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New Zealand postgraduate library and information studies qualifications have undergone a process of continual revision since the first training school for librarians was established in 1946. This chapter begins with an overview of the history of postgraduate library studies qualifications in New Zealand. It continues with a discussion of the establishment of qualifications for record keepers (archivists and records managers), followed by a description of the most recent developments, which established a generic Master of Information Studies qualification, and the associated Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma of Information Studies. It concludes with a discussion of the various drivers for these changes, and the ways in which the relationships between the various professional associations and interest groups and the education providers have evolved.

This paper aims to analyse how learning levels differ within and between degrees and diplomas with specific application to the Bachelor of Applied Business Studies degree and the New Zealand Diploma of Business, which are delivered at a New Zealand polytechnic.

A literature review and content analysis of National Qualifications Frameworks was conducted to analyse how learning levels differ within and between degrees and diplomas with specific application to the Bachelor of Applied Business Studies degree and the New Zealand Diploma of Business which are offered at a New Zealand polytechnic.

A literature review and content analysis of National Qualifications Frameworks reveals that learning levels are differentiated by level of complexity, degree of abstraction, depth in a major subject, research competency, learner autonomy and responsibility, relative demand placed on students and increasing complexity and unpredictability of operational context. This analysis failed to find any difference in learning level between Bachelor of Applied Business Studies and New Zealand Diploma of Business papers nominally at the same level on the New Zealand National Qualifications Framework. The degree comprises a portion of papers at a higher learning level than the diploma and it is at this level that the difference is realised.

Future research should investigate learning level differences between disciplines, qualifications and institutions.

This paper provides a framework on which to base course design, delivery and assessment of the Bachelor of Applied Business Studies degree and the New Zealand Diploma of Business and credit transfer between them.

This case study addresses the increasingly important issue of the compatibility of learning levels between different qualifications. As many economies acknowledge the necessity for increasingly skilled workforces, credit transfer to enable seamless transfer between qualifications is becoming a focus in seeking to facilitate lifelong learning. There are few studies that focus on National Qualifications level descriptors and the implications for different qualification types.

The International Association for Manage‐ment Education (AACSB) historically has been a strong supporter of the business disciplinary communities that have served to create and protect a much narrower definition of faculty qualifications. Research has supported the notion that business schools have often selected and rewarded faculty for their academic credentials and for their ability to conduct empirical research regardless of institutional type. In recent studies following the introduction of the new AACSB stan‐dards, deans surveyed generally anticipate only modest changes in the credentials and research expectations for their faculties. This multiple case study investigated dean and management and marketing chair and faculty perceptions of the potential impact of the new AACSB faculty qualifications standards on hiring, tenure, and promotion criteria at four comprehensive universities. Generally, respondents expected little opportunity for selection, tenure or promotion of faculty with doctorates outside traditional business disciplines and no opportunity for those considered professionally qualified.

In 2017 the UK Government decided that the suite of National Professional Qualifications (National Professional Qualifications for Middle Leadership, National Professional Qualifications for Senior Leadership and National Professional Qualifications for Headship) needs to be updated in order to ensure they remained relevant to the changing shape of the educational landscape, particularly through the expansion of multi-academy trusts (MATs). At the same time, the Government proposed a new National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership aimed at the CEOs of MATs. The purpose of this paper is to explore the way in which the new National Professional Qualification (NPQ) programmes are having master’s level criteria embedded into them to facilitate a seamless progression into the master’s level study.

The paper combines desk research with reflections on the experience of developing the new NPQ programme within higher education institutions (HEIs) and considers the implications of this upon current and emerging HEI practice and research into educational leadership.

There were a number of key issues highlighted by the paper. Notably, the process of embedding academic criteria into a training programme, which was not used to support the notion of critical reflection. Also, the associated mechanisms of accreditation, existing professional networks and the upskilling of staff delivering the NPQ programme, and a professionally oriented interface between the university, employer and deliverer of the training.

This paper provides an original perspective involving the embedding of master’s level criteria into professional qualifications in the field of educational leadership.

This paper aims to provide a critical analysis of the European Commission's and the member states' attempts to introduce a European Qualifications Framework and national frameworks respectively.

The paper is based on a review of policies and substantive desk research in countries that have applied a qualification framework approach.

The analysis shows that qualifications frameworks (QFs) are resisted partly from inertia and conservatism and partly because important educational purposes are being defended. NQF experiences suggest that hopes associated with QFs are unrealistic (e.g. accreditation of prior learning).

The paper draws mainly on conceptual and secondary analysis. In future primary empirical analysis would be desirable.

The findings are extremely relevant to policy makers on the European and national levels. The lessons from NQFs suggest incrementalism, building blocks, supporting policies, consensus and staying as close as possible to practice are important.

This paper is one of the few attempts to evaluate current initiatives based on prior experiences.

One of the most prominent developments in vocational education and training in recent years has been the development of National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) in England and Wales, based on the assessment of an individual’s competence at work. However, the initial implementation of the NVQ policy generated a considerable amount of criticism. The standards of occupational competence on which the NVQs are based were attacked for being too narrow; employers appeared reluctant to take up the new qualifications; and the introduction of NVQs appeared to exacerbate, rather than mitigate, the “jungle” of vocational qualifications. Drawing on in‐depth interviews with key informants and an analysis of relevant documentation this article ascribes the initial failure of the NVQ initiative to progress in the manner that its planners had originally anticipated to the existence of certain institutional constraints: the political imperative to manage high levels of youth unemployment; inadequate accountability and supervision in policy implementation; the presence of a renewed ethos of voluntarism in UK labour market policy; and the weakness of employers’ representative structures.

The purpose of this paper is to question the appropriateness of a proposal for a new European Qualifications Framework. The framework has three perspectives: historical; analytical; and national.

The approaches are diverse since the first insists on the institutional and decision‐making processes at European level questioning the impact that could have on the recently formalised Open Method of Coordination. The second goes into more detailed analyses of the instrument itself and of its shortcomings both in conceptual terms and on its pragmatic ones. The last approach is a comparative one by which the French system is “benchmarked” against EQF guidelines.

The main conclusion is that there is obviously a political will to question the role and the structure of qualifications in view of an economy and a society of knowledge and that research has much to contribute – on very different levels – like the three chosen for this article.

Choosing to mix three quite different approaches in one short text is an attempt to be valued since it shows the different aspects under which a so‐called “neutral” instrument needs to be regarded.

Practically, this speaks for the further involvement of research in the present, very institutional and organisational discussions on European qualifications.

In terms of research, it is seldom that these various levels are considered together. The article proves that there is a case to do so.

In 1996, there were about six hundred and fifty overseas‐trained medical doctors who had immigrated to New Zealand but were unable to practice their profession even though the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) had assessed their medical qualifications as equivalent to similar qualifications in New Zea land. These immigrants were subjected to structural discriminator practices of the medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) by which qualified medical doctors from non BASIC (Britain, Australia, South Africa, Ireland and Canada) countries were not allowed to register as medical practitioners in New Zealand. The privilege conferred on the MCNZ by the 1968 Medical Practitioners Act allows it to be selective in re cognising medical qualifications. As a consequence of this discriminatory practice many of the foreign trained doctors were unemployed while others worked as process workers, taxi drivers, petrol pump dispensers and pizza deliverymen in the period covered in this article (Selvarajah, 1997). This article provides a case history between 1995 and 2000 on the concerns and conditions of a group of foreign‐trained medical professionals (doctors and specialists) whose application to settle in New Zealand was processed by the New Zealand government prior to June 1995.

This chapter describes an alternative model to out-of-the-classroom learning which has been highly successful in assisting students in New Zealand to make the transition to either the workplace, or to higher qualifications.

The final paper within the New Zealand Diploma in Business is ‘Applied Management’ in which students work in groups to design and implement a semester-long research inquiry with a host organisation. The authors discuss the challenges and strategies associated with delivering this paper and reference three current studies which relate to this student cohort: the first about students’ perceptions of cooperative learning in groups, and the alternate selection and assessment techniques the university has been trialling; the second about a Māori mentoring pilot pairing students with mentors in the workplace; and third, examining students’ experiences and expectations of the Diploma as a pathway into degree study.

Our story offers an example of how a focus on quality and accountability to local business stakeholders has created a successful co-curricular learning environment, and suggests the value of combining the three strands of research, teamwork and co-curricular projects.

While the context is of a small, regional institute, many of the elements of good practice will be transferable to other higher education providers.

Outlines the development of the UK′s system of National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs), discussing the rationale for NVQs and considering some of the criticisms of these qualifications made by industrialists, economists and educators. Goes on to offer some new evidence on the early take‐up of NVQs showing that some trainees do not receive the award for which they are aiming. Although more people are becoming qualified, it seems that there is significant underrepresentation of particular groups, occupations and industries.