Victorian Qualifications Authority annual report [2001-02 - 2006-07]

The Victorian Qualifications Authority (VQA) was the peak accreditation, certification and registration body for post-compulsory education and training (except higher education) in Victoria. It began operating on 1 March 2001 and ceased operating in 2007. The Education and Training Reform Act provided for the establishment of the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) with effect from 1 July 2007. The Authority's responsibilities include the major functions of the VQA. The final annual report of the VQA includes an account of its operation for 2006-07 but also provides an overview of the activities and achievements of the VQA over the last six and a half years.

The VQA had both regulatory and reform activities which were designed to contribute to the achievement of the Victorian Government's strategic aims and to its education and training goals and targets as described in its three legislated objectives: (1) to develop and monitor standards for education and training normally undertaken in, or designed to be undertaken in, the years after Year 10; (2) to ensure and support appropriate linkages between qualifications; and (3) to facilitate procedures which make it easier for people to re-enter education and training and acquire qualifications. In its regulatory role the VQA had responsibility for accreditation of courses and undertook a major review of quality assurance on a wide range of matters including registration and audit, the effectiveness of audit arrangements in enhancing standards of teaching and learning, proposals to promote continuous quality improvement, and accreditation procedures. This work contributed substantially to the development of improved standards at state and at national level within the new Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF). In its reform role the VQA undertook a wide range of activities to support pathways in education and training. The most notable activities were the development of the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) and the Credit Matrix.

Each annual report sets out the key activities and achievements for the financial year.

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