21 st Century Skills are underpinned by rigorous

21 st Century Skills are underpinned by rigorous quality assurance Matt Clarke Senior International Business Manager Pearson : Edexcel

Topics for Discussion • • • Who is Pearson – What Pearson Does – Where Pearson is Skills for the 21 st Century: Pearson Model Why have Quality Assurance in Vocational Education? What does Edexcel bring? Centre delivery model Edexcel Model for Quality Assurance

Who is Pearson? The world’s largest learning company 17% Financial Times 65% Pearson Education § 500 m people learning and testing in English 18% Penguin § £ 6 billion sales pa § Publishing in 100 languages § 40, 000 employees • Staff in 65 countries § Customers in 150 countries § 1. 5 m learners studying vocational progs § 8 m college students using our online services § 200 m assessment items scored worldwide annually § Deliver 9 m computer based tests annually with 4, 000 test centres in 145 countries

Pearson – the world’s leading learning company Pearson Applied Learning Division

Pearson in the Region - in the region for over 60 years • Employ over 300 permanent staff across the region • Offices in UAE, Egypt (Cairo), Turkey, KSA. • Significant public and private sector business and projects in: • Syria, Lebanon, Jordan Egypt, West Bank, UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Yemen • • Strong track record in: Schools Higher education English language teaching Vocational qualification and skills training Assessment School Improvement

The Pearson education business in summary Academic Tertiary Higher Education K-12 Education Vocational Occupational Professional Learning Assessment & Teaching Qualifications materials information & training & certification DIGITAL PLATFORMS Partnerships PARTNERSHIPS

The Context in Egypt Economy and young people Private employers create 80 -90% new jobs • Lack of jobs to absorb an educated, young and rapidly growing labour force • Education • Produces 750, 000 new college graduates, many of whom have limited skills and lack training, and are not ready for the workforce. • Large proportion of Egypt’s unemployed young people are graduates; • Schools /University system failing to prepare its students for the modern labour market

The challenges of TVET in the Middle East & North Africa • • • Shortage of vocational skills in all sectors Lack of guidance for young people Outdated Course content. Teaching practices outdated, lack of professional development lack of effective quality assurance processes Only 1/3 of students believe education has equipped them for a job Lack of internships & job placements connected to a TVET education Many Vocational Professions seen as unattractive, lacking in career opportunities & low wages “Negative perceptions” academic courses considered better option

Effective Education for Employment Blue Print

Why should we have Quality Assurance in TVET? • • • • Fitness for purpose Compliance (zero error or deviation) Satisfaction of students and parents Excellence Value for money Transformation (process of changing the student) Enhancement (process of changing) Control (rewarding process of QA) Public information, reassurance, confidence Ranking Accountability International acceptability Resource allocation

Quality Assurance has two main functions: Quality enhancement: the maintenance and continual enhancement of teaching and learning within of the entire institutional framework Internal QA. . with regards to the outside world External QA Accountability: the demonstration of quality to external stakeholders (governments, students, parents, employers, society) for different reasons, including legal requirements and promotion of the institute. External QA 11 Presentation Title runs here l 00/00/00

Aspects of Institutional Quality Assurance Internal: What: Why: How: review processes and implementation of new strategies fit to the mission goals, profile and context of a ‘training organisation’ for the enhancement of the overall performance of the institution and all its parts and elements, and the promotion of creativity and innovation activated by a dynamic quality culture – shared values and attitudes, staff identification with the institution as a community of learning, etc. External: What: Why: How: either voluntary or compulsory review/evaluation/audit by an external QA review body accountability and validation, and trust building between the institution and the outside world often motivated by laws, requirements of funding agencies and sometime just a desire to be different to the masses

Developing a Quality Assurance process Focus Areas: Output: Examine the outcomes of the institution’s activities: teaching, research, goal achievement etc. Associated with excellence, fitness-for-purpose, Effectiveness. Input: Tallying of factors like equipment, staffing, funding etc. Needs to be related to output. Process: The activities that lead to the desired outcomes, such as governance structures, decision-making processes or administrative procedures.

Centre of Learning: Model for success Centre of Learning Specialist Training

Blended Learning Approach – Getting it right

Customise and localise training & qualifications

Managing Quality: A culture to be fostered within the centre Assessment manager Exam secretary Internal verifier co-ordinator Internal verifier Specific Area Assessor Candidates

The role of the Assessor Assesses candidates performance & knowledge Provides candidates with prompt, accurate and constructive feedback Assesses Candidates Assessor Maintains Accurate records of candidates achievements Ensures authenticity, validity, currency & sufficiency of evidence produced

The role of the Internal Verifier (IV) Supports & develops assessors Assures the accuracy & consistency of assessment activities & decisions Manages the quality of delivery (e. g. Verifies assessments Internal Verifier Supports & develops assessors Equal opportunities & antidiscrimination practices Liaises with external verifier(s), assessors, centre staff

The role of the External Verifier (EV) • checks centre compliance with approval criteria • monitors centre performance to ensure ○ quality of assessment (meets standard) ○ consistency of assessment (all assessors/assessments) ○ accuracy of records ○ teaching methodologies • monitors training delivery • provides support, guidance and best practise to the centre • reports back to Edexcel with recommendations

What Edexcel expects from our partners Skilled tutors proven teaching skills proven subject knowledge broad knowledge of the relevant Industries Modern learning environment and equipment spacious classrooms up-to-date student facilities (ie: IT equipment) necessary library facilities relevant student support materials Student enrolment adequate marketing to students registration and tuition of students collection of Edexcel student fees Programme delivery and assessment development of course materials design and implementation of student assessment mechanisms continued high-quality delivery of Edexcel programmes

Questions? Contact Details matt. [email protected] com Mobile: +971(5)06580365 21 st Century Skills Equipped Employee