The Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) is the new framework for creating and accrediting qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It's at the heart of a major reform of the vocational qualifications system, which will become simpler to understand and use, more accessible to a wider range of learners, and more relevant to learners' and employers' needs.

How will the QCF help me understand the qualifications system?

At the moment you might find it hard to understand all the different types of qualification that employees hold - how difficult they are, how long they take to complete, what content they cover, and how they compare to other qualifications.

The QCF presents qualifications in a way that is easy for everyone to understand.

What are the benefits of the QCF?

For employers the QCF:

• actively involves you in deciding what training and education is needed for your industry's future
• enables you to join forces with other employers to create qualifications relevant to your sector
• lets you get your in-house training recognised as a qualification within a national framework
• can be tailored to suit your company's needs - you can get single units of training recognised as well as whole qualifications
• can improve employee satisfaction, motivation and retention, and lead to better trained staff
• increases the quality of your training and assessment
• helps you quickly measure the level and size of prospective employees' achievements
• makes training options and pathways clear, helping you and your employees find the right training for your business and their learning needs
• enables you to target your training to the needs of your employees.

When is it happening?

It's expected that all accredited vocational qualifications will be on the QCF by the end of 2010.

Further information:

More information about QCF is available at www.qcda.gov.uk/qcf