The 3rd continental forum for National Qualifications Frameworks organized by the African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Communities in partnership with Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA), will take place in Nairobi from October 1 to 4, 2024, at Fairview Hotel Nairobi.
Participants in the event, themed ‘Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) For Practitioners’ will be drawn from 20 African countries and 4 economic regions all with a functional National Qualifications Framework (NQF).
The workshop provides an opportunity to discuss effective strategies towards successful implementation of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) as well as sharing of best practices amongst RPL Practitioners.
Kenya, through KNQA is among 40 countries in Africa that are at various stages of implementing the NQF, and a trailblazer in implementation of RPL
The workshop is supported by the African Union and the European Training Foundation through the African Continental Qualifications Framework (ACQF) project, which is an initiative that aims to harmonize and enhance recognition of qualifications across Africa.
ACQF provides a standardized framework, to ensure that knowledge, skills, and competencies attained by learners are valued and recognized not only within individual countries but across borders. This is expected to facilitate mobility of African professionals, encouraging innovation, collaboration, and economic growth.
ACQF further enhances regional integration as well as complementing related policies such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) which envisages free movement of people in order to reap the benefits of economic integration.
The ACQF aligns with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, its First Ten Year Implementation Plan (2023) and the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (16-25). It is envisioned as a qualifications framework for the continent, based on the principles of Inclusiveness of all types of learning and levels of qualifications (all sub-systems of education and training); Openness to learners’ and stakeholders’ needs, to policy learning and lessons from other qualifications frameworks; and Innovation-readiness, notably the transformation of skills and learning in the context of digitalization, greening and post Covid-19 reconstruction.
The Nairobi workshop on RPL is part of the EU-supported initiatives under one comprehensive umbrella that covers qualification frameworks, quality assurance of qualificications, international learning mobility, capacity building in higher education, skills development, and youth leadership in Africa.
Participants will have an opportunity to delve deeper into RPL concepts such as RPL in the African Continental Qualifications Framework context; RPL in lifelong learning policies; Quality assurance of RPL as well policy and practice of RPL.
The event will also provide an opportunity to discuss referencing of NQFs to the Continental Framework. Referencing is essential for comparison, transparency and mutual understanding between national qualifications frameworks, to facilitate recognition and fair mobility of people.
By Our Reporter
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