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Governance

Quality Assurance

The Open Training College exists to provide accredited training and consultancy services to the human services and non-profit sector. Established by St. Michael’s House in 1992, we have spent over 30 years supporting people and organisations working in disability and human services across Ireland.

A commitment to standards

As a QQI-validated provider of higher education and training, Open Training College operates within the national quality framework set out by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) and informed by the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG).

Our quality assurance arrangements cover the full learner journey — from programme design and validation, through teaching, assessment and learner support, to graduation and ongoing review. They apply equally to in-house staff, associate tutors and partner organisations.

We publish our quality assurance documents, governance structures and annual institutional quality reports openly so that learners, partners and the public can see how we work and how we improve.

At a Glance

Validating body

Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI)

Framework

National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ)

Aligned with

ESG (European Standards and Guidelines)

Oversight

Academic Council & Programme Boards

Our framework and approach

Governance & Oversight

Independent Academic Council, Programme Boards and external authentication ensure decisions are evidence-led and accountable.

Programme Quality

Validated QQI programmes are reviewed on a defined cycle, with input from learners, employers and external examiners.

Continuous Improvement

Annual self-evaluation, internal audits and learner feedback feed an ongoing cycle of monitoring and enhancement.

Key areas

Select a card below to explore each area in detail.