qualifications frameworks in europe: supporting transparency, recognition and mobility?
DESCRIPTION
Presentation by Mara Brugia (Head of Area - Cedefop) on the occasion of the EESC Labour Market Observatory conference held on 3 December 2013 in Thessaloniki, GreeceTRANSCRIPT
Qualifications frameworks in Europe: supporting transparency, recognition
and mobility?
Mara Brugia, Head of Area - Cedefop
EESC conference on ‘Skills and mobility for competitiveness’ ,Thessaloniki, 3 December 2013
23 December 2013 Mara Brugia
Obstacles to cross-border mobility in EU-27/EEA/EFTA countries
Source: European Commission (2012), Language competences for employability mobility and growth.
Accompanying document to the Communication from the Commission “Rethinking Education”, SWD 372.
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• A translation grid to understand and compare qualifications across Europe
• Covers qualifications at all levels and sub-systems of education and training
• 8 reference levels defined in terms oflearning outcomes
EU objective: Cross-border mobility and lifelong learning
The European Qualifications Framework (EQF)
A bridge between qualifications systems
3 December 2013 Mara Brugia
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NQFs in Europe – impressive developments
NQFs a global phenomenon (142 countries worldwide)
36 countries are working on NQFs
21 countries have linked their qualifications to the EQF
24 countries have formally adopted NQFs
11 countries working on NQF practical arrangements
In 5 countries NQFs are fully operational
30 countries working on comprehensive NQFs
3 December 2013 Mara Brugia
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NQFs reflect national contexts, needsand priorities
Establish a closer link to the labour market (e.g. Cyprus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Portugal)
Make education and training systems less complex and more flexible (e.g. Germany, Romania, Turkey)
Signal qualifications needed by the labour market (e.g. Lithuania)
New impetus to validation of non-formal learning (e.g. Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Latvia)
3 December 2013 Mara Brugia
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NQFs – mobility and recognitionof qualifications
Help understand the level of a qualification
Make relationship between qualifications clearer
Qualifications databases and registers
EQF supports recognition BUT not a legal tool
3 December 2013 Mara Brugia
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NQFs – contribution to skills strategy
NQF for recruiting, certifying skills, career paths
or just policy hype?
Cooperation platform with employers, employees, others
3 December 2013 Mara Brugia
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Thank you for your attention
www.cedefop.europa.eu
3 December 2013 Mara Brugia