Quality and Accreditations Unit
Welcome to USP Pacific TAFE Quality and Accreditation Unit (QAU).
USP Pacific Technical and Further Education (Pacific TAFE) is a strategically amalgamated and integrated learning and teaching section which offers high quality Skills Based Qualifications (SBQ’s), Foundation and Preliminary studies.
The Pacific TAFE Quality Office operates under the Director Pacific TAFE.
QAU is primarily responsible for supporting the accreditations, audits and reviews and for leading improvement in quality assurance in all areas of Pacific TAFE operations. The key responsibilities of the Quality Office include:
Quality assurance
The office facilitates key quality assurance and improvement initiatives namely national and international recognition of the institution and accreditation of the programmes of Pacific TAFE.
Pacific TAFE currently has seventeen (17) international accreditations/recognitions for its qualifications and twenty-six (26) qualifications accredited by the Fiji Higher Education Commission.
Programme development
The Quality Office works with College Heads and is responsible for development, internal quality and programme approval through the university quality assurance structure.
Compliance
We work with the colleges to ensure that they maintain compliance with the standards/requirements of the accrediting agencies for the programmes that are internationally accredited. In addition, to ensure that all university policies, procedures and structures are complied with and conformed to at all time.
Monitoring
The office monitors adherence of the Colleges to the Internal Quality Assurance Framework (IQAF) of the Pacific TAFE. The IQAF provides standards and guidelines for the internal quality assurance of Pacific TAFE.
It is indicative of Pacific TAFE’s firm commitment to maintaining its academic standards, continuously improving all its activities and ensuring the effective and efficient delivery of educational and training services. Pacific TAFE needs to do this in order to:
- Prove itself as the leading provider of preliminary, foundation and skills based education and training in the region.
- Enhance its reputation as the preferred destination for preliminary, foundation and skills based education and training in the region.
- Enhance labour mobility and portability of its qualifications in the Pacific region and beyond.
- Enhance cross accreditation of its qualifications to enable graduates to pursue higher qualifications at USP and other institutions.
- Provide pathways for the graduates of its programmes to pursue higher level qualifications at USP and other institutions.
- Maximise its engagement with communities, industries and employment agencies.
- Attract high school leavers and adult learners from the region and beyond.
- Attract staff of the highest caliber.
- Maximise employability and career prospects of its graduates.
- Achieve its registration and the accreditation of its programmes by external accreditation agencies.
- Maximize the uptake of its qualification by other providers of higher education and training in the region under a franchise agreement.
Programme reviews, and quality audits
The Quality office conducts programme reviews and quality audits as and when required to ensure that the high quality and international standards of programmes are maintained.
Accreditation for Pacific TAFE Programmes
INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITATIONS
- Certificate III in Commercial Cookery qualification
Has been accredited by International Centre of Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality Education (THE- ICE).
- Certificate IV in Hospitality Operations programme
Has been accredited by International Centre of Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality Education (THE- ICE).
* THE – ICE has also given institutional accreditation to Pacific TAFE, USP.
- Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care qualification
Has been approved by Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)
The ACECQA is the national body that guides and reports on the National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care (NQF) in Australia, and ensures children receive a high standard of education and care. This achievement means that our students studying in this programme are well recognised not only in the region but in Australia as the level III Early Childhood Education & Care Worker.
- Certificate III in Community Development Programme
Has been accredited by Australian Community Workers Association (ACWA).
- Certificate IV in Commercial Cookery qualification
Has been accredited by International Centre of Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality Education (THE- ICE).
- Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care (Level 5)
Has been approved by Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)
This achievement means that our students studying in this programme are well recognised not only in the region but in Australia as the Diploma level 5 Early Childhood Education & Care Worker.
- Diploma of Counselling (Level 5)
Has been accredited by Australian Community Workers Association (ACWA)
- Diploma of Library and Information Services
Has been accredited by Australian Library and Information Association
- Certificate III in Patisserie
Has been accredited by International Centre of Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality Education (THE- ICE).
- Diploma in Culinary Arts and Management Programme (THE-ICE, Australia)
INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITIONS
- Certificate III in Small Business Development and Management
Has been endorsed by Small Business Association of Australia (SBAA)
- Foundation Arts Programme
Has been given recognition by Universities New Zealand
The Subcommittee on University Entrance has agreed that the USP Foundation Studies Programme be recognised for New Zealand university entrance purposes. The minimum entrance standard is as follows:
Applicants who have completed the University of the South Pacific’s (USP) Foundation Studies programme in Arts, Business or Science with a grade average of B or higher and no grade lower than C in the 8 required courses may be admitted ad eundem statum at entrance level. (Courses additional to the required 8 may be at lower grades.)
This decision means that every university in New Zealand will be prepared to consider an application from a person who has completed the above programme at the specified level.
- Foundation Business Programme
Has been given recognition by Universities New Zealand
The Subcommittee on University Entrance has agreed that the USP Foundation Studies Programme be recognised for New Zealand university entrance purposes. The minimum entrance standard is as follows:
Applicants who have completed the University of the South Pacific’s (USP) Foundation Studies programme in Arts, Business or Science with a grade average of B or higher and no grade lower than C in the 8 required courses may be admitted ad eundem statum at entrance level. (Courses additional to the required 8 may be at lower grades.)
This decision means that every university in New Zealand will be prepared to consider an application from a person who has completed the above programme at the specified level.
- Foundation Science Programme
Has been given recognition by Universities New Zealand
The Subcommittee on University Entrance has agreed that the USP Foundation Studies Programme be recognised for New Zealand university entrance purposes. The minimum entrance standard is as follows:
Applicants who have completed the University of the South Pacific’s (USP) Foundation Studies programme in Arts, Business or Science with a grade average of B or higher and no grade lower than C in the 8 required courses may be admitted ad eundem statum at entrance level. (Courses additional to the required 8 may be at lower grades.)
This decision means that every university in New Zealand will be prepared to consider an application from a person who has completed the above programme at the specified level.
- Short Course Accreditation
100 of Pacific TAFE short courses have received full accreditation from the CPD Certification Services in United Kingdom. These short courses are offered by Workforce Development and Training Unit of Pacific TAFE.
| Pacific TAFE Programme | Year of Full Accreditation with the FHEC | |
| 1 | Certificate IV in Human Resource Management | June 2016 |
| 2 | Certificate IV in Project Management | June 2016 |
| 3 | Certificate III in Commercial Cookery | June 2016 |
| 4 | Certificate IV in Hospitality Operations | June 2016 |
| 5 | Certificate IV in Accounting | June 2016 |
| 6 | Diploma in Accounting (Level 5) | June 2016 |
| 7 | Certificate IV in Information Technology – Support | June 2016 |
| 8 | Diploma in Information Technology (Level 5) | June 2016 |
| 9 | Certificate IV in Office Management | June 2016 |
| 10 | Certificate IV in Commercial Cookery | June 2017 |
| 11 | Diploma in Human Resource Management | June 2017 |
| 12 | Certificate IV in Fisheries Enforcement and Compliance | June 2017 |
| 13 | Certificate IV in Library / Information Studies | June 2017 |
| 14 | Certificate IV in Training Assessment and Evaluation | October 2017 |
| 15 | Certificate IV in Early Childhood Education and Care | October 2017 |
| 16 | Diploma in Office Management | June 2016 |
| 17 | Certificate III in Small Business Development & Management | July 2018 |
| 18 | Professional Diploma in Business Management | July 2018 |
| 19 | Certificate III in Community Development | July 2018 |
| 20 | Certificate in Early Childhood and Care (Level 3) | October 2018 |
| 21 | Diploma of Early Childhood and Care | October 2018 |
| 22 | Diploma of Counselling (Level 5) | May 2019 |
| 23 | Diploma of Library and Information Services ( Level 5) | July 2019 |
| 24 | Certificate IV in Counselling | July 2020 |
| 25 | Certificate IV in Coastal Fisheries and Aquaculture Compliance | May 2021 |
| 26 | Certificate IV in Cybersecurity | July 2021 |
External accreditation by Fiji Higher Education Commission (FHEC)
* These programmes have also been given recognition by Pacific Register of Qualifications and Standards (PRQS) and appear on PRQS.