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Program Accreditation

• List of Accredited Programs
• Definition
• Purpose and Objectives
• Benefits of Program Accreditation
• Program Accreditation Process
• Accreditation Team and Site Visit
• Provincial Apprenticeship and Certification Board Policy # 1 – Accreditation (58 KB)
• Accreditation Resource Manual (342 KB) (Revised November 2010)
• Accreditation Documents for Institutions
  • Phase I (89 KB) (Revised November 2010)
  • Phase II (96 KB) (Revised November 2010)
  • Annual Maintenance Report (59 KB)
• Fees
• Contact Information

Definition

Apprenticeship Program Accreditation is a non-governmental process for assessment of educational programs against the apprenticeship standards established by the Provincial Apprenticeship and Certification Board (PACB).

The PACB is responsible for the accreditation of provincial apprenticeship training programs offered by private and public educational agencies.

Program Accreditation is different from Institutional Accreditation. Program Accreditation is an external content-review process of the training programs against a specific set of standards, whereas Institutional Accreditation is an external review process for overall institutional quality, educational accomplishments, business and financial responsibilities.

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Purpose and Objectives

The purpose of apprenticeship program accreditation is to provide an auditing mechanism to ensure that provincial apprenticeship training programs are meeting the accreditation requirements as set by the PACB.

The objectives of apprenticeship program accreditation are to ensure that programs conform to the standards identified in the National Occupational Analyses and reflected in the Provincial Plans of Training established for specific trades, and that graduates have the required level of competence to enter the industry job market.

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Benefits of Program Accreditation

Who benefits from program accreditation, and why?

The general public, through industry, benefits by receiving high quality service from graduates of accredited programs.

Employers benefit by having the assurance that graduates from an accredited program have the competencies demanded by industry to meet current and future requirements.

Training institutions benefit by receiving assurance from industry that their programs are high-quality and produce competent graduates, and by continually improving their programs to meet accreditation standards.

Faculty members of training institutions benefit by receiving ongoing professional development necessary to ensure their programs are current with industry requirements.

Graduates from accredited programs benefit by having assurance that their education has met industry standards, thereby adequately preparing them for employment in industry.

Journey persons benefit by having the standards of their trade continually improved, ensuring the credibility of the trade is maintained.

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Program Accreditation Process

What is involved in apprenticeship program accreditation?

Any educational agency wishing to offer apprenticeship training in Newfoundland and Labrador has the opportunity to have their apprenticeship programs accredited by the Provincial Apprenticeship and Certification Board.

The programs considered eligible for accreditation by the Provincial Apprenticeship and Certification Board are limited to those apprenticeship programs that lead to Red Seal Certification and any other programs that come under the direction of the Board.

An educational agency begins the accreditation process with a request for accreditation information from the PACB. The Board advises educational agencies offering apprenticeship programs of the requirements of accreditation for these programs, as identified in the Accreditation Resource Manual PDF.

The educational agency submits the required documentation (Phase I and Phase II) to the PACB for review, and the PACB determines if the educational agency meets the accreditation requirements.

The evaluation of an apprenticeship program is based on qualitative and quantitative analysis of the following program elements:

• Admission/Retention Policies and Standards
• Requirements for Graduation
• Instructional Staff Qualifications
• Instructional Support Staff Qualifications
• Faculty Evaluation Methods
• Educational Facilities & Resources
• Course Portfolios and Curriculum Material
• Student Success and Satisfaction
• Satisfactory Graduate Employment

An external accreditation team is chosen to assess the program and references the submitted data to National Occupational Standards for Red Seal programs and through the Provincial Standards for apprenticeship programs that are not Red Seal designated. The team will conduct an accreditation visit to the educational agency before an accreditation decision is made.

Upon assessment of the program and completion of the site visit, the accreditation team submits a final report to the PACB outlining accreditation status.

Accreditation designation stays in effect for three or five years. During that time, the educational agency must submit an Annual Maintenance Report on the anniversary date of their initial accreditation to the PACB, outlining any program changes. Any change that alters the conditions under which accreditation was awarded may require a reassessment.

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Accreditation Team and Site Visit

The accreditation team normally consists of three people - one team leader and two team members from the business/industry sector.

The team leader must be well-versed in the practice of accreditation and can be a professional person from business/industry or education sectors with management and reporting skills.

Team members must be well-versed in the particular industry and be registered as a journey person in the trade program that is being assessed for accreditation.

The accreditation site visit is normally conducted by the accreditation team in one day. The site visit provides an opportunity for the accreditation team to assess the qualitative factors such as learning environment, facilities, curriculum material, faculty profile and feedback from students and recent graduates.

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Contact Information

For further information on Apprenticeship Program Accreditation, please contact:

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