NQF-J Launch Event
JAMAICA on Wednesday joined more than 100 countries across the globe in establishing a National Qualifications Framework, which will systematise all levels of learning achievement to ensure that the skills and knowledge that have been learned are recognised throughout the country.
The National Qualifications Framework of Jamaica (NQF-J), which was conceptualised in 2013 and spearheaded by the Jamaica Tertiary Education Commission, will improve educational quality in the country; consolidate the delivery of education and training under a single framework; expand access to learning and work opportunity for all and make it easier for learners to enter the education systems and to progress further.
Under this framework, individuals who have acquired skills and knowledge outside of a formal learning environment will be able to gain credits from what they have gained through the Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR). (Read more)
Persons without formal qualifications, but with the requisite experience and vocational skills, will soon be able to access higher education.
This will be made possible through the National Qualification Framework of Jamaica (NQF-J), which facilitates the identification of various avenues individuals can take to higher education, depending on the level of these qualifications. It also facilitates mature entry into programmes.
The NQF-J, which was officially launched yesterday (February 15) at The Knutsford Court Hotel, in St. Andrew, is a new national policy for regulated qualifications in Jamaica’s education and training system. (Read more)
The partnership between the HEART Trust/NTA and the JMA is expected to lay the foundation for a sustainable manufacturing industry consisting of a highly skilled and qualified labour force.
Among other things, the agreement sees the reintroduction of the apprenticeship programme to the manufacturing and export sectors; the provision of jobs for apprentices who complete their programmes; business development support for improved productivity within firms; and greater opportunities for matriculation through a strengthened National Qualifications Framework.
