Open letter and report on the QCF

Open letters are just one method being implemented by the regulator to publicise its position on important issues.

The letter sets out the role of the regulators – Ofqual in England, DCELLS in Wales and CCEA in Northern Ireland – and Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) in assuring qualifications in a manner that minimises duplication and delay. It sets out how the SSC approval process guidance, which has been approved by the UK Vocational Qualifications Reform Board (UKVQRB), is to be incorporated into the regulatory arrangements for accreditation of qualifications into the Qualifications and Credit Framework.

Also published today is The 2009 evaluation of QCF regulation, which details the results of the first evaluation of the regulation of the QCF.

Notes to editors:

1. The Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act, which gained Royal Assent on Thursday, November 12, 2009, included the provision for Ofqual to be established as an independent statutory body with responsibilities for the regulation of general and vocational qualifications in England and vocational qualifications in Northern Ireland.
2. The Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) is a new framework for recognising and accrediting qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The framework is at the heart of a major reform of the vocational qualifications system designed to make the whole system simpler to understand and use.