National qualifications frameworks are often considered to be a panacea for educators and educational institutions. In this paper I examine the implementation of the New Zealand Qualifications Framework, with particular emphasis on the relationship between educational institutions and industry partner organizations. It is argued that Government policy must take cognisance of differing skills of industry and education, and not create an imbalance in power than inhibits effective implementation of national frameworks. The issue is illustrated by a description of the experience of the implementation of the Diploma in Applied Technology at UNITEC Institute of Technology. (Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 2001, 2(1), 23-30).