Evaluation of the comparability of the Advanced Certificate and Higher Certificate qualifications

Tender description

1 Introduction and background This request for tenders concerns the first phase of a two-phase project to review the two major award types at Level 6 in the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), namely the Advanced Certificate (AC) and the Higher Certificate (HC), and their effectiveness in differentiating further education and training (FET) from higher education and training (HET) as was their original purpose. The first phase of the project aims to provide objective empirical evidence on the comparability as implemented of the AC and HC award-types, by analysing samples of qualifications and programmes /routes that lead to them, for example:  pairs of one-year programmes of FET leading to Level 5 Certificates followed by Advanced Certificates,  apprenticeship programmes (FET or HET) leading to Advanced Certificates or Higher Certificates.  two-year programmes of HET leading to Higher Certificates, it is timely to revisit the suitability of the NFQ major award-types at Level 6. Higher education and training institutions will welcome prospect of greater clarity about NFQ awards at level 6.