The QF in Hong Kong launched by the Education Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is a seven-level hierarchy covering qualifications in the academic, vocational and professional as well as continuing education sectors to promote and support lifelong learning with a view to continuously enhancing the quality, professionalism and competitiveness of the workflow in an increasingly globalised and knowledge-based economy.

The Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications, in its statutory role as the Accreditation Authority and Qualifications Register Authority, is tasked with the responsibility of assuring the quality of qualifications recognised under the QF and the administration of the QR.

For information about the QF, please visit the QF website at www.hkqf.gov.hk.

The QR is a register established by the Secretary for Education under the Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications Ordinance for entering qualifications recognised under the QF. The Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) has been specified in the Ordinance as the authority for developing and maintaining the QR. 

The QR provides information on qualifications recognised under the QF, including the learning programmes leading to these qualifications and the relevant operators. It also provides information on qualifications which are awarded by assessment agencies appointed for conducting Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) assessments. For more information about the RPL mechanism, please visit the QF website at www.hkqf.gov.hk.

The QR does NOT provide information on the qualifications possessed by individual persons.

It is not mandatory for operators to register their qualifications in the QR. All qualifications registered in the QR have been quality assured by an appropriate accreditation authority including HKCAAVQ or a self-accrediting operator.

Since its launch in 2008, QR has undergone various developments to cope with the needs of stakeholders. You may have a quick view of its development in the following video:

The QR can assist a whole range of users (including students, parents, employees, employers, education / training operators and appointed assessment agencies) to plan future study paths and continuing education.

For Learners

The QR publishes qualifications offered by education and training operators. These qualifications are grouped by areas of study/training and/or by industry. The types of information include the granting body, level of the qualification, credit value of qualification, and mode of delivery, etc.

The QR helps you to better understand the information of these qualifications and their relevancy to the industries concerned, and it helps you map out your learning pathways for progression in the direction you desire.

For Employees Seeking Recognition of Skills, Knowledge or Experience in an Industry

The Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and Recognition of Professional qualifications are two mechanisms under HKQF to assist industry practitioners in obtaining QF-recognised qualifications relevant to specific industries or professions.  

RPL mechanism aims to acknowledge the work experience and skills accumulated by industry practitioners in the workplace.  Professional Qualifications refers to qualifications granted by an Appointed Assessment Agencies for Professional Qualifications granted to individuals taking into account of their academic qualifications, prescribed years of industry or professional experience and passing of a robust assessment in written or practical format. 

Specification of Competency Standard (SCS)-based and Vocational Qualifications Pathway (VQP) courses help you to equip the essential skills and knowledge needed for an industry / specific job role, so that you can better progress at various levels in the industry. 

 
QR publishes RPL qualifications, Professional Qualifications, SCS-based courses and VQP qualifications with designated labels for easy identification.

For Employers

The QR helps you to plan the human resources development of your company, and enhance the quality of your workforce through the Specification of Competency Standard (SCS)-based programmes.

The information on competency requirements helps you to determine the skills and knowledge an employee should acquire, and the relevance of the qualifications possessed by your employees.

The QR helps you to organise your staff training and development activities more effectively.

For Education/Training Operators

The QR disseminates information on the qualifications and learning programmes offered by your organisation in Hong Kong.

You will find out from the QR what learning programmes are available in the market. It helps you to plan and design your learning programmes to meet the specific needs of industries and learners.

For Appointed Assessment Agencies

The QR provides information to the public on the types of RPL and professional qualifications assessments conducted by your organisation and the qualifications that can be awarded.