MALTA PROFESSIONAL AND 
VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS [ S.L.343.26 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 343.26
MALTA PROFESSIONAL AND VOCATIONAL 
QUALIFICATIONS REGULATIONS
25th October, 2000
LEGAL NOTICE 215 of 2000.
Citation.
Vocational Qualifications Regulations.
Interpretation.
Cap. 343.
"assessment boards" means such Professional and Vocational
Standards Assessment Boards as are mentioned in regulation 9;
"Corporation" means the Employment and Training Corporation
established by article 5 of the Act;
"Council" means the Malta Professional and Vocational
Qualifications Awards Council, established by regulation 3;
"development boards" means such Professional and Vocational
Standards Development Boards as are mentioned in regulation 8;
"training agency" means any person, institution or body
corporate that provides services of a training or educational nature
that lead to the attainment of professional or vocational
qualifications as provided by these regulations.
Malta Professional 
and Vocational 
Qualifications 
Awards Council.
3. (1) There shall be established a Council to be called the
Malta Professional and Vocational Qualifications Awards Council
having such functions as set out in these regulations.
(2) The Council shall consist of eleven members appointed by
the Ministsr responsible for education in consultation with the
Minister responsible for employment and shall be composed as
follows:
( a ) a chairperson with the relevant expepence;
( b ) a person to represent the Corporation who shall act as
deputy chairperson;
( c ) an officer from the Education Division;
( d ) a person to represent the Malta College of Arts,
Science and Technology;
( e ) a person to represent the University of Malta;
( f ) two persons who in the opinion of the Minister
responsible for education adequately represent
vocational education and training institutions or
professional bodies;
( g ) two persons representing employees;
( h ) two persons representing trades union.
(3) The members shall be appointed for a period not exceeding
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MALTA PROFESSIONAL AND 
VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
three years and each member may be eligible for re-appointment.
(4) The Council shall meet as often as may be necessary or
expedient. The quorum of the Council shall be four members
including the chairperson.
(5) In the absence of consensus, decisions of the Council shall
be taken by a majority of votes of the members present and voting;
and in the case of an equality of votes the chairperson, or in his
absence the deputy chairperson, shall exercise a casting vote.
(6) Any vacancy among the members of the Council shall not
invalidate the proceedings of the same Council.
Objectives of the 
Council.
4. The objectives of the Council shall be:
( a ) to establish and maintain a framework for the
development, recognition and award of professional
and vocational qualifications based on standards of
knowledge, skill or competence to be acquired by
learners;
( b ) to promote and facilitate life-long learning access,
transfer and progression;
( c ) to foster the recognition abroad of professional and
vocational certificates awarded in Malta under these
regulations.
Functions of the 
Council.
5. (1) The functions of the Council shall be to do all things
necessary or expedient in accordance with these regulations to
further the objectives of the Council.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subregulation (1), the
Council shall:
( a ) establish the policies and criteria on which the
framework of qualifications shall be based;
( b ) approve and publish national standards of knowledge
and skills competence;
( c ) determine and publish the procedure to be
implemented by training agencies offering
programmes of education and training for access,
transfer and progression;
( d ) ensure that such standards and procedures as are
referred to in these regulations are being implemented;
( e ) accredit vocational education and training programmes
delivered by training agencies;
( f ) endorse certificates awarded by training agencies;
( g ) keep and issue official records of certificates awarded;
( h ) promote the National Professional and Vocational
Qualifications System;
( i ) regulate the procedure of the Boards established by it;
( j ) perform such other functions as the Minister
responsible for education in consultation with the
MALTA PROFESSIONAL AND 
VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS [ S.L.343.26 3
Minister responsible for employment may advise from
time to time.
(3) In the exercise oœ its functions the Council shall ensure full
and proper consultation with the authorities responsible for
professional and vocational education and training.
(4) The publication of standards and procedures referred to in
this regulation shall be in such form and manner as the Council
deems fit.
(5) In the exercise of its functions as well as in the
implementation of the relevant standards and procedures, the
Council shall ensure adequate transparency, consistency and
fairness.
Secretariat of the 
Council.
6. (1) There shall be established within the Corporation a
Secretariat to service the Council.
(2) The functions of the Secretariat shall be -
( a ) to co-ordinate the work of the development boards;
( b ) to co-ordinate the work of the assessment boards;
( c ) to maintain a database of national standards of
professional and vocational competencies at specific
levels;
( d ) to maintain a national database of persons who have
been awarded National Professional and Vocational
Qualifications;
( e ) to provide general administrative and secretariat
services to the Council.
Executive 
Secretary.
7. (1) The Head of the Secretariat shall be the Executive
Secretary who shall be an officer nominated for such purpose by
the Chairperson of the Corporation and appointed by the Council.
(2) The Executive Secretary shall  ex officio  be the Secretary of
the Council.
(3) The Executive Secretary shall have the duty and the right to
attend and be heard at all meetings of the Council but shall not have
a right to vote.
Professional and 
Vocational 
Standards 
Development 
Boards.
8. (1) There shall be established by the Council a number of
Professional and Vocational Standards Development Boards as
may be required.
(2) Members of the Development Boards shall be appointed for
a period of two years and each member may be eligible for re-
appointment.
Functions.
( a ) to develop professional and vocational standards of
competence structured on a series of progressive
knowledge, skills and attitude competencies;
( b ) to review such standards of competence regularly so as
to reflect scientific and technological developments
4 [ S.L.343.26
MALTA PROFESSIONAL AND 
VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
and labour market relevance;
( c ) to organise regular consultative sessions with
interested social partners with the aim of ensuring
relevance;
( d ) to submit such standards of competence for approval
by the Council;
( e ) to liase with the assessment boards.
Composition. (4) The development boards shall each be responsible for
particular areas of competence and shall be composed of:
( a ) a chairperson having knowledge of the competence
requirements of jobs;
( b ) two persons with relevant qualifications and
experience from leading teaching and, or training
institutions;
( c ) two persons representing industrial or commercial
establishments, professional bodies or other entities
who are competent in the area of competence to be
developed.
Professional and 
Vocational 
Standards 
Assessment 
Boards.
9. (1) There shall be established by the Council a number of
Professional and Vocational Standards Assessment Boards as may
be required.
(2) The functions of the assessment boards shall be:
( a ) to design assessment procedures appropriate to the
particular areas of competence;
( b ) to conduct assessments to ensure the attainment of
standards of professional and vocational competence;
( c ) to ensure rigorous and consistent assessment;
( d ) to submit a detailed report after every assessment
session to the Council.
Composition. (3) The assessment boards shall be composed of:
( a ) a chairperson having knowledge of the competence
required of the job;
( b ) one person with relevant qualifications and experience
from leading teaching and, or training institutions;
( c ) one person representing industrial or commercial
establishments, professional bodies or other entities
and who are knowledgeable in the competence being
assessed.
(4) Members of the assessment boards shall be appointed for a
period of two years and each member may be eligible for re-
appointment.
Awarding bodies. 10. (1) The National Professional and Vocational
Qualifications Certificates shall be endorsed by the Council and
issued by the training agencies to those persons enrolled with them.
In all other cases the certificates shall be issued by the Corporation
MALTA PROFESSIONAL AND 
VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS [ S.L.343.26 5
and endorsed by the Council.
(2) In all cases mentioned in subregulation (1) certificates
shall be issued following successful assessment by either the
appropriate assessment board or by the training agency delivering
training programmes accredited by the Council.
Competence 
levels.
11. The Malta Professional and Vocational Qualifications shall
be classified in five levels of competence as indicated in the
Schedule, describing the skills and knowledge needed to be able to
perform work at a specific level effectively. The Council shall be
guided by these levels in classifying national standards of
knowledge and skills competence for each occupational area.
Non-applicability 
of these 
regulations.
12. These regulations shall not apply to those occupations the
exereise of which requires the granting of a warrant or of a
certificate, or a registration in accordance with any other law.
SCHEDULE
(Regulation 11)
Competence Levels
Level 1
The holder of a qualification at this level will be able to perform
relatively simple work requiring skills that are fairly quickly
acquired in an out-of-school training programme.
Level 2
The holder of a qualification at this level will be able to engage
in a specific activity with the capacity to use the instruments and
techniques relating thereto without guidance.
Level 3
The holder of a qualification at this level will be able to
participate in technical work which can be performed
independently and, or which entails executive and co-ordination
duties.
Level 4
The holder of a qualification at this level will be able to work
generally in an autonomous or in an independent way to assume,
design and, or manage and, or shoulder administrative
responsibilities. The holder is not generally required to master the
scientific bases of the various areas concerned.
Level 5
The holder of a qualification at this level will be able to perform
an autonomously pursued vocational activity as an employer or as a
self-employed person, entailing a mastery of the scientific bases of
the occupation.
