Qualifications
recognition in Australia
Systems and support
Liz Campbell-Dorning
Director
Qualifications Recognition Policy
International Mobility Branchelizabeth.campbell-dorning@education.gov.au

What is recognition?
• Qualifications recognition means assessing if aqualification meets a specific benchmark for a
specific purpose• Benchmarks include:– NQFs, RQFs, national qualifications, occupational
standards, licensing/registration requirements• Purposes include:– Study, employment, migration

Why is recognition important?
• Improves education and employment participation• Supports economic productivity and prosperity
which builds a highly skilled nation• Facilitates internationalisation of education, research
and workforce

Recognition in Australia• Decentralised - recognition decisions are made by competentauthorities• Australian Government Department of Education and Training
provides national leadership• Competent authorities are those best-placed to makeinformed decisions for:– study– employment (regulated, self-regulated or non-regulated)– migration

Recognition authorities
Registration orlicensing
authorities(regulatedemployment)

Employers(generalemployment)

Assessingauthorities andDepartment ofImmigration(migration)

Universities andother education
providers (study)

State/territory
governments(generalemployment)

Department of
Education &Training:
Information andpolicy advice

Overseas
competent
authorities

Qualifications Recognition Policy• The Qualifications Recognition Policy team is Australia’s national
information centre for qualifications recognition• Promotes student and labour mobility by supporting the recognition of:– Australian qualifications internationally– foreign qualifications in Australia• International engagement on the Australian Qualifications Framework– supports referencing of the AQF to other national and regional qualificationsframeworks– ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework• Manages Australia’s multilateral engagement in qualifications recognition
policy and qualifications framework policy

The Australian Qualifications FrameworkQRP facts• Established in 1969
• 130+ Country Education Profiles• Over 5 million hits on CEP Online annually• 200,000+ recognition decisions made per year
• 300% increase in demand for services overpast 5 years

Policy framework for recognition• UNESCO regional recognition conventions:–––Regional Asia-Pacific Convention (ratified 1985)
Lisbon Recognition Convention (ratified 2002)
Revised Asia-Pacific Convention (ratified 2014)• Establish guiding principles based on best-practice recognition• Comparability rather than equivalence• Face-value comparability unless ‘substantial difference’Government support for recognition• Ensuring transparent, coherent, reliable, fair and nondiscriminatory recognition practices in Australia• Recognising qualifications at level unless ‘substantialdifference’ can be shown• Supporting recognition authorities through:– Country Education Profiles– Professional development– Advisory service– Qualification assessments

CEP Online• Online database of research and analysis of
130+ countries’ education systems,institutions and qualifications• Information tool to support quality, consistentand timely recognition decisions• Subscription-based product with over 7000
users (80% Australian, 20% international)

CEP Online, cont’d• Designed to add value to decision-making by
providing:– Assessment guidelines: educational comparability of overseas
qualifications to the Australian Qualifications Framework– Education system: qualitative information about education systems– List of institutions: comprehensive lists of recognised post-secondary
institutions

CEP Online, cont’d• CEP users include– State and territory governments– Educational institutions: higher education, VET
and schools– Professional bodies– Migration lawyers– Employers: especially multinational corporations

Professional development training• Assists recognition authorities in developing
recognition policies and assessment skills• Training is routinely delivered at beginner,intermediate and advanced levels• Moving to online training modules for CEP
subscribers

Advisory service• To minimise barriers to recognition we provide
advice to recognition authorities on complex
foreign qualifications– an email-based service– qualifications must not be covered by CEP Onlineassessment guidelines– 20 working day turnaround– free service for Australian recognition authorities

Qualification assessments• Individuals with foreign qualifications seeking recognition
can apply to QRP for a qualification assessment– For general purposes only (i.e. not for study, regulatedemployment or migration)– Only if no other recognition authority can assess– We issue an Australian Government certification of thecomparability of the foreign qualification to the AQF• Approximately 1500 assessments per year
• Fee-for-service activity

Qualification assessment trends
1400
1200
1000800600400200020062007
Guideline
157
Non-guideline 287
Not assessable 3520072008
445
235
42

20082009
614
261
56

20092010
571
235
63

20102011
486
228
139

20112012
901
212
361

20122013
1068
217
802

20132014
1261
266
426

Summary• Recognition is challenging work
– Understanding different education systems, institutions and qualifications• Successful recognition requires access to reliable information,transparency policies/processes, timely decisions• Qualifications recognition benefits individuals, communities,
and national interests:– Incentivises mobility by acknowledging value– Harnesses potential by supporting participation in work and study– Manages differences in education systems while minimising barriers tomobility– Directly supports productivity, competitiveness and multiculturalism

Enhancing mobility
Qualifications
recognition

Qualifications
frameworks

Qualityassurance