24 Nov, 2018
Vocational Training Assessment
Assessment and certification must build on an understanding of particular occupations and the competences they require. Countries often maintain a formal arrangement for identifying and classifying occupational standards. These standards describe occupations and the competences they require. Sometimes they may also be linked to associated qualifications/certifications. Passing an assessment, which tests out possession of these competences, then often becomes a precondition of certification.
The central aim of vocational education and training (VET) programmes is to provide graduates with the competences necessary to do specific jobs, and alongside the competences, the certification which assures employers and other stakeholders that graduates have those competences. Summative assessment, typically a precondition of certification, is therefore a key part of VET programmes, ensuring not only that job competences are part of a qualification and the taught curriculum, but also that the required competences have been acquired by graduates. Effective assessment is therefore a necessary element of a strong VET system.