Trade and other vocational qualifications were in the spotlight this week as the regulator of general and vocational qualifications in England and Northern Ireland met for a discussion with the Stormont Employment and Learning Minister, Danny Kennedy.

The Ulster Unionist Minister welcomed the Board of the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation Board (Ofqual) and its Northern Ireland Committee to their first local meeting.

The meeting provided the Minister with the opportunity to discuss Ofqual's present regulatory role in NI, the Vocational Qualifications Reform Programme and the value and importance of vocational qualifications to the NI economy.

Highlighting the significance of the meeting, the Minister said: "I want to welcome the Board to Northern Ireland and appreciate this opportunity to meet with them and the NI Committee.

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"Ofqual has made, and I have no doubt will continue to make, an extremely valuable contribution in raising quality standards through its effective monitoring.

"It is Ofqual that provides the all-important guarantees that the vocational qualifications on offer are fit for purpose, have public confidence and are robust enough to stand the test of time," he said.

"More so now than ever, given our stringent economic climate, effective education and training have a crucial role in building successful economies for the future.

"A key element of my Department's strategy is based on ensuring that the skills and qualifications needed by employers in Northern Ireland are identified and these needs met.

"A regulated system of vocational qualifications, in which everyone can have confidence, is a key ingredient of this approach.

"Vocational qualifications can have a transformational impact on peoples' lives, both in terms of their career prospects and their own personal development.

"They provide people with the knowledge, skills and confidence to excel in their chosen area. These qualifications underpin my Department's drive to raise the skills levels of the Northern Ireland population as a whole," he said, thanking Ofqual for the important role that it has played, and will continue to play, in the reformed system of vocational qualifications across the UK.

He said: "Northern Ireland needs vocational qualifications system which supports learners pursuing the vocational route to gain the essential skills and competence for the workplace.

"That is the bedrock on which companies can rely to develop their workforces that will enable businesses to compete in global markets."

(BMcC/GK)