TrustEd: A new benchmark for international education
Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), the state agency for tertiary education and training in Ireland, has announced TrustEd, a groundbreaking international education mark designed to guarantee the excellence of education received by international learners in higher education (HE) and English-language education (ELE) institutions in Ireland.
Aimed at reinforcing and protecting Ireland’s reputation as a premier global education destination, it will set a new national standard for quality provision and learner protection for international learners. With rigorous quality monitoring mechanisms and a focus on safeguarding learner interests, TrustEd reflects QQI’s commitment to upholding and enhancing the integrity of Irish education, ensuring that this €2 billion sector remains competitive and prestigious on the world stage.
For learners, the benefit of the mark will be clear: whether enrolling in ELE or HE programmes, the TrustEd mark will indicate that an education provider has met rigorous quality standards and offers courses leading to qualifications that are respected and recognised worldwide.
In addition to setting high educational standards, TrustEd will be underpinned by a Learner Protection Fund to which all private/independent HE and ELE providers will be required to contribute. The fund will ensure that, in the unlikely event of a programme being discontinued, arrangements will be made to allow national and international learners to complete their studies with another provider or, where this is not possible, to receive a full refund of their fees.
For Ireland’s more than 50 HE and 140 ELE providers, TrustEd offers a distinctive, competitive edge in the global education market. Providers authorised to use the TrustEd mark will have been evaluated against a comprehensive code of practice for either HE or ELE and examined in areas such as ethical marketing and recruitment, learner support services, administrative processes, recognition of qualifications (HE providers), quality assurance of academic programmes (ELE providers), and overall organisational integrity.
In addition, private/independent HE and ELE providers will have undergone a robust due diligence assessment of corporate governance, finances and compliance with the law to assure QQI that they have the capacity and capability to deliver high-quality programmes.
Taken together, these measures will ensure that only providers meeting the highest standards of quality and integrity will be awarded the TrustEd mark. The mark will signify adherence to robust standards and a commitment to delivering excellence in education and learner welfare, fostering trust among prospective international learners.
The TrustEd application process will open in early 2024 with the first cohort of successful applicants expected to receive authorisation in early 2025.
E: international.education@qqi.ie
