THE RESULUTS OF a NATIONAL QUALIFICATION FRAMEWORK ANALYSIS, GRANTED AUTHORISATIONS AND REALIZED VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS EXAMINATIONS IN 2019

Jaroslav MUŽÍK
Lenka MUŽÍKOVÁ

Abstract
The aim of this paper is to present current information on the use of National Qualification Framework, authorisations being granted and realized vocational qualifications examinations in 2019 that were provided by the National Pedagogical Institute of the CR from the information system for qualification and authorisation (ISKA).
Key words: National Qualification Framework, Vocational Qualification, authorisation, final examinations, ISKA

The transformation of our economy after 1990 has led, to a considerable extent, to the deployment of workforce within the primary, secondary and tertiary sector. In the mid of the 1990s, there was a significant deployment of workers from the heavy industry and agriculture to the services sector and therefore to a considerable rise of employment. During this period, people would change very often their professions and work positions, using other vocational education for these changes, as the basis of vocational orientation and acquisition of basic knowledge and skills for new work activities. Due to the changes on the labour market and educational market, it was managed to maintain a relatively low unemployment rate in the 1990s which begun to rise gradually only from 1998, culminating in the time of financial and economy crisis in 2007 – 2009.
All these circumstances have led to the creation of Act No. 179/2006 Coll., on the verification and recognition of further education results and amendments to some acts (Act on the recognition of further education results) on the basis of which National Qualification Framework and vocational qualifications were established. Due to the created standards of vocational qualifications, the citizens can have their real knowledge, skills and experiences verified and recognised regardless the way they have obtained them (whether at school, in the course, by self-study or in practise). The following data and charts describe for which vocational qualifications authorisations are granted most frequently or which vocational qualification examinations are most frequently realized.

1426 vocational qualifications were approved in September 2021. All approved vocational qualifications are listed in the National Qualification Framework which is available at www.narodnikvalifikace.cz. The link contains the most important information for each approved vocational qualification (e.g., its qualification and evaluation standard, by which ministry authorisation is granted, a list of authorised persons that have a valid authorisation to perform final vocational qualifications examinations etc.). We will not find, however, summary information in the mentioned framework that would mention e.g., the numbers of realized vocational qualifications examinations, the number of granted authorisations etc.
This information can be found in the information system for qualifications and authorisations “ISKA“ which is administrated by the National Pedagogical Institute of the CR. Based on the project we have implemented, the National Pedagogical Institute of the CR was contacted with a request to provide information relating to the year of 2019 – e.g. the number of Vocational Qualifications examinations, the number of granted authorisations for individual vocational qualifications, the number of vocational qualifications under the responsibility of individual ministries (authorising bodies) etc. The statistically processed data provided by the National Pedagogical Institute of the CR are stated below.

Chart No.1: The number of granted authorisations and authorised persons in 2019 according to the particular regions

Source: An analysis of realized vocational qualification examinations in 2019

The above-mentioned chart mentions the number of granted authorisations and number of authorised persons in individual regions. The number of granted authorisations differs from the number of authorised persons because each authorised person can have several granted authorisations. In practise, we get along with the fact that several authorisations have been granted to the authorised person for professional qualification in the field in which they realize their services. In the field of body care e.g., the following authorisations have been granted for vocational qualification: Cosmetician, Make-Up Artist, Permanent Make-Up Expert etc.
The Capital of Prague ranked first in the number of granted authorisations, followed by the Moravia-Silesian and South-Moravian region. Here it is necessary to emphasise that the authorised persons have their registered office in individual regions, therefore it is not the place of realization of vocational qualifications examinations.
Authorisations for vocational qualifications are granted by authorising bodies which are responsible for the mentioned field (e.g., the Ministry of culture is the authorising body for vocational qualifications in the field of culture etc.). The numbers of newly approved professional qualifications in 2019 divided according to individual ministries are mentioned in the following chart:

Chart No.2: Number of newly approved vocational qualifications in 2019 under the responsibility of individual ministries

Source: An analysis of realized vocational qualifications examinations in 2019

The above chart indicates that the in terms of newly approved vocational qualifications, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is dominating. This is caused mainly by the fact that a large amount of newly of approved vocational qualifications was in the field of services which are regulated by the Trade Licensing Act which is the responsibility of Ministry of Industry and Trade. For this reason, even vocational qualifications in the field of services are not specifically focused (for instance on the medical care field), they are under the responsibility of Ministry of Industry and Trade.
The number of realized vocational qualifications examinations may reflect the current situation on the labour market or requests set out by legal rules, standards, or employers. The following chart shows data on the number of most successful vocational qualification examinations realized in 2019. The chart shows only tests that were one hundred and more.

Chart No. 3: The number of successful vocational qualifications examinations realized in 2019

Source: Analysis of realized vocational qualifications examinations in 2019

The above-mentioned chart is dominated by examinations from the guard vocational qualification which is because there is a decree No. 63/2010 Coll. which stipulates that in order to conduct a licensed trade – security of property and persons and a licensed trade of private detectives or for the execution of the activity - security of property and persons or to the execution of private detectives activity, it is necessary to have a vocational qualification examination passed.
There is a large interest in examinations from the child-care vocational qualification. In the case of a nanny, one of the variants for professional competence of the caring person (stipulated in act no.247/2014 Coll.) is the vocational qualification nanny for children under school age.
Large interest in vocational qualifications examinations such as cosmetician, manicurist and chiropodist, is on the other side caused by the fact that in these fields, after submitting a document of passed examination from the particular vocational qualification, it is possible to obtain a trade license.

As a conclusion, it can be stated that even though the National Qualification Framework has been built already since 2006, vocational qualifications have not yet been created for all work activities occurring at the Czech labour market which can, to a certain extent, influence the above-mentioned data.
Both the investigations of Realized accredited retraining programmes and vocational qualifications examinations in 2019 and above mentioned information from the ISKA information system related to the realized vocational qualifications examinations in 2019 indicate that the largest interest is in courses and examinations from vocational qualifications that are needed for the execution of “regulated“ work activities, either through a specific legal regulation or these courses or examinations are one of the variants to prove professional competence (e.g. set out by the Trade Licensing Act).

Acknowledgement
This paper is an output of the project Internal Grant Contest of the Jan Amos Komensky University Prague s.r.o. with a title “The research of the realization of retraining programmes and vocational qualifications examinations“ realized in 2020 and 2021.

Literature
Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports Act no. 179/2006 Coll. on the verification and recognition of further education results, as amended. 2006
MUŽÍKOVÁ, L. Analýza realizovaných zkoušek z profesních kvalifikací v roce 2019 a jejich statistické zpracování. Praha: Ujak, 2021 (internal grant reportu)
MUŽÍKOVÁ, L. Analýza výsledků šetření realizovaného u absolventů akreditovaných rekvalifikačních programů v roce 2019 a jejich statistické zpracování. Praha: Ujak, 2021 (internal grant report)

Contact address:
PhDr. Lenka Mužíková
Doctoral study student – Jan Amos Komensky Univesity Prague s.r.o.,
Roháčova 1148/63, 130 00 Prague 3, email: 1302190008@student.ujak.cz