IHEA Submission | Feedback on the Proposed Australian Qualifications Framework Qualifications Pathways Policy: Credit and Recognition and Credit Recognition Guidance

Independent Higher Education Australia (IHEA) welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on the revised Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Qualifications Pathways Policy: Credit and Recognition and Credit Recognition Guidance.

Background
Updating the Pathways Policy and implementing the supporting Guidance is part of the broader Tertiary Harmonisation 2024−25 Budget measure.
The stated aim of this measure is to improve tertiary harmonisation, including by supporting better student pathways between vocational education and training (VET) and higher education, improving regulatory approaches for dual sector providers (including TAFEs) and enhancing tertiary data to provide better insights into how students interact with and move through the tertiary education system.
There were three recommendations regarding the Pathways Policy that came from the 2019 AQF Review:
•Recommendation 9: Develop guidelines in the AQF Qualifications Pathways Policy to facilitate the recognition of shorter form credentials, including microcredentials, for credit.
•Recommendation 11: Revise and rename the AQF Qualifications Pathways Policy to better recognise and encourage broader credit recognition, both within and between sectors.
•Recommendation 13: Provide more detailed guidance on recognition of prior learning in the AQF Pathways Policy.
The Government also undertook further technical work on what were identified as the more complex recommendations, including the three outlined above:
•The Department of Education (DoE) engaged PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to undertake scoping and technical work for a number of recommendations. Following consultation with stakeholders, PwC developed an updated draft of the Pathways Policy and associated Credit Recognition Guidance, alongside other recommendations.
•In 2021, Nous Group was commissioned by DoE to undertake consultation to develop guidance for measuring credit for microcredentials for inclusion in the Pathways Policy.

Please see the full submission in the attached document.