February 2019 Issue 2 Opportunities for Life & Living
MSLETB QUALITY ASSURANCE NEWSLETTER
www.msletb.ie
MSLETB Quality Assurance Newsletter
Welcome Welcome to the second issue of the Quality Assurance Newsletter. This issue has information on a range of staff CPD and training options for the new year. MSLETB has a Staff CPD Policy that provides an opportunity for staff to apply for partial funding to assist them in related professional development programmes and staff working in the following areas may request supports: •
Maintenance & Support Staff
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Adult Education Staff
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Special Needs Assistants & Personal Assistants
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Clerical & Administration Staff
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Teaching Staff
Please contact your line manager to find out more.
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FEBRUARY 2019
Green Paper on Assessment – MSLETB’s Response Following the publication in March 2018 of QQI’s Green Paper on Assessment of Learners and Learning, MSLETB made a formal response in relation to a number of topics set out in the paper including issues around apprenticeship, unitisation of assessment, the burden of assessment on providers and academic integrity. The submission was based on the feedback gathered at a meeting specially convened to discuss the QQI Green Paper and involved staff who work in the area of Training Standards and Quality Assurance, as well as the experience and knowledge of FET staff.
MSLETB Awards Day MSLETB seeks to encourage, promote and acknowledge excellence by recognising learners and staff for either group or individual achievements or projects. On 14th March 2019, we will host our third Annual Awards Ceremony. Applications are invited for projects/ initiatives completed by staff and/ or Students, Learners and Trainees under the following categories: •
CONTRIBUTION TO LOCAL COMMUNITY/SOCIETY
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INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY
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ARTS, CULTURE AND HERITAGE
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HEALTH AND WELLBEING
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ENTREPRENEURSHIP
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STEM
Closing date for applications is 8th February 2019 at 12 noon and you can find out more on the website: http://mayosligoleitrim.etb.ie/annual-awards-2019/
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MSLETB Quality Assurance Newsletter
Module Descriptor Review In 2018, all validated module descriptors were updated with MSLETB branding and all references to FETAC removed. If teaching staff feel that there are any changes or updates that need to be made to a particular module, we ask that they complete the Module Descriptor Review Form which is available in the ‘QA Forms’ folder on the Quality Assurance SCORE site and email it to qualityassurance@msletb.ie
A big welcome to new staff member, Damien Melly, who has recently taken up the position of Training Standards Officer in the
Replacement QQI Certificates
Sligo Training Centre.
If a learner needs to replace a Further Education and Training certificate awarded by NCVA/FETAC/ QQI there are two options: •
Request a Record of Awards – this is a full statement of all FET certificates and components and their grades. There is a €20 fee for this service.
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Request a Replacement Certificate – this can only be issued if the learner has achieved their QQI award after 01/01/2016. There is a €100 fee for this service.
You can find out more here https://qhelp.qqi.ie/learners/lost-certificate/ **Learners who have completed an Apprenticeship/Craft Certificate with FÁS prior to June 2001 should send their requests to SOLAS at the following email address, appship@solas.ie and they will advise further.
As part of the ongoing development of the part-time services in MSLETB, a number of information sessions for programme coordinators, administration staff and tutors took place across the three counties last October and November. Pictured at the Claremorris session are (L-R) Mary Brodie, Orla Ryder and Cathy Powell.
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Final submission date for this certification period. All quality assured results must be
April
submitted and the declaration completed
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Final Statement of Results available to download
FEBRUARY 2019
QQI Key Dates 2019 April
02
Issue of certificates for APRIL certification period
A full list is available on the QQI website May
June Certification 2019 Levels 1-10 All results being submitted for this period must have gone through internal and external quality assurance prior to submission. Accuracy of data is your responsibility.
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June
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Final submission date for this certification period. All quality assured results must be submitted and the declaration completed. This is the deadline for initial CAO offers. It is vital that this deadline be met for any learners who have applied to CAO using Level 5/6 awards.
June
Final Statement of Results available to download
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Issue of certificates for JUNE certification period
July
Programme Updates 2019 Key Dates and Information - Awards and Certification
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Through the Programme Approval Committee (PAC), centres/colleges can request that MSLETB add a component or components to an already validated programme (as long as they constitute a change of less than 20% of the overall programme). Recently, components have been added to the following programmes: •
Business Administration 5M2468
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Hairdressing 5M3346
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Community Health Services 5M4468
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General Learning (Skills for Life) 3M0874
A full list of updated programmes can be found on the Quality Assurance SCORE page
Pictured at a recent graduation ceremony in Belmullet for learners from the VTOS, BTEI and Literacy programmes are: (L-R) Liesl Marcroft, Mary Morrissey, Margaret Kieran, Mary Brodie, Margaret Tallot and Mary Healy Carter.
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MSLETB Quality Assurance Newsletter
New QQI Quality Assurance Guidelines Website QQI have developed a new easy-to-navigate website containing all of their QA G uidelines. The website also maps out the connection between all of these guidelines. You can access interactive PDFs, browse an entire document or go directly to a particular section and read or print off the one you need. There is also a resource section which provides links to other useful quality assurance content online. Check out the website here: http://www.qqi-qaguidelines.com/
Upcoming CPD Events SAGE PAYE Modernisation Training: Thursday 7th February, 10.00am – 4.30pm, MSLETB Training Centre, Ballytivnan, Sligo, F91 N284. Lunch provided. Email: fionakieran@msleb.ie **Limited places available**
FESS CPD Events: Restorative Practice in FET 14th February, 2019 The target audience for this workshop is FET teachers and tutors and FET staff working in coordination, management and leadership roles. Active Learning and Teaching Workshop: Thinking with your Hands using Lego® Serious Play® 25th March 2019 The target audience for this workshop is FET staff working with teams or with learners For more information and to book a place on any of these CPD events, go to www.fess.ie and look for their CPD Calendar under ‘Professional Development’.
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FEBRUARY 2019
eCollege What is eCollege? eCollege is a SOLAS-funded online training facility that provides a range of high quality interactive online learning courses, available any time through broadband Internet access, for those who wish to learn at their own pace. eCollege courses are available free of charge to FET staff members within DES/SOLAS funded, QQI registered providers. FET staff members can also access free assessment and certification connected to these courses. One must be registered with eCollege in order to access online courses. What courses are available to FET staff members on eCollege? A full list can be found here on the FESS website. How do you register for a course on eCollege? FET staff members wishing to access eCollege courses must register with eCollege, via FESS, by emailing the following information to ecollege@fess.ie •
NAME
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CENTRE NAME
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CENTRE ADDRESS
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EMAIL ADDRESS
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FULL NAMES OF ECOLLEGE COURSE(S) YOU WISH TO JOIN
NALA and the ‘Research in School & Education’ (RISE) Research Group, School of Education, Trinity College Dublin will host: Sharpening your numeracy teaching skills: A professional development event for adult numeracy practitioners and further education and training practitioners who want to learn more about numeracy. Thursday 7 March 2019 from 9.30 am to 3.30 pm Synge Theatre, Arts Block, School of Education, Trinity College Dublin
You will find more information and registration details on the NALA website.
All staff are required to implement the updated version of the Work Experience modules from January 2019 unless the modules have already commenced.
If you have any feedback, ideas or suggestions, please contact the team on: qualityassurance@msletb.ie
Pictured outside the newly opened Youthreach centre in Mohill, Co. Leitrim are staff members (L-R) Emer Healy, Wilma Farrell, Cathriona Glancy O’Shea and Karen Murray.
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MSLETB Quality Assurance Newsletter
Technology Enhanced Learning As part of MSLETB’s Technology Enhanced Learning strategy, all staff members can avail of one-toone ICT coaching in the following areas: •
Using your Surface day to day for work (connecting to Wifi, installing other software that you need and setting up Outlook, Calendars, file management in OneDrive)
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Accessing and using other Office 365 Apps including SCORE, OneNote, Class Notebook, Forms
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Training in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote
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Using your Surface in the classroom, connecting to projectors, etc
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Sharing learning resources with colleagues and students in OneDrive and OneNote
Please contact Thomas Howley at thowley@365learning.ie or 087 749 7293
It is essential that staff go to the Quality Assurance SCORE site to download the most up-to-date module descriptors prior to course commencement.
If you are having issues accessing any areas of SCORE, please raise a ticket with IT stating your email address, where you work and the pages you are seeking access to.
A request for estimates will soon be issued to all FE Centres for the QQI June assessment period.
MSLETB, with partner ETBs WWETB and GRETB, are currently developing new agriculture programmes (under new QQI validation criteria). Staff members from Westport College of Further Education have been working hard on programme development and pictured here are some of the team at a recent consultation event in Hotel Westport. Back, L-R: Cormac Langan and John Sloyan Front, Front, L-R: Gordan McCann and Mary Greally
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FEBRUARY 2019
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