INQAAHE Talks on November 30, 2023
Unlocking the potential of Quality Assurance in Tertiary Education to trigger Employability
November 30, 2023 (Thursday)
15:00 - 16:30 CET/UTC+1
Online (via Zoom)
This INQAAHE Talks discussed on how both Internal and External Quality Assurance can serve as powerful tools in bridging the gap between tertiary education and the workforce.
The quality of tertiary education exerts a profound influence on the overall quality of the labor force and, consequently, bolster social and economic growth within a country and globally.
Aware of the disparity between the labor market and the tertiary education system, the Tertiary Education sector has taken actions. Over recent decades, TEIs have aligned their programs with the dynamic demands of the job market (professionalization of academic programs, internships and career counseling, support to entrepreneurship, learning outcomes-based curricula…). Furthermore, many TEIs aim to become catalysts for regional development, through business incubators, collaborative laboratories or applied research.
It is also evident that the relationship between Tertiary Education and employment continues to pose a challenge for numerous systems and institutions. Quality assurance has been steadily assuming a growing role in this transformation, with the potential to further enhance graduates' employability and align Tertiary Education with the developmental requirements of societies.
The INQAAHE Talks specifically focussed on how QA has equipped the Tertiary Education Sector to better connect with employment, namely:
- How QA can empower tertiary education institutions to fulfill their universal mission and respond to the ever-changing job market needs;
- How External QA Agencies (EQAP) can adapt their standards and methodologies to better align with the tertiary education mission operating in an ever-shifting landscape of employability;
- How Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) has paved the way for this transformative connection between Tertiary Education and Employability;
- Which synergy between internal and external QA could create an environment where programs turn students into prime candidates for the job market and spearhead their entrepreneurship?
An engaging INQAAHE Talks tailored for our community. Be part of the dialogue on:
- The significant strides taken in IQA to connecting Tertiary Education with employability with Michaela Martin (UNESCO-IIEP).
- How QA Commons (USA) has adapted to better serve the needs of university universities and employers in the United States.
- Students' expectations and their pivotal role in shaping QA, with the Global Student Forum (GSF).
- Gain insights from 20 years of AQU Catalunya's graduate tracking surveys and how the results can be used to enhance employability.
The following speakers joined us in this session:
Dr. Michaela Martin
Michaela Martin has a track record of more than 30 years in research and teaching in higher education policy, governance and planning. She holds a doctorate in Education from the University of Paris, a Post-graduate degree from the College of Europe, Bruges, Belgium, a Master’s degree in Franco-German Economic Relations from the University of Paris III (France).
Since she joined the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) in 1990, she has been specializing in the management of higher education. Since 2004, she has been in charge of an international research and training programme in the area of internal and external quality assurance in higher education. Since 2017, she is in charge of a research on flexible learning pathways in higher education. Since September 2022 she is the interim Assistant Director a.i. at UNESCO IIEP.
Over the years, she has published some 50 single or co-authored books, articles and several series of training modules.
Michelle Deasy
Michelle has helped lead Quality Assurance Commons (QA Commons), a US-based nonprofit organization focused on Employability, since 2019. The mission of QA Commons is to ensure all learners are prepared for the changing dynamics of the workforce and economy. QA Commons’ work is centered on an Employability Framework that consists of eight Essential Employability Qualities (EEQs), as well as five standards of care for educational programs seeking to ensure their completers are prepared to succeed in the workplace and advance through a career.
Before joining QA Commons, Michelle spent four years at the RP Group, a research-based organization focused on student success and equity in the California Community Colleges. Prior to her work in education, she held corporate roles at Oracle Corporation, Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, and Atlas Capital Advisors. She has also served as a consultant to education-centered nonprofit organizations and has served as a board member of several other charitable entities.
Michelle holds a bachelor's degree in Development Sociology from Cornell University and a master's degree in Demography from UC Berkeley.
Grace Franco
Grace Franco (she/her) is currently a Steering Committee Member at the Global Student Forum and the National Welfare Officer for the National Union of Students Australia). She resides on Kaurna Country (Adelaide, South Australia), where she studies an undergraduate double degree of Law and International Relations at the University of Adelaide.
Grace is a Narungga woman; her lived experience provides a deeply sad but unique outlook, giving her the ability to empathise with people who are struggling with the effects of systemic inequality and who are fighting for equal representation. Grace’s Indigenous heritage empowers her to advocate for the rights of Indigenous students. She also advocates for women’s rights, climate action, and the right to education. Grace is honoured to utilise her platforms through amplifying the voices of people and students from minority backgrounds.
Dr. Anna Prades
Dr. Anna Prades sits in the Board of Directors of the International Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (INQAAHE) as Treasurer, since October 2021. She is Head of Internationalisation and Knowledge Generation Department of AQU Catalunya, where she has been working since 2001. She has a degree in Psychology (1996) and a PhD in Pedagogy (2005) from the University of Barcelona. During the last years, her main endeavour in AQU Catalunya has been the building up of a system of evidences for quality assurance (official descriptors, academic indicators, assessment results, graduates and employer surveys) and the integration of these indicators in a platform for public information in order to generate trust in the Catalan Higher Education System (EUC studies).
This session was moderated by:
Dr. Fabrizio Trifiro
Dr. Fabrizio Trifiro’ is an international expert in quality assurance and international education. He heads Ecctis (formerly UK NARIC) quality benchmark services aimed at supporting the international recognition of qualifications in challenging areas, and leads strategic engagement with key international stakeholders. In this role Fabrizio developed the TNE Quality Benchmark and TVET Quality Review and Accreditation, the only international schemes aimed at improving international understanding and trust of TNE and TVET qualifications respectively, regardless of countries of origin.
Prior to joining NARIC, Fabrizio was with the UK Quality Assurance Agency for over 10 years, where he led on the quality assurance of UK TNE, the international students experience, and cross-border cooperation with international QA bodies and networks.