The purposes of this study are to clarify the meaning of fitness to practise process in the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). HCPC is the regulator of 16 professions in the United Kingdom. To protect the public, they set standards for the education and training, professional skills, conduct, performance, ethics and health of registrants; keep a register of professionals who meet those standards; and take action when professionals on their Register do not meet their standards. If a professional's fitness to practise is impaired, it means that there are concerns about their ability to practise safely and effectively. During 2011-12, 0.42 per cent of registrants had an allegation made against them, and 0.12 per cent of registrants were subject to a sanction imposed at a final hearing. Fitness to practise process is the quality assurance system of profession. In terms of the government, fitness to practise process can control professional association's action in some. And the government achieve accountability to the public about quality assurance of profession. In terms of professional association, self-regulation is remained in fitness to practise process. Profession can appeal to the public that adhering to the criterion of ethic. And they can win the public trust. In terms of the public, owing to fitness to practise, they can use a service in safety. And, virtually, it is promised to the public that profession's act is in the best interests of service users. Fitness to practise process of HCPC have possibilities to give substantive meaning to quality assurance of profession.

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The Obama administration has been focusing on preparing young people for middle-skilled jobs, and as a result has placed strong emphasis on strengthening community colleges. One promising strategy to promote attendance at community colleges is dual credit, which enables high school students to earn high school credit and college credit at the same time. This paper aims to discuss the articulation between high schools and community colleges, focusing on dual credit. In Kentucky, accelerating degree production has been a longstanding issue. The Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) facilitates dual credit in academic coursework for high school students in order to reduce remedial education and improve matriculation rates. KCTCS also offers dual credit in technical coursework through career pathways consisting of stackable credentials. KCTCS has developed these pathways statewide in partnership with local employers. This type of dual credit improves career readiness, including the opportunity to earn certificates at graduation from a Kentucky high school. Dual credit provides high school students with the opportunity not only to earn college credit while still in high school, but also to learn more about the expectations of education at the college level. The most positive effects of participation in dual credit are seen among student populations that are underrepresented in higher education. The 2006 reauthorization of the legislation, known as Perkins IV, includes a requirement to develop Programs of Study (POS). POS are provided in Perkins IV in order to offer more specific guidelines, which were needed for tech prep and career pathways programming. Dual credit was introduced into POS in order to strengthen the success of transitions from high schools to community colleges.

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