ARMENQA IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL AND SECTORIAL QUALIFICATIONS IN

Kristina Tsaturyan HE NQF Working Group of the MoES of RA

EURASHE 24th Annual Conference 15-16 May 2014, Yerevan 1 "Qualifications for the Labour Market" TEMPUS ARMENQA PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL AND SECTORIAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK IN ARMENIA

Priority areas:

1. Operationalization of the Armenian National Qualification Framework (ANQF) by creating and utilizing relevant legislative, regulatory and methodological bases 2. Capacity building of main stakeholders in formulating LO based qualification & programme descriptors in line with the ANQF 3. Development of the national model & methodological basis for establishment of Sectorial Qualifications Frameworks (SQFs) in Armenia 4. Providing reference points, methodological basis & practical tools to Armenian HEIs for developing LO based multi-level study programmes coherent with ANQF, SQFs & relevant to the demands of the labour market

EURASHE 24th Annual Conference 15-16 May 2014, Yerevan 2 "Qualifications for the Labour Market" GUIDING PRINCIPLES

1. Holistic approach to the ANQF implementation: from ANQF to Degree programs descriptors and implementation guidelines 2. Wider involvement and dialogue: MoES, HEIs, Qualifications Recognition body (ARMENIC), Labor Market representatives and students, Consultative body on Higher Education Policy Implementation 3. Awareness raising: flexible paths for information dissemination

EURASHE 24th Annual Conference 15-16 May 2014, Yerevan 3 "Qualifications for the Labour Market" WHAT IS ARMENQA?

- Three year project financed by the European Commision in the frame of the European Neighbourhood Policy instrument (TEMPUS)

- Leads to the implementation of the National and Sectorial Qualifications Frameworks at national and institutional levels

EURASHE 24th Annual Conference 15-16 May 2014, Yerevan 4 "Qualifications for the Labour Market" Project partcicpants

• EU country Partners • Coordinator: Linköping University- Sweden • Ghent University- Belgium • Hochschule Osnabrück, University of Applied Sciences- Germany • Aarhus University- Denmark • National Qualifications Authority- Romania

EURASHE 24th Annual Conference 15-16 May 2014, Yerevan 5 "Qualifications for the Labour Market" • Local Coordinators: and Armenian State Pedagogical University after Khachatur Abovyan

• Armenian National Agrarian University • Gyumri State Pedagogical Institute after M. Nalbandyan • Yerevan State Linguistic University after V. Bryusov • Yerevan State University of Architecture and Construction • Russian-Armenian Slavonic University • State University Government Authorities: • The Ministry of Education and Science of RA Social Partners: • National Center for Academic Recognition and Mobility • The Republican Union of Employers of Armenia • Yerevan “European Students’ Forum” Association • “National Center for Strategic Research in Higher Education” NGO

EURASHE 24th Annual Conference 15-16 May 2014, Yerevan 6 "Qualifications for the Labour Market" Beneficiaries: what do they benefit?

– HEIs: • Provision of reference points for the degree programs in terms of learning outcomes (LO) • Interpretative tool for the recognition of the qualifications received at home institution abroad and vice versa • Accountability of HEIs on the qualifications awarded – Employers • Facilitating the placement of the qualifications within the requirements imposed by the organisation and the labor market • Providing information on the knowledge, skills and competences obtained at the particular level – Society (including students and graduates) • Facilitating the mobility at national and international levels • Improving the employability • Fostering individual development by validation of informal learning

EURASHE 24th Annual Conference 15-16 May 2014, Yerevan 7 "Qualifications for the Labour Market" Expected results

 Operationalised and self-certified ANQF with all the supporting legal and methodological basis  ANQF implementation strategy  Committee responsible for managing the ANQF  National SQF Model  5 SQFs in Physics, Law, Education, Civil Engineering and Agriculture  Policy and guidelines on the LO based curriculum development with alignment to SQFs and NQF  LO based two-level sample programs for guidance  Enhanced capacities of HEIs, Government representatives and Social Partners in dealing and managing the ANQF and SQFs  Well informed society on the ANQF and SQFs, the utilization of the latters and how they can benefit

EURASHE 24th Annual Conference 15-16 May 2014, Yerevan 8 "Qualifications for the Labour Market" Main issues identified at the first stage: • There is still confusion at the levels 8 and 9 in NQF • The labor market doesn’t trust the University Degrees: skills are more important than diplomas • Assumption: degrees live by themselves without real relation to the labor market needs • Miscommunication between HEIs and the labor market: who is responsible for the design of the Learning Outcomes? • In-depth research is required to reveal the skills and knowledge required at the labor market

EURASHE 24th Annual Conference 15-16 May 2014, Yerevan 9 "Qualifications for the Labour Market" THANK YOU !

[email protected]

EURASHE 24th Annual Conference 15-16 May 2014, Yerevan 10 "Qualifications for the Labour Market"