Hong Kong and Guangdong signed the Letter of Intent on Enhancing Exchange on and Transferability of Vocational Standards and Qualifications Recognition

Qualifications Framework Secretariat (QFS) and the Guangdong Occupational Skill Testing Authority (OSTA) signed the "Letter of Intent on Enhancing the Exchange on and Transferability of Vocational Standards and Qualifications Recognition between Hong Kong and Guangdong" on 24 May 2011, witnessed by representatives from the Education Bureau (EDB) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Department of Human Resources and Social Security of Guangdong. On that basis, the QFS and the Guangdong OSTA will establish a working group to facilitate exchange between Hong Kong and Guangdong regarding their vocational standards and qualifications recognition and to study the comparability of, among other things, the national occupational skill testing mechanism vis-à-vis the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) mechanism under the Qualifications Framework (QF) and the development of Specifications of Competency Standards (SCSs). The group will also explore the feasibility of cooperation and the transferability of vocational standards and qualifications recognition between the two places. The signing of the letter of intent was the first crucial step towards enabling the HKQF and the national vocational qualification system to articulate with each other in the future. 

Witnesses:

• Mrs Cherry TSE, Permanent Secretary for Education
• Mr OU Zhenzhi, Director-General of the Department of Human Resources and Social Security of Guangdong Province
• Ms Michelle LI, Deputy Secretary for Education
• Mr ZHANG Fengqi, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Human Resources and Social Security of Guangdong Province

Signatories:

• Dr Carrie WILLIS, Executive Director of the Vocational Training Council
• Mr CHEN Ruibin, Director of the Guangdong Occupational Skill Testing Authority