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The [Australian Qualifications Framework] AQF Council has undertaken a review of the AQF graduate and vocational graduate certificates and diplomas qualification types in the AQF. The AQF Council consulted stakeholders on the future of the AQF graduate and vocational graduate certificates and diplomas qualification types by means of a paper entitled 'AQF Council review of graduate and vocational graduate certificates and diplomas in the Australian Qualifications Framework, November 2011'. The paper comprised an analysis of the issues, a brief history of these qualification types in the AQF and its predecessors, and proposed four options for consideration. The AQF Council has established a preferred position on the future of these qualification types. In doing so, it has taken into account the principles that underpin the AQF; that is that the framework should: support lifelong learning and be student-focused; be understandable in the labour market and support employer and student demands for intermediary qualifications; be future oriented; retain its taxonomic integrity and remain simple without a proliferation of qualification types; and be internationally comparable and support qualification recognition. In reaching its position, the AQF Council also gave careful consideration to guard against any unintended or negative consequences that could impact on the utility of the AQF for the primary end users of qualifications - graduates and employers. Before finalising changes to these qualification types, the AQF Council would like to hear the views of AQF stakeholders. The purpose of this consultation paper is to provide an opportunity to identify any unanticipated consequences of the AQF Council's intended approach, to consider the specifications for the qualification types and to identify any requirements for implementation.

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The Australian Qualifications Framework Council was established in 2008 as a Committee of the Ministerial Council on Education Employment Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) with responsibility for advising ministers on the maintenance and strengthening of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). In May 2009, a consultation paper, Strengthening the AQF: a Proposal was drafted by the Council as a basis for strengthening the Australian Qualifications Framework. The Proposal was developed in response to the need for improved linkages and connections between qualifications and sectors as identified by MCEETYA. It took into account the responses of the wide range of stakeholders who had participated in earlier consultations such as the Review of Australian Higher Education, the review of the AQF Advisory Board and the AQF Council's development of common terminology for credit arrangements. The AQF Council sought stakeholder responses to the Proposal which was disseminated widely. This report provides an analysis of the 84 submissions received from organisations and individuals to the Proposal. The responses represent the views of all AQF stakeholders and users.

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A graduation statement provides an explanation of the qualification achieved, its place in the education system and other information useful to the graduate and domestic and international employers and educational institutions including information about further study and work pathways facilitated by the award of the qualification, as well as additional information about the training, such as details of practical placements undertaken by the graduate. Graduation statements are established internationally, including in European Union countries and New Zealand. Also, the Australian higher education sector has implemented the Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (AHEGS). However, there is no equivalent for the vocational education and training (VET) sector.

The Australian Qualifications Framework Council is undertaking a project to better understand the consequences for providers of the introduction of a VET sector graduation statement. This paper aims to stimulate discussion and seek input to identify potential design and implementation issues.

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The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Council undertook a project between May 2008 and April 2011 to strengthen the AQF. This document is the revised AQF that was presented to the Ministerial Council for Tertiary Education and Employment (MCTEE) by the AQF Council for approval on November 19, 2010. The final approved version of the AQF, published in March 2011, is available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 103.348. Show less

This handbook provides a detailed guide for the implementation of the Australian Qualifications Framework. It should be read in conjunction with documents issued by accrediting bodies. The handbook consists of six sections: An overview of the Australian Qualifications Framework [which provides] a brief introduction of the Australian Qualifications Framework with a description of its key features; Guidelines [which provides] information required to determine the level of a qualification; Transition arrangements [which provides] advice on how to convert an existing qualification to a qualification under the Australian Qualifications Framework, together with advice as to the requirements which must be met; Articulation arrangements [which contains] a set of principles to assist the establishment of connections between the qualifications; Issuing a qualification [which provides] advice regarding who issues a qualification, how and when; [and] Monitoring the Framework [which contains] details regarding the Australian Qualifications Framework Advisory Board which is being established to monitor implementation of the Framework.

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The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is the national policy for regulated qualifications in Australian education and training. This publication, aimed at organisations that develop qualifications and those that are authorised to accredit and/or issue AQF qualifications, provides the complete set of AQF policies and objectives as well as information about its governing and monitoring arrangements. The second edition is effective from 1 January 2013 and includes amended Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma types and updated information on the regulatory arrangements for the AQF. A new qualification type, the Undergraduate Certificate, was added to the AQF in 2020 in response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Show less

The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is a quality assured national framework of qualifications in the school, vocational education and training (VET), and higher education sectors in Australia. The Framework links together all the qualifications and is a quality-assured national system of educational recognition that promotes lifelong learning and a seamless and diverse education and training system. School, work-based qualifications and academic qualifications are part of a single system of qualifications, allowing maximum flexibility in career planning and continuous learning. The AQF groups the qualifications according to the educational sector responsible for their accreditation. The Framework was developed and is endorsed by all Australian governments and therefore an AQF qualification is recognised around Australia and by other countries. The AQF Council provided its advice on strengthening the AQF to the Ministerial Council for Tertiary Education and Employment (MCTEE) at its meetings on 19 November 2010 and 18 March 2011. The strengthened AQF has been approved by MCTEE for implementation to commence on 1 July 2011.

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The aim of this study was to undertake an empirical analysis of the revised design of the strengthened Australian Qualifications Framework. In particular, four elements of the revised framework were to be examined: the levels structure, with 10 levels expressed as learning outcomes (referred to as 'levels criteria'); revised descriptors for each of the existing 14 qualification types (and two kinds [the Master's and Doctoral Degree qualifications types had two kinds: other and research]) expressed as learning outcomes (referred to as 'qualification type descriptors'); the relationship between the qualification types and the levels structure; [and] an estimate of the notional duration of student learning for each qualification type. The major aims of the empirical validation were to: estimate the complexity of the criteria for each of the levels, and for each set, compare the estimates with the proposed 10-level structure; estimate the complexity of each qualification type descriptor for each of the 14 qualification types; identify any potentially redundant and non-discriminating levels criteria and/or qualification type descriptors; determine where each qualification type is typically positioned within the proposed 10-level structure; [and] investigate the adequacy of the suggested duration for each qualification type.

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The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Council undertook a project between May 2008 and April 2011 to strengthen the AQF. A revised AQF (available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 133.562) was presented to the Ministerial Council for Tertiary Education and Employment (MCTEE) by the AQF Council for approval on November 19, 2010. This document contains advice to MCTEE that accompanied the revised AQF. The final approved version of the AQF, published in March 2011, is available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 103.348. Show less

The Australian Qualifications Framework Council (AQF Council) was established in 2008 as a Committee of the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) with responsibility for advising ministers on the maintenance and strengthening of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). The Council has released for consultation a proposal for strengthening the AQF in response to workforce changes and changes in the education and training environments since its development in the early 1990s. As well as maintaining the AQF, supporting its users and promoting the AQF to stakeholders, the AQF Council's remit is to consider how the AQF can be strengthened to ensure it is nationally and internationally robust and supports flexible cross-sectoral linkages and pathways. The proposal outlines measures to enhance the objectives of the AQF and create a more contemporary AQF architecture including: common taxonomy of learning outcomes to describe the breadth and depth of each qualification; a hierarchy of qualifications based on explicit reference levels; and a measurement of the volume of learning for each qualification type at each level. The consultation period will conclude on Friday 12 June 2009 and, based on the feedback received, the proposals will be refined and the components of the AQF will be re-designed and developed. A further round of consultations will occur then.

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