and HE community work educators, sectoral representatives and other subject experts.
The draft Broad Award Standards for Youth Work at NFQ Level 5 were designed to provide maximum flexibility to education providers to design and seek validation for community development/work programmes (minor, major and/or special purpose) for their learner cohort.
This consultation sought views on the appropriateness of the Draft Broad Award Standards for Youth work at NFQ Level 5.
The final version of the Broad Award Standards for Youth work at NFQ Level 5 will undergo the QQI’s governance process, and once approved by QQI’s Polices and Standards Committee, the approved Broad Award Standards for Youth Work at NFQ Level 5 will be published on QQI website replacing the CAS Award Standards for Youth Work.
Audience
This consultation was open to everyone with an interest in Youth Work. We wanted to know what education and training providers, teachers, social partners and learners thought about the appropriateness of the new Broad Award Standards for Youth Work at NFQ Level 5.
This consultation is closed
As a statutory awarding body, QQI must create a policy framework for how it governs and oversees the effective development, design, delivery, assessment and certification of awards that it makes.
Under this consultation, QQI consulted on four draft awarding policies:
- Policy and criteria for determining QQI awards standards
- Policy and criteria for provider approval
- Policy and criteria for validating programmes leading to QQI awards
- Policy and criteria for making awards
QQI has operated existing policies governing these functions for several years. We have learned about what has worked well and where policy and practice may be improved. We are now updating these policies to ensure they remain fit for purpose.
Each draft policy follows a common layout, setting out the:
- legal basis,
- policy scope,
- policy purpose
- explanations of key terms and
- policy specific guidance.
These draft awarding policies are interrelated, dependent on each other and ideally should be read together. We describe these connections in a common foreword which also includes a set of underpinning principles that guide the development and implementation of QQI policy. All four policies apply to both QQI further education and training (FET) and higher education (HE) awards.
These draft policies aimed to provide an overarching framework to guide decision-making and to clarify expectations. They did not include detailed procedures and processes. These will be provided separately to support the effective implementation of the policies once revised.
There are obvious connections between QQI awards and assessment practice. The changes in the QQI award policies require a interim revision of the following guidelines which apply only to providers of QQI FET awards:
- Quality assuring assessment guidelines for providers
- Quality assuring assessment guidelines for external authenticators
We did not propose changes to the assessment-related guidelines for HE (i.e. Assessment and Standards and Effective Practice Guidelines for External Examining) as part of this consultation.
This consultation is closed
A legislative amendment introduced through the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Act 2019 created new offences related to the facilitation of cheating, the advertisement of cheating services, and the publication of such advertisements. QQI is identified as prosecutor of these offences.
The white paper
The white paper sets out QQI’s intended approach to implementing the new legislative provision (section 43A), which is informed by four pillars: proportionality, transparency, shared responsibility and provider autonomy. The paper also relies on the powers conferred by other statutory infrastructure within the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act 2012 (as amended) and sets out five central pillars to the proposed policy.
The paper details how the national policy infrastructure will interact with the responsibility of education providers for their own internal quality assurance systems, and the responsibilities of learners and staff to engage with their studies and work within the scope of these systems. It also describes the obligations of other stakeholders such as advertising and publishing platforms under the legislation and details how QQI will engage with these stakeholders to protect the integrity of Irish qualifications. The paper can be found at the link below:
White Paper on Academic Integrity
This consultation is now closed
In Ireland and around the world, people use qualifications for many different social, economic and cultural reasons.
Sometimes we take qualifications for granted and we overlook the human and material aspects that support them to ensure qualifications are relevant and trustworthy.
This Green Paper is a discussion paper. It outlines the Irish qualifications system and includes some broad questions on possible opportunities for improvements. There is also a companion Technical Paper which contains more detail.
QQI hopes to use the Green Paper to begin a discussion about Ireland’s qualifications system. We believe this is a very important time to focus on how the system is performing. We would like to discuss this with all the different types of people who use qualifications. They include learners, employers, parents, practitioners, occupational associations and professions, providers and their staff, regulators, trade unions, the international community and others either directly or through representative bodies.
A Standards Review Group (SRG) was established to review the following award standards;
- Level 6 Special Purpose Award Commercial Scuba Diving 6S20612
- Commercial Scuba Diving Minor Award Level 6 6N20618
- Level 6 Special Purpose Award Surface Supplied Inshore Diving 6S20621
- Surface Supplied Inshore Diving Minor Award Level 6 6N20620.
QQI and the SRG are presented the draft replacement awards for consultation at an online event on Thursday 23rd November 2023 to collate feedback.
Feedback was considered and finalised with a view to making a recommendation for adoption to QQI’s Policy and Standards Committee.
The standards will be available to providers to develop programmes and submit those programmes to QQI for validation in accordance with QQI’s ‘Policies and criteria for the validation of programmes of education and training’.
A Standards Development Group (SDG) was established to develop award standards to meet the requirements set out in The Private Security (Licensing and Standards) Regulations 2023.
The SDG drafted the following awards, which were presented for consultation.
Enforcement Guarding Level 4 Special Purpose Award
Comprising of one component; Enforcement Guarding Skills minor award Level 4 (10 credits)
This consultation closed on Friday 3rd November 2023.
QQI published a series of white papers relating to the development and implementation of the Listed Awarding Bodies (LABs) scheme. More information about Listed Awarding Bodies can be found here.
These white papers include two draft policies and criteria; one for the establishment of Listed Awarding Bodies and one for the inclusion of awards in the NFQ. They also include new draft Statutory Quality Assurance Guidelines for Listed Awarding Bodies. The papers can be found at the links below:
Draft core policies and criteria for the establishment of Listed Awarding Bodies (LABs)
Draft policies and criteria for the inclusion of awards within the Framework
QQI sought feedback from stakeholders on the white papers.
This public consultation closed on Friday, 29 September 2023.
You can read the consultation report below:
QQI has developed a draft of statutory quality assurance guidelines for blended and online learning. These guidelines build upon the current and widely used guidelines for blended learning and will incorporate QA of programmes which are designed for fully online delivery and assessment. In recognition of the fact that digital technology is a standard feature of almost all programmes now, the title of the draft guidelines reflects this.
The National Institute for Digital Learning (NIDL) in DCU has led the development of the guidelines. The development phase included wide consultation with stakeholders in Ireland and drew on research into national and international best practice.
This consultation closed on 30 June 2023.
QQI’s public consultation on the Draft Broad Award Standards at NFQ Levels 1-4 ran from November 2022 - February 2023. You can read the consultation reports below:
At a glance - QQI's public consultation on a suite of draft Broad Award Standards at NFQ Levels 1-4
Public consultation
QQI has published a series of white papers relating to the development and implementation of an International Education Mark (IEM). These white papers include:
- Code of Practice for Provision of Programmes of English Language Education to International Learners
- Statutory Quality Assurance Guidelines for English Language Education
- Code of Practice for Provision of Programmes of Higher Education to International Learners
- Policy on Authorisation to Use the International Education Mark
This consultation closed on Friday, 16 December 2022.
In December 2019, QQI conducted a consultation on the Review and Development of Level 5 Fgas Handling Awards.
After reviewing the consultation feedback and further consideration by the Fgas Standards Advisory group it is proposed to replace the four component awards of Special Purpose Level 5 Handling FGas Refrigerants (including four components) with four stand-alone Special Purpose awards to reflect the four categories of certification required by current European Union and National legislation.
Providers were asked to note that the following draft awards will be Non-CAS awards:
Level 5 Fgas Handling in Large RACHPT&T Systems Category I
Level 5 Fgas Handling in Small RACHPT&T Systems Category II
Level 5 Fgas Recovery from Small RACHPT&T Systems Category III
Level 5 Fgas Non-Intrusive Leak Detection in RACHPT&T Systems Category IV
Level 5 Handling Fgas Mobile Air Conditioning Systems in Certain Motor Vehicles
Level 5 Handling FGas Fire Extinguishants
Consultation closed on 6 March 2020.
QQI established a Standards Advisory Group to review the QQI Special Purpose FGas Handling awards standards at Level 5. The review process for FGas Handling award standards highlighted that the standards required change to reflect current practice and current European Union and National legislation and regulations.
Special Purpose Level 5 Handling FGas Refrigerants (including four components)
Special Purpose Level 5 Handling Fgas Mobile Aircon Conditioning Systems in Certain Motor Vehicles (including one component)
Special Purpose Level 5 Handling FGas Fire Extinguishants (including one component)
Consultation closed on 31 December 2019.
QQI launched a five-month consultation on new-format draft awards standards for Early Learning and Care (ELC), and as part of this published proposed new awards standards for Early Learning and Care. The new standards (at NFQ Levels 5 and 6) were intended replace the current Early Childhood Care & Education standards published in 2011.
One of the major changes was that the new standards would be based on the NFQ Professional Award-type Descriptors. This will have a significant positive impact for a sector which saw nearly 25,000 major awards (including those at Levels 5 and 6) in the last 7 years. For example, it will help facilitate the development of efficient progression pathways between different tertiary ELC qualifications in the NFQ.
A consultation event on was held 7 May 2019 with full attendance.
Background Introduction
Proposed new awards standards for Early Learning and Care
ELC awards to be deactivated and implications for validation
Guideline for Respondents
This consultation closed on 30 September 2019.
QQI invited feedback from stakeholders on Modification to Sectoral Convention 3 on Repeating for Honours in QQI’s ‘Assessment and Standards’
Assessment and Standards 2013 was originally developed in 2009 by HETAC, one of QQI’s antecedents:
The Sectoral Conventions for Assessment comprise a set of regulations and benchmarks which, in the interest of fairness and consistency, are agreed at the sectoral level by QQI and all associated providers.
The ‘associated providers’ referenced are providers of higher education programmes that QQI had validated and providers to whom QQI had delegated award-making authority. The classifications available for QQI awards are set down in Sectoral Convention 1 of Assessment and Standards Revised 2013. Sectoral Convention 3 sets down some constraints on how those classifications may be determined.
This Consultation is now Closed.
