MANILA, 13 October 2014 - Following endorsement of the ASEAN Qualification Reference Framework (AQRF) by the ASEAN Economic Ministers and the ASEAN Education Ministers in August and September 2014, respectively, the Task Force on AQRF met in Manila last week to progress the discussion of the AQRF implementation.

AQRF, a common reference framework, functions as a device to enable comparisons of qualifications of skilled labour across the ASEAN Member States. The framework, among others, supports recognition of qualification, promote quality of education and learning, and facilitate labour mobility. It addresses all education and training, including formal, non-formal and informal learning. Noting that the ASEAN Member States are at different stages of development, each country is expected to voluntarily comply with the AQRF at their own capacity and start the referencing process by 2016 and at the latest by 2018.

The Task Force deliberated on the architecture and mechanism to implement the framework including governance structure, quality assurance arrangements, referencing process, and communication strategies. The Task Force members are expected to undertake national consultations on agreed proposed approach particularly on the establishment of an AQRF Board.

The development of AQRF and the activities of the Task Force, including bilateral technical exchanges among relevant qualification related agencies, are supported by the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) Economic Cooperation Support Program (AECSP) Project on Education Training and Governance: Capacity Building for National Qualifications Framework. For more information, please visit https://aanzfta.asean.org.