The Australian Qualifications Framework: Supporting Mobility

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About 160 countries have national qualification frameworks and almost all of these have been developed in the last five years. Australia was a pioneer in this area and developed the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) in 1995. Since that time, Australia has been one of the leaders in the development and implementation of national qualifications frameworks.

National qualifications frameworks are developed for many purposes but mostly they are designed to clarify the map of qualifications in a country for its citizens; the hierarchy of qualifications, the links between them, and pathways for learners. However, national qualifications frameworks are also outward looking. They provide valuable information to interested parties abroad. National qualifications frameworks can work as bridges between countries as they allow students, graduates, education institutions and employers to draw rough conclusions when comparing qualifications across borders.

The role of national qualification frameworks role in supporting international and graduate mobility is rapidly gaining in importance. The increased internationalisation of education poses a series of policy challenges that national qualifications frameworks can help address. These challenges include:

• protecting international students from the risks of misinformation, low quality provision and qualifications of questionable validity
• ensuring qualifications are transparent and understandable in order to increase their international validity and portability
• supporting the work of recognition and credential evaluations
• promoting co-operation at the international level to increase the mutual understanding of qualifications.

{Note: the section above is adapted from Internationalisation and Trade in Higher Education: Opportunities and Challenges, OECD, 2004)

The AQF is an important part of the Australian national quality assurance arrangements for education. In Australia, the registration of education and training providers involves the approval of providers to deliver AQF qualifications and the national accreditation of courses and programs. An integral part of the system is the requirement for internal management of quality assurance and continuous improvement by education institutions.

The AQF is a levels based structure of 10 levels with 14 qualification types, ranging from a Certificate 1 to a Doctoral Degree. Each level is structured around learning outcomes: the set of knowledge, skills and application of knowledge and skills a person has acquired and is able to demonstrate as a result of learning. The AQF incorporates qualifications from each education and training sector: higher education, vocational education and training, and senior secondary school into a single comprehensive national qualifications framework.

The objectives of the AQF include:
• contributing to national economic performance by supporting contemporary, relevant and nationally consistent qualification outcomes which build confidence in qualifications
• assisting people to move easily and readily between different education and training sectors and between those sectors and the labour market
• supporting individuals’ lifelong learning goals by providing the basis for individuals to progress through education and training and gain recognition for their prior learning and experiences
• supporting and enhancing the national and international mobility of graduates and workers through increased recognition of the value and comparability of Australian qualifications.

The AQF has advantages for international students in Australia. It makes it easier to search for courses as the qualification titles are the same throughout Australia. This means the student can focus on finding the best course and university for his or her needs, without having to spend time looking into what each qualification title means. International students who complete a qualification within the AQF will be able to easily understand the entrance requirements for higher qualifications, for example when progressing from undergraduate to postgraduate study.

Although the AQF was developed as a domestic tool to promote recognition and mobility domestically, Australia is increasingly engaging internationally with the AQF as more countries and regions develop national and regional frameworks. This provides new opportunities for Australia, with a well-established framework, to build linkages. One way Australia is doing this is by referencing the AQF to other national and regional qualifications frameworks including the New Zealand and European qualifications frameworks. On completion, the referencing will provide a new source of information to inform recognition decisions and support international mobility of students and graduates. However, it is important to note that referencing does not result in mutual recognition.

Australia and New Zealand recently concluded a referencing process to identify and establish the relationship between the levels of the respective national frameworks: the AQF and the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF). The project concluded in late 2015 with a statement that set out the comparability of the two national frameworks. Referencing seeks to make a statement about the broad capability of qualifications frameworks, without adjustment being made to either framework. Referencing provides a systemic basis for improving mutual trust and understanding of recognition of qualifications, supporting the ability of employers, educational institutions and other stakeholders to make judgements about the value and comparability of particular qualifications in practice.

Building on its experience in developing our national framework, Australia is also contributing to the development of international qualifications frameworks and is assisting other countries to develop and implement national frameworks. This includes partnering with New Zealand and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to develop the ASEAN Qualifications Recognition Framework (AQRF). The AQRF is designed to unify national education frameworks across the ten ASEAN member states and allow for the mobility of students and professionals in light of ASEAN economic integration. In the longer term the AQRF is intended to facilitate qualifications recognition with other regions and countries.

For further information about the AQF please visit http://www.aqf.edu.au/.

Author(s):

Niclas Jonsson    
Department of Education and Training
Australia