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To help the Pacific’s lecturers and trainers of theological institutions to build capacity in developing micro-qualifications (MQ) within their own institutions, the Pacific Community (SPC) convened a Micro-Qualifications Development Workshop to strengthen the accredited learning possibilities in theological studies, earlier in June.
SPC’s Educational Quality and Assessment Programme (EQAP) facilitated the training on the key features of a micro-qualification for trainers and members of the South Pacific Association of Theological Schools (SPATS) which includes the Pacific Theological College, Methodist Deaconess Training Centre, and Methodist Lay Training Centre.
Apenisa Tamani, EQAP’s Professional Officer for Qualifications Development, stressed that “We hope that the knowledge and skills that they have learnt over the last 3 days will assist them in packaging their own micro-qualifications within their own training institutions”.
Iliesa Tagilo, Methodist Lay Training Centre’s Dean of Studies, mentioned that the micro-qualifications will enable the institution to incorporate important learning components as an accredited short course.
Having music as part of the institution’s curriculum, Tagilo explained that “we do not know how to package the training in such a way that they can be accredited. This workshop is very important and useful as we now know how to package them and how they can be delivered in a way such that successful participants can be given recognised awards.”
The three-day workshop was part of the Memorandum of Understanding between SPC and SPATS for the accreditation of education and training programmes and providers in the Pacific.
SPC and SPATS under the guiding framework of the SPATS Accreditation Guidelines and Pacific Qualification Framework, agreed to work collaboratively in the evaluation and accreditation of theological programmes in the Pacific.
Tamani mentioned that the workshop has further strengthened the collaboration between the Pacific Community (SPC) and SPATS and “we will be working with them further to assist in the development of their own MQs.”
EQAP is standing by to further support the theological institutions in the review, development, and packaging of their MQs.
