Reflections on Vocational Education and Emerging Opportunities

Joe Wilson FRSA, Quality Assurance Specialist TQER, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education

Joe Wilson FRSA, Quality Assurance Specialist TQER, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education

I currently work across Scotland's tertiary education system, supporting quality and learning technology initiatives in colleges and universities. Throughout my career, I’ve contributed to policy development, staff training, and system rollouts at international, national, and institutional levels, always with a vocational focus.

Driving change in qualifications and assessment strategies is challenging. Teachers and institutions often resist innovation, seeing it as disruptive rather than transformative. But meaningful alignment comes from close dialogue with industry and a strong focus on preparing learners for the realities of the workplace.

Right now, artificial intelligence presents exciting possibilities. The traditional reliance on essay writing to demonstrate competence is outdated. Shifting to more authentic assessment models demands significant changes in academic practice. This should not diminish a focus on effective communication skills.

Fortunately, the technology and open standards for digital assessment and certification already exist. With thoughtful adoption, they’re straightforward to implement. The real barriers are often cultural, not technical. Institutions cling to legacy practices, even when modern alternatives better serve learners.

Putting learners first means embracing assessment methods that support their development while saving educators time. Digital certification, with granular competency statements, makes course expectations clearer. When learners know what they must be able to do, not just what they need to know, it helps educators design better instruction and gives employers more relevant insight into graduate capabilities.

Quality assurance will gradually evolve in step with these shifts. Globally, many industries already use certification and micro-credentialing frameworks that higher education has been slow to accept, too often held back by academic snobbery. I hope to see institutions of all sizes take up these models.

In the UK, national occupational standards remain essential for vocational qualifications. In the future, global standards may emerge, but geopolitical influences on education make truly cross-border systems difficult. That said, workable models already exist. The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), for example, allows credit mobility between institutions. In Scotland, SCQF credit points convert into ECTS and vice versa, easing learner transitions across borders. The opportunities for learners are enormous, if education leaders can build flexible, trustworthy assessment and qualification pathways. This does not require sacrificing rigour. The key lies in openness: open teaching resources, open standards, and smart technology integration.

Today’s virtual learning environments already come equipped with tools for global delivery; standards-based repositories, assessment engines, e-portfolios, microcredentialing systems. Institutions must reimagine their offer, not only to current learners but to a global learning community. In Scotland, we see education as a public good. Technology allows us to extend that ethos even further.

For leaders worldwide, the path forward begins by embracing open learning. Adopting UNESCO’s policies on Open Educational Resources is a great place to start.