The workshop brings together curricula developers and skill testing specialists to identify the main requirements for improving and developing skill testing and occupational tests in Jordan. It is organized by the ILO and the Center of Accreditation and Quality Assurance (CAQA) as part of the project “Tripartite Action for Youth Employment in Jordan”.

National exit examinations feature in the three main streams of the national Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system in Jordan. Candidates in the Ministry of Education vocational stream must obtain a secondary certificate (the Tawjihi), those in Vocational Training Corporation programmes must pass terminal examinations, and students in community colleges sit for a comprehensive examination to obtain their diploma. These national examinations provide a basis for evaluating how well the training is achieving its objectives.

Topics Covered:

• Knowledge exchange on international, regional and national experiences in skills assessment and certification,
• SWOT analysis for the existing skill testing system,
• The main requirements for improving the existing skill and certification system.

Background:

The existence of national examinations for the graduates of training programmes is a decided strength of the Jordanian system, but at the same time there are weaknesses related to the purpose of the examinations and built-in subjectivity. First, performance in the MoE examinations cannot be considered as a true index of learning achievement. The purpose of the examinations is really to regulate access to post-secondary education and may not reliably evaluate the students’ knowledge and competencies. Second, the examinations are conceived and administered by each agency itself, without employer involvement.

Therefore, it is preferable to have third-party examinations, particularly examinations overseen by employers, to ensure that the standards and requirements of end users are being met. In this context, and according to the Article (11) of ETVET Council Law issued Aug. 2008, the Center of Accreditation and Quality Assurance (CAQA) is established. In May 2012, the system of the centres was issued determining the CAQA roles and functions in:

• Developing accreditation and quality assurance criteria for TVET sector
• Developing criteria for vocational instructors, trainers and practitioners
• Developing and organizing the occupational examinations on the three occupational levels: semi- skilled, skilled and craftsman
• Developing national bank for theoretical and practical examinations in collaboration with concerned institutions and private sector