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, Greece

1. 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

2. 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.
3 December 2013
Mara Brugia
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3. The European Qualifications Framework (EQF)
A bridge between qualifications systems
• 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 of
learning outcomes
 EU objective: Cross-border mobility and lifelong learning
3 December 2013
Mara Brugia
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4. NQFs in Europe – impressive developments
36 countries are
working on NQFs
In 5 countries NQFs
are fully operational
24 countries have
formally adopted NQFs
11 countries working on
NQF practical arrangements
30 countries working on
comprehensive NQFs
21 countries have linked their
qualifications to the EQF
 NQFs a global phenomenon (142 countries worldwide)
3 December 2013
Mara Brugia
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5. NQFs reflect national contexts, needs
and 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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6. NQFs – mobility and recognition
of 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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7. 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
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8. Thank you for your attention
www.cedefop.europa.eu
3 December 2013
Mara Brugia
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