As a core deliverable for the Project, CAPDM (CAPDM Ltd.) organised the Seventh Consultation of VET stakeholders from Scottish Vocational Education bodies and authorities.

The Aim of the Consultation

• Presentation of Quality Assurance in VET and EQAVET;
• How can OpenQAsS help?
• OpenQAsS components: Interactive Manual, EQOS Toolkit and Course with Certification.

The consultation showed how OpenQAsS is making small, but positive, contributions to Quality Management with the VET system, with the resulting discussion focussing on how the results can be integrated and used within the Scottish system.

Results

• The project attraced some very useful discussion about qualty in Scottish VET institutions;
• Of particular interest were:
  • The potential of an online Interactive Quality Manual
  • The IQAM course and qualification.
• Lesson Planning was also seen as highly relevant, particularly as the Taxonomy would largely be created centrally, based on Scottish QA standards, methods, and SQA checklists.
• CAPDM left the meeting with an invitation to submit a short report to the College Development Network inviting Scottish Colleges to:
  • exploit the outcomes of the project, and
  • join in the development of the OpenQAsS tools, operating manuals and qualifications.
• There was great interest in IQAM, particularly in an unbunbdled form with each Topic being offered as a continuing professional development (CPD) award targetted at particular roles and ’levelled’ at an appropriate point on the SCQF/EQF framework.  The Topics could be taken separately or aggregate to an overll IQAM award.
• The IQAM specification and potential accreditation should be circulated so that content and assessment specifications can be studied and further developed for the UK context.
  • There was a clear request that the IQAM syllabus should reflect the particular requirements of the UK and the SQA in particular.
• EQAVET was known of, but very few attendees knew much about their work – typical UK/European attitude?

 
Comments
 
The event lacked teachers – who would be the main users of QA systems – but it did attract attendees from the key authorities in Scotland (and one who travelled from England), plus a few Quality Managers from VET Colleges. The project was very much welcomed as a contribution to, and recognition of, the constant struggle VET institutions have in implementing practical systems that help to improve the quality of educational outputs and student experience.
 
The meeting has also helped to promote the profile of Quality, and a follow on meeting will be scheduled for the College Development Network’s members in the near future, with a view to taking specific proposals to the Scottish Qualifications Authority and, potentially, Skills Development Scotland – the two higher level bodies.  CAPDM will respond with a short proposal to the CDN to start this off.