Cap. 576 ст. 5762 [CAP.    Cap. 607.        S.L. 607.02

AND APPRENTICESHIP

"European Qualifications Framework" means the translation tool that helps communication and comparison between qualifications systems in Europe regarding learning outcomes;

"European Quality Assurance Reference Framework" means the tool to recognise qualifications and awards received by learners across different countries or learning environments, thereby promoting modernisation, mutual trust and mobility in vocational education and training;

"financial year" means the period of twelve months ending on 31 December of any year;

"Government" means the Government of Malta;

"interns" means learners engaged in training programmes for internships in accordance with this Act;

"internships” means interns who are engaged in a joint programme of school-based learning at a licensed VET provider, and work-based learning with a registered sponsor, leading to a recognised vocational or professional qualification or award as outlined in Schedule 1;

"learning outcomes" means the knowledge, skills, behaviours and attitudes required to develop the vocational competences necessary to carry out a skilled and technical occupation;

"lead trainer" means the person designated by the sponsor to be the main reference point of the learner and to coordinate other trainers if more than one trainer is designated to the learner during the work-based learning period of a training programme;

"Malta Qualifications Framework" means the framework for lifelong learning and has the same meaning assigned to it under the

Further and Higher Education Act;

"Minister" means the Minister responsible for education or similar competent body, and includes, within the limits of any given authority, any person who is specifically authorised by the Minister for any of the purposes of this Act, and "Ministry" shall be construed accordingly;

"National Commission for Further and Higher Education" is the authority that accredits Vocational Education and Training

Providers and their programmes as established by virtue of article 64 * of the Education Act;

*The National Commission for Further and Higher Education has been superseded by the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority - see article 3(1) of the Further and Higher Education Act AND APPRENTICESHIP

"occupational standards" means the standards, as set by the

National Commission for Further and Higher Education as stipulated in the Validation of Non-Formal and Informal Learning Regulations;

"parent" or "guardian" means any person who has the legal care or custody or the care or custody of a person who has not attained the age of eighteen years;

"qualification" means the attainment of a level of knowledge and skill that makes a person suitable to do a particular employment or activity and must meet the conditions of the Malta Qualifications Framework, or of international qualification structures recognized by industry;

"school-based learning" means a period during which learners attend a period of instruction within a vocational education and training environment within post compulsory education setting as part of a training programme;

"skilled and technical occupations" means skills, trades, crafts, or other occupation or section thereof required to develop the national work force;

"skills card" means a card issued to a learner upon successful completion of a training programme indicating the level of competence attained in a recognised occupation;

"sponsors" means the organisations or individuals which are approved by VET providers to deliver the work-based learning component, or which would take the dual role and the rights and obligations of both the sponsors and the VET providers as stipulated in this Act, when delivering both the work-based and school-based training programme, leading to a qualification or award forming part of the Malta Qualifications Framework or of international qualification structures recognized by industry;

"trainer" means the person designated by the sponsor to train the learner, under the supervision of the lead trainer, during the work-based learning period of a training programme;

"training agreement" means the agreement entered into by the VET provider, the sponsor and the learner with respect to a training programme;

"training logbook" means a reflective work-based logbook, which presents a systematic report of activities conducted during the periods of work-based learning in accordance to the vocational competences and, or the programme learning outcomes;

"training programme" means an accredited learning