- Higher Education and Training Awards Council
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HETAC 
Established 1972 Chief Executive Gearóid Ó Conluain Location Dublin, Republic of Ireland Website http://www.hetac.ie The Higher Education and Training Awards Council (Irish: Comhairle na nDámhachtainí Ardoideachais agus Oiliúna) (HETAC), the legal successor to the National Council for Educational Awards (NCEA), grants higher education awards in Ireland in the extra-university system. It was created in 2001, is subject to the policies of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland, and, specifically, grants qualifications at many Institutes of Technology and other colleges.
Contents
History
The National Council for Educational Awards (NCEA) was founded in 1972, on an ad-hoc basis and granted the first National Certificates that year at five Regional Technical Colleges. Early on it was decided that the NCEA would be the only extra-university conferring institution in the State at higher education rather than having a multitude of competing institutions, with authority to grant awards at all academic levels including degree level. During the 1970s this caused some trouble as Fine Gael-Labour (National Coalition) government attempted to limit the NCEA to sub-degree awards only, later Fianna Fáil government of 1977 restored the full powers and placed the NCEA on a statutory footing in 1980 by the National Council for Educational Awards Act, 1979.
HETAC was created in 2001 under the Qualifications (Education and Training) Act, 1999 (Section 21) and its first Chief Executive, former Donaghmede national teacher and INTO President Séamus Puirséil (Seamus Purcell) was previously the executive officer of the NCEA. He was succeeded in 2008 by Gearóid Ó Conluain, formerly Deputy Chief Inspector of Department of Education and Science. In October 2008 the Irish Government announced its intention to amalgamate HETAC with FETAC and NQAI, the two other bodies established under the Qualifications Act, while also incorporating the functions for the external review of Irish universities currently carried out by the Irish Universities Quality Board.[1]. The Minister appointed an interim board for the new agency. This board appointed Dr. Padraig Walsh as Chief Executive Designate in September 2010. In February 2011, Dr. Walsh became Chief Executive of HETAC, pending the establishment of the new statutory agency.
Awards
In 2004 HETAC completed the transition from awards derived from the NCEA standards to a new awards system based on the National Framework of Qualifications. A rough correspondence between the awards of the two systems is shown below.
Legacy Current Certificate (HETAC)† National Certificate† Higher Certificate‡ National Diploma† Ordinary bachelor's degree‡ Honours bachelor's degree Honours bachelor's degree Graduate Diploma (conversion)† Higher Diploma‡ Graduate Diploma (professional)† Postgraduate Diploma‡ Master's degree Master's degree Doctorate degree Doctorate degree † Not granted after June 2006.
‡ Granted from July 2004.Providers
The providers of courses which lead to HETAC awards are called "recognised institutions", and they are recognised under the Qualifications (Education & Training) Act, 1999 (Section 24). Some of these institutions may have "delegation of authority" (often referred to as "delegated authority") which allows them to make HETAC awards in their own name, this is currently limited to the Institutes of Technology and is often limited to certain award levels at institutions.
Section 24 (1)(a)
- Athlone Institute of Technology
- Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown
- Institute of Technology, Carlow
- Cork Institute of Technology
- Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology
- Dundalk Institute of Technology
- Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology
- Letterkenny Institute of Technology
- Limerick Institute of Technology
- Institute of Technology, Sligo
- Institute of Technology, Tallaght
- Institute of Technology, Tralee
- Waterford Institute of Technology
Section 24 (1)(b)
- Development Studies Centre, Kimmage
- Dublin Business School
- FISC Ireland Ltd.
- Garda Síochána College
- Griffith College
- Hibernia College
- HSI Limerick Business School
- IBAT College (Swords)
- ICD Business School
- Institute of Public Administration
- Irish Academy of Public Relations
- Irish Management Institute
- Leinster Academy, Leinster Rugby IRFU
- Mid West Business Institute (merged with Griffith College Dublin)
- Military College
- Milltown Institute
- National College of Ireland
- National Tourism Development Authority (formerly CERT)
- Newpark Music Centre
- Portobello College now part of Dublin Business School
- Shannon College of Hotel Management
- Skerry’s Cork Business School (merged with Griffith College Dublin)
- St. Nicholas Montessori College, Ireland
- St. Patrick's College, Thurles (from 2011 validated by University of Limerick)
- St. Patrick's, Carlow College
- The American College, Dublin
- The Open Training College
- Thomas Crosbie Holdings Ltd
- Tipperary Institute (Since 2011 part of Limerick Institute of Technology)
References
See also
External links
Universities in Ireland Universities NUI Constituent Universities DU Constituent College Other degree awarding authorities See also: Institutes of Technology in Ireland | Universities in Northern IrelandCategories:
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