Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW)

The vision for the single The Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales will underpin five key goals:

• enable everyone to develop and maintain essential skills;
• encourage people to become lifelong learners;
• exploit the knowledge in businesses and educational institutions;
• encourage business and workers to gain new skills;
• and help people within their communities to develop new skills.

This will be achieved through:

• supporting the development of an inclusive society where everyone has the opportunity to fulfill their potential;
• assisting in removing barriers to progression;
• promoting recognition of the skills required to support economic growth in Wales;
• offering parity in the recognition of achievement for learners of all ages, whether they are learning in the workplace, community, at school, college or university;
• and offering parity.

What is credit?

Credit is a means of recognising learning wherever, whenever and however it is achieved. It offers benefits to learners and employers by providing a system for valuing different qualifications in a consistent and standardised way.

Who is it for?

Credit is for all learners aged 14 and above. They will be able to benefit from Credit whether they are learning in the workplace, in the community, at school, college or university.

What are the benefits of the Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales?

The CQFW offers a number of benefits.

For learners it provides a system that:

• recognises and values their achievements;
• assists their progress in education and employment across the UK, as well as potentially in Europe;
• makes it easy for them to transfer their knowledge and skills between career paths and providers of education and training;
• and allows them to accumulate credits to meet a range of career and personal development needs.

For employers it offers a means by which they can:

• easily assess the relative values of different qualifications;
• encourage more people in Wales to develop the skills needed to meet their requirements;
• and overcome skill shortages.

For other key players - such as awarding bodies, schools and colleges - it offers a framework that enables them to:

• respond to changing market needs;
• promote transfer and progression among learners;
• create relevant and tailor-made learning;
• and make post-16 education and training more responsive to the needs of prospective students.

Who is responsible for the CQFW?

The Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales was established jointly by:

• HEFCW (Higher Education Funding Council for Wales)
• ELWa, a former Assembly Sponsored Public Body (ASPB) whose functions are now part of the Department for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, (National Council for Education and Training for Wales)
• ACCAC, a former Assembly Sponsored Public Body (ASPB) whose functions are now part of the Department for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, (Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales).

The CQFW is now a part of the Qualifications, Curriculum, Learning and Improvement (QCLI) division of the Department for Children Education Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS).

Credit Common Accord

The Credit Common Accord was launched in July 2003 and outlines the terminology, design specifications, principles and systems required to ensure that the currency of assigned and awarded credit is fully quality assured.

Implementation Plan

Launched alongside the Credit Common Accord, the Implementation Plan for the CQFW outlined the timescales involved in getting the CQFW up and running, it can be downloaded from the CQFW Handbook section.

CQFW and UK and European-wide framework developments

We have forged close links with the other UK regulatory authorities and are establishing the relationship between the principles of the credit frameworks in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Within Europe the CQFW is at the forefront of the development of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF)