For the next five years, the Pacific Community (SPC) in partnership with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) will be working with nine Pacific Island countries to strengthen the Pacific Qualifications Framework (PQF) to allow Pacific graduates to access further education and employment within the region and beyond.
Through the newly endorsed Pacific Qualifications Recognition project, SPC and NZQA will work closely with the Pacific national agencies to establish strong, trusted relationships between the PQF and New Zealand national qualifications frameworks and systems. This will, in time, enable new opportunities for Pacific communities as the quality of post-secondary education and training delivery in the region increases.
From 15 to 19 April 2024, the project team hosted the nine countries in a regional workshop on the referencing of qualifications frameworks in Wellington. We took this opportunity to hear from our country representatives and stakeholders about their expectations.
Itzy Tukuitonga - Project Coordinator for the New Zealand Aid Education Support Programme in Niue.
“Qualifications recognition is very important for my country, especially in terms of our people moving around the region and it's also very important to support the learning of our students, the learning of our people and for labour mobility and quality assurance for our qualifications. It gives assurance that what we're doing in Niue is in line with what's happening in the Pacific and around the world.
I learnt a lot from the Pacific Qualifications Referencing workshop as it gave a bit of perspective of what my country needs to do to help this project or what our inputs are. My attendance in the week-long workshop allowed me to talk to the facilitators, talk to the consultants, and learn from the situations of our neighbours and what's happening in the region.
I want to see that our people are moving without restrictions, that we assist each other in filling the labour market so people could move freely, and we have confidence in what we do and have confidence in our people.”
Adlyn Wesly - Assistant Chief Executive Officer of the Vanuatu Qualifications Authority
“The overall goal of the Pacific Qualifications Recognition project is to align the regional qualifications with the Pacific Qualifications Framework (PQF). For Vanuatu, this will mean that qualifications that will be issued by the country will be recognised in other Pacific countries. This will also mean that this project would facilitate the movement of our people to get employment and be able to access further studies outside of Vanuatu.
The referencing workshop allowed me to gain a clearer perspective of what we should be doing in terms of the alignment of national qualifications to the regional qualification framework. It also provided us with a roadmap on what we are expected to do at the different stages of the project until we have achieved our overall goals.
The workshop presented the qualifications referencing processes that are carried out by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) and also the referencing criteria that was endorsed by the Pacific Qualifications Advisory Board (PQAB).“
Dr Alisi Kautoke Holani - Labour Mobility Specialist at the PACER Plus programme.
It was a wonderful week of learning and networking for us. This workshop has been the first real opportunity for the PACER Plus Implementation Unit (PPIU) to network with the qualification’s authorities from the different countries and to learn more about the project that NZQA and SPC-EQAP are leading for qualifications recognition in the Pacific. It was an opportunity for us to better understand the project as well as to hear from our PACER Plus Parties on support needed at the national level for qualifications recognition.
The temporary movement of natural persons is an important part of the PACER Plus Agreement. This movement facilitates services trade, investment and the temporary supply of workers to address labour shortages across the region. Qualifications recognition can enable the movement of natural persons to access trade and employment opportunities in the territories of other PACER Plus Parties and we therefore recognise its importance to achieving the outcomes of the PACER Plus Agreement and the Arrangement on Labour Mobility. We therefore fully support this project as it will directly contribute to the achievement of PACER Plus outcomes relating to the movement of natural persons and the temporary movement of labour.
About the Pacific Qualifications Recognition Project:
Funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), the Pacific Qualifications Recognition project aims to strengthen the Pacific and national qualifications frameworks and systems that will promote the recognition of qualifications, enabling the movement of learners and skilled workers across borders. The five-year project is jointly implemented by the Pacific Community (SPC) in partnership with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA).
