6-3 Programme Design, Review and Quality Enhancement

Work-based learning Programmes are designed to meet employer and industry needs. Institutions have mechanisms in place to enable employers, industry bodies and employees who have participated in the programme to contribute to the design, ongoing review and quality assurance and enhancement of the programme.  

• Mechanisms are in place to enable Programme Teams to have meaningful dialogues with employers, any relevant professional bodies and sector skills councils and employees accessing work-based programmes to ensure WBL programmes continue to meet needs, relevant occupational standards and facilitate workforce development and career progression.
• Mechanisms are in place to enable employers and industry representatives to input to programme approval, validation and programme review and quality assurance processes.
• Institutional Programme review processes offer flexibility to enable programme teams to request amendments to programme structures, content and assessments methods to satisfy employer needs. 
• Employers use company appraisal/professional development systems to capture views about programmes and feedback comments to programme teams.
• The Programme Design enables the attainment of learning outcomes to be personalised to individual employees/employer needs.
• The Programme Design enables learning outcomes to be achieved through activities that are based on the context of an individual’s work or workplace
• The Programme Design is based on blended and flexible approaches that focus on process-driven curriculum, self-directed learning, experiential learning and evidence-based assessment.
• The Programme Design enables learners flexibility to determine progression pathways that meet individual or employer need.
• The Programme Design offers a range of exit Qualifications and professional awards informed by relevant occupational standards, employer needs, professional bodies and career progression.
• The Programme Design and any associated exit qualifications offers cross-border mobility with consistency/portability of outputs and standards/learning outcomes, irrespective of geography.
• Programme monitoring and quality assurance processes are designed to engage and actively seek feedback from work-based learners.
• Institutional learner satisfaction tools are designed to actively seek feedback from work-based learners and their employers. 

• Examples of Industry/Education Forums that provide an effective vehicle for ongoing dialogue between employers, work-based learners, professional bodies and programme teams.
• Examples of Institutional quality assurance and enhancement policies, strategies and procedures that insist on employer/ professional body input to Programme Design, Programme Approval and Validation and review.
• Examples of where dialogue with employers/ WB Learners and/or professional bodies have resulted in changes to programme designs, structures, delivery models and assessment methods.
• Examples of Programme Designs that have been influenced by employer/professional body needs.
• Examples of Programme Designs that offer work-based learners flexibility and choice relating to satisfying learning outcomes, progression, exit qualifications relating to their work and/or, professional development needs. 
• Feedback from work-based learners and/or employers to satisfaction surveys.