Sport Ireland Coaching approved as a Higher Education Provider by QQI
Sport Ireland has been officially approved as a Provider of Higher Education by Quality and Qualification Ireland (QQI), the State agency responsible for promoting quality and accountability in education and training services in Ireland.
With this approval, Sport Ireland can apply to run existing QQI programmes and awards up to Level 7 on the National Framework for Qualifications, as well as submitting their own programmes for approval.
This will allow Sport Ireland to offer programmes of Higher Education including Degree level awards. Credits earned through the National Framework for Qualifications are recognised through the educational system in Ireland and Europe meaning that Learners can use credits earned through sport.
Sport Ireland Coaching is delighted to have been approved as a Higher Education Provider by Quality & Qualifications Ireland (QQI). This development will lead to the alignment of National Governing Body Coach Education qualifications and Coach Developer qualifications onto the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) which is underpinned by Quality Assurance Principles. The NFQ is linked to the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) which is designed to make qualifications more readable and understandable across countries and systems.
In time this will build and support the status and usability of the sports awards and qualifications held by people working in sport as volunteers or professionals. The first programme that Sport Ireland will be submitting for approval will be the Coach & Instructor Developer. This is a programme run by Sport Ireland in partnership with National Governing Bodies for those people who run the NGB Coach and Instructor education programmes. The inclusion of this award on the NFQ will underpin the importance of this role, and allow learners to get additional value for their time and effort. The aim is to have this programme approved by QQI in September 2020.