Home > Monitoring Mechanism > Quality Assurance Measures

The Employees Retraining Board (ERB) has established a set of stringent criteria in admitting organisations as its appointed Training Bodies – the sole organisations that may organise ERB training courses. To monitor the performance of appointed Training Bodies and to assure course quality, the ERB has adopted a "Risk-and-performance-based approach" towards quality assurance systems. A dual-track system of "regular monitoring" and "case management" is used to adjust the strength of monitoring of the Training Bodies. The priorities of various "regular monitoring" measures are set in accordance with the Training Bodies' backgrounds, performance track records, risk levels, etc. The existing quality assurance measures cover a wide range of aspects entailing organisational administration, course quality management, trainers, assessments, etc. The ERB conducts on-site audits annually at various Training Bodies offering ERB training courses with a view to assessing their performance in administration and course quality, as well as facilitating them to strengthen their internal quality assurance systems. Surprise inspections to various Training Bodies are carried out to ensure their compliance with stipulated regulations governing course administration and assessments. Technical Advisors are arranged to observe practical assessments administered by various Training Bodies so as to enhance quality and align standard of assessment whereas Teaching Advisors are engaged to conduct class visits to different training centres to boost trainers' quality in teaching.

Upon identifying under-performing Training Bodies in the course of implementing quality assurance measures, the ERB will develop "case management" plans if needed according to their individual backgrounds and situations to ensure their improvement in performance.These plans may include rendering of support through consultations or case discussions, conduct of trainees' opinion surveys, and stepping up of monitoring, etc.

Training Bodies' performance in various quality assurance measures is one of the factors considered by the ERB in the annual exercise of training places allocation.