Review - Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research

In Ontario’s private career college sector, the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
indicates on its website 41 that instructors are to:
• hold a bachelor degree from an Ontario university or an equivalent degree
• be a graduate of a college of applied arts and technology or equivalent
• be a graduate of a registered private career college or equivalent
• be the holder of a certificate of qualification under the Trades Qualifications and
Apprenticeship Act or the Apprenticeship Certification Act or equivalent Canadian
certificate
• have 24 months occupational experience in the vocation to be taught
Or
• have 36 months of teaching experience in the vocation for which instruction is given, and
• 24 months occupational experience in the vocation to be taught
Or
• have 48 months of occupational experience in the vocation for which instruction is given.
In addition, if the vocation is governed by a regulatory body that specifies the qualifications required
of instructors, the instructors at the private career college also have to meet those qualifications.
The ministry also stipulates that the superintendent can also approve other instructors who are deemed
to be proficient in the subject or vocation to be taught. In addition, a caveat is applied, which notes
that private career colleges may employ substitute instructors that do not meet the requirements as
long as the total amount of the program taught by all unqualified instructors does not exceed 10 per
cent.
In the UK, the focus is very much on the assessment capability of assessors, more so than training
competence. The ENTO (the national training organisation for employment) framework of standards
and single unit qualifications help introduce reliability and consistency to the internal assessment
processes prevalent in vocational qualifications delivered by training providers and in the workplace.
These units form the basis of assessment credentials for those delivering vocational qualifications and
training. The units applicable are:
• A1 Assess candidates using a range of methods
• A2 Assess candidates' performance through observation
• V1 Conduct internal quality assurance of the assessment process
• V2 Conduct external quality assurance of the assessment process.
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the learning and development standards, which are produced
and maintained by ENTO, contain the assessor and verifier standards that training organisations are
expected to obtain and adhere to. Training organisations are also required to work within the NVQ
Code of Practice (2006) and any awarding organisation requirements with regard to centre approval
and quality assurance training offered by the awarding organisations. The code of practice specifies
the requirements for centres, and notes that assessors must ‘have the occupational expertise specified
in the relevant assessment strategy before commencing their role, and maintain the currency of this
expertise for the duration of their role’ (p.13). These requirements are in turn reflected in awarding
body organisation documentation, such as City & Guilds 42 which notes that ‘assessors will therefore
need to have occupational expertise in the competences/syllabus areas to be assessed’.
Scotland is similar to the rest of the UK. In Scotland, assessors and verifiers must have appropriate
subject/occupational and assessment expertise. Subject/occupational expertise can be either through
qualifications or experience, and the SQA qualification managers and verification section handles
these decisions. SQA has specific requirements for assessment expertise. It recognises the teaching
qualification in further education or secondary education (approved by the Scottish parliament and the
41 Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/operate.html#conditions.
42 City & Guilds, 2008, p.9.
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