What Does ‘Qualification’ Mean?

There is no single understanding of the meaning of the term ‘qualification’ that is appropriate for all ETF partner countries. The meaning can vary even within the different stakeholder groups within a single country. While there is value in seeking similarities in the understanding of ‘qualification’, and in the drafting of a general definition for the sake of coherence and transparency, the differences in meaning cannot be disregarded. These differences reflect deeply embedded social and cultural understandings that have existed for many years and have evolved with social change during that time. This chapter is therefore more concerned with appreciating the differences in understandings of the concepts that are associated with qualification than making a case for a consensus view of qualification.

It can be said that at the core of the concept of qualification is a description of some kind of threshold for learning, a point at which a new position is established. This threshold is usually well defined and makes it possible to say whether a person has reached the point of qualification. For example, a person may show that they are able to carry out a job effectively and are qualified; or a person may have completed a particular task successfully, such as a test or examination, in which case they receive acknowledgement (recognition) of their success.