Search

Qualifications frameworks are tools for describing qualifications of an education or training system by classifying them into levels. Each level provides a clear description of what the holder of a qualification knows, understands and is able to do. They are important tools for making qualifications transparent and comprehensible, within and across borders, and for promoting lifelong learning. This fifth edition of the "Global Inventory of National and Regional Qualifications Frameworks" consists of two volumes with up-to-date information on recent developments in this field destined for policy-makers, educators, researchers, and experts. This volume, Volume II, compiles case studies from countries across four world regions to record progress in the development and implementation of National and Regional Qualifications Frameworks globally. A cross-country analysis of national case studies is presented, examining the objectives, functions and characteristics of national qualifications frameworks and their contributions to wider educational and training systems.

Qualifications frameworks are tools for describing qualifications of an education or training system by classifying them into levels. Each level provides a clear description of what the holder of a qualification knows, understands and is able to do. They are important tools for making qualifications transparent and comprehensible, within and across borders, and for promoting lifelong learning. This fifth edition of the "Global Inventory of National and Regional Qualifications Frameworks" consists of two volumes with up-to-date information, collected in 2020-21, on recent developments in this field destined for policy-makers, educators, researchers, and experts. This volume, Volume I, features a series of thematic chapters that identify emerging issues in qualifications systems, including the digitalization of qualifications systems, the validation of informal and non-formal learning and the increased use of microcredentials. A cross-country analysis of national case studies is presented, examining the objectives, functions and characteristics of national qualifications frameworks and their contributions to wider educational and training systems.

Apprenticeships for adults are one of the policy solutions to the need for supporting adults willing to train, while broadening the skills base of the working population across Europe. According to Cedefop estimates, there are around 128 million adults with potential for upskilling or reskilling in the European Union (EU). EU Member States have decided to open apprenticeships to adults by removing age limits and by making them more flexible. All EU Member States have begun taking steps in this direction and adult participation in apprenticeships is clearly on the rise. This does not imply new types of apprenticeship or radically new concepts. It is rather about policies and initiatives facilitating adult participation in apprenticeship, including promoting more flexible learning options considering their life situations and learning needs.

Recent vocational education and training (VET) reforms in many countries have focused on reducing the number of VET qualifications available and restructuring qualifications so that they better meet the needs of working life. This literature review provides examples of how VET qualifications have been rationalised in various countries and briefly explores the impact on qualification development. [For the research summary "Rationalising VET Qualifications: Selected International Approaches," see ED608323.]

This short description contributes to better understanding of vocational education and training (VET) in Germany by providing insight into its main features and highlighting system developments and current challenges. Learning on the job is traditional in German education. Work-based learning (WBL) features in most secondary and tertiary VET programmes and graduate employment is high. However, demographic changes and the attractiveness of academic education have reduced the appeal of upper secondary VET. To address this, new designations of professional bachelor and professional master emphasise equivalence to academic programmes Transformations currently influencing VET require political responses. Digital and green economy transitions are already being addressed, with digitalisation emphasised in Covid-19 pandemic responses. Continuing VET is increasingly important, highlighted in the Qualification Opportunities Act (2019); this gives access to CVET funding to all employees affected by structural change or seeking training in an occupation lacking employees. The National skills strategy (2019) sees occupational CVET within lifelong learning as part of Germany's training culture.

In this collection, different experts from a range of backgrounds consider the current plan to defund many Business and Technician Education Councils (BTECs) and other popular Level 3 Applied General qualifications. Together, the chapters argue this could close off a useful and proven route for students from a wide range of backgrounds, including for those hoping to reach higher education. While the new T Levels have still to prove themselves, the authors recognise their potential while also arguing that their success does not have to rest on shutting off popular existing tried-and-tested options. [Foreword written by David Willetts.]

This research paper is the fifth in a series produced as part of the Cedefop project The changing nature and role of VET (2016-18). Based on comparative analysis of labour force survey data from 2014, the report analyses the vocational effect on labour market and education outcomes, asking whether any advantages conferred by vocational qualifications in early career would be offset by disadvantages later in life. The report explores the functioning of the safety net and the diversion effects across countries, demonstrating how these vary considerably with the specific institutional structure of schooling and work-based training. The results indicate that VET graduates are potentially sacrificing the longer-term gains associated with further education in favour of short-term benefits. [This research was carried out by a consortium led by 3s Unternehmensberatung GmbH and including the Danish Technological Institute, the Institute of Employment Research (University of Warwick), the Institute of International and Social Studies (Tallinn University) and Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini. The Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) in Germany is supporting the project as a subcontractor.]

In a highly competitive global landscape, occupations are transformed, new jobs are created and the skills needed for the labour market are constantly changing. European countries are looking at redefining VET [vocational education and training] to respond promptly to such challenges and take advantage of the opportunities ahead. They are reforming to modernise their VET systems and strengthen the relevance of their national qualifications in an international context. This publication explores national responses to globalisation in 15 countries and five economic sectors. It aims to understand how European and international initiatives help VET renewal across Europe. It shows how countries' reactions are embedded in their national traditions but also depend on their interactions with European, sectoral and multinational players that provide training and award qualifications. [The research was carried out by a consortium led by IBE Educational research institute and 3s Unternehmensberatung GmbH.]

This report brings together research publicly released by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) over the year. The 2017 compilation reflects an extensive collection of NCVER research activities undertaken during 2017, comprising reports, summaries, infographics, occasional papers, presentations and webinars. NCVER has organized their research program into three priority areas: (1) Structures and systems for skilling and learning; (2) The impact of vocational education and training; and (3) Teaching and learning. Summaries of projects that were published under each of these priorities are presented in this report. [For the previous year, "Research Messages 2016," see ED573529.]

England has a 'pre-qualification' system of higher education admissions, where applications and offers are made to young people before exam results are received. While in most cases offers are conditional on achieving a grade target in A Level exams, recent years have seen an exponential growth in 'unconditional offers', where the offer of a place is made long before exams are taken, and is not conditional on results. The government has recently announced a review of the HE admissions system in England and has opened a consultation on the future shape of this system. Should the system stay as it is, move to a Post Qualifications Offers (PQO) model, or move to a Post Qualifications Applications (PQA) model? This briefing focuses on the global picture where HE admissions systems and specifically HE admissions timetables are concerned, and provides an overview.

The European Students' Union with the support of the Open Society Foundation published a new study on recognition of qualifications held by refugees and their access to higher education in Europe. The paper analyses how a selected pool of countries use education as an instrument for inclusion of refugees, asylum seekers and persons in refugee-like situation. The report includes detailed country analyses of Romania, Belgium, Norway and Germany. The chosen countries represent different parts of Europe as well as countries that face specific challenges in coping with the inclusion of refugees into higher education and that have partially found solutions for these problems that might serve as good practice examples. According to the information provided by the European Higher Education Area's (EHEA) the main barriers refugees face when accessing higher education in Europe are lack of information; lack of advice and individual guidance; recognition of credits and qualifications, particularly without documents; inadequate language support provisions and lack of adequate financing. The report provides an argument that providing access to education for refugees contributes to the country economically and societally. However, in order to guarantee this inherent element of integration, national higher education systems need to fulfill their commitments to social dimension, i.e. the strategies and measures to mirror the diversity of society within higher education. One of the tools used to provide wider participation in higher education for refugees is recognition of their qualifications. National authorities and higher education institutions should ensure flexible procedures for the recognition of degrees, periods of study and prior learning of refugees, in line with the Lisbon Recognition Convention. However, despite the existing legal regulations ENIC-NARIC [European Network of Information Centres in the European Region and the National Academic Recognition Information Centres in the European Union] centres responsible for information and recognition still indicate a number of challenges, such as: lack of information about the education systems and qualifications from countries in conflict, questionable authenticity of the documents provided, lack of documentation, incomplete qualifications and the number of applicants. The report shows that despite various approaches to policy-making and implementation that the countries applied, they certainly have elements in common: bottom-up approaches and initiatives taken up by higher education institutions, staff, students and NGOs [non-governmental organisations], regardless of the scope of governmental support, are central to refugees' integration.

A national qualifications framework (NQF) is an instrument used to classify a country's qualifications at different levels. Each level is defined by a set of learning outcomes expected at that level. NQFs can be useful tools in education and training reforms and are vital reference points for lifelong learning and comparing qualifications across borders. The "Global Inventory of Regional and National Qualifications frameworks 2017, Volume II: National and regional cases" gives an update on the national and regional qualification frameworks of 99 countries around the world. For each country, the NQF has been analysed based on the policy objectives, the levels and use of learning outcomes, stakeholder involvement and institutional arrangements, the recognition of non-formal and informal learning as well as whether references are made to existing regional frameworks. In addition, this volume also outlines existing regional frameworks in Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, the Gulf region, the Pacific, Southern Africa and the Commonwealth States. This third edition (the first two editions appeared in 2013 and 2015) of the "Global Inventory of Regional and National Qualifications Frameworks" is published at a time when the attention being paid to qualifications frameworks is rising, as evidenced by the UN's Education 2030 Framework for Action and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, which calls on countries to promote inclusive and equitable education and lifelong learning opportunities for all. Outcomes-based qualifications frameworks can contribute directly to achieving this goal. The "Global Inventory of Regional and National Qualifications Frameworks 2017, Volume II" is the result of collaborative work developed by the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop), the European Training Foundation (ETF), UNESCO and the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL). [The thematic chapters, and national and regional cases were drafted by: Jens Bjørnåvold, Slava Pevec Grm, Ernesto Villalba and George Kostakis, Anastasia Pouliou and Andreea Rusu (Cedefop); Michael Graham and Arjen Dej and all members of the qualifications team (ETF); Borhene Chakroun and Katerina Ananiadou (UNESCO); and Madhu Singh (UIL). For Volume I: Thematic Chapters, see ED604734.]

The "Research messages" annual series presents a summary of the research-focused reports produced by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) each year. In addition to presenting the research reports published by NCVER during 2016, NCVER has expanded this edition to include other relevant and informative resources, including summaries, infographics and statistical papers. A key focus area of this research is the learning needs and educational pathways of students, who are at the heart of the VET system, and supporting individuals and organisations to make informed choices in skills development through the VET system. Based on the research prospectus, NCVER has organized their research program into four priority areas: (1) Productivity; (2) Participation and outcomes; (3) Teaching and learning; and (4) The place and role of VET. The following provides summaries of projects that were published under each of these priorities. They include: (1) Beyond mentoring: social support structures for young Australian carpentry apprentices (John Buchanan, Catherine Raffaele, Nick Glozier and Aran Kanagaratnam); (2) Costs and benefits of education and training for the economy, business and individuals (Tabatha Griffin); (3) Cross-occupational skill transferability: challenges and opportunities in a changing economy (Darryn Snell, Victor Gekara and Krystle Gatt); (4) Defining "STEM" skills: review and synthesis of the literature (Gitta Siekmann & Patrick Korbel); (5) Evaluation framework measuring return on investment (ROI) in TVET (Jane Schueler); (6) Firms' motivation for training apprentices: an Australian-German comparison (Harald Pfeifer); (7) The Australian literacy and numeracy workforce: a literature review. Foundation Skills Literature Review Project (Joanne Medlin); (8) Exploring perspectives on adult language, literacy and numeracy: foundation skills literature review project (Daniella Mayer); (9) Foundation skills policy contexts and measures of impact: foundation skills literature review project (Jane Newton); (10) The salience of diversity in foundation skills contexts, pedagogies and research: foundation skills Literature review project (Lynda Cameron); (11) Measuring STEM in vocational education and training (Patrick Korbel); (12) Providing social support for apprentices: good practice guide (NCVER); (13) What is STEM? The need for unpacking its definitions and applications (Gitta Siekmann); (14) When one door closes: VET's role in helping displaced workers find jobs (Bridget Wibrow and Michelle Circelli); (15) Work-based learning and work-integrated learning: fostering engagement with employers (Georgina Atkinson); (16) Can VET help create a more inclusive society? (Hielke Buddelmeyer and Cain Polidano); (17) The impact of disadvantage on VET completion and employment gaps (Duncan McVicar and Domenico Tabasso); (18) Increasing survey engagement through gamification and the use of mobile devices (Maree Ackehurst and Rose-Anne Polvere); (19) Shedding light: private "for profit" training providers and young early school leavers (George Myconos, Kira Clarke and Kitty Te Riele); (20) Uptake and utility of VET qualifications (Patrick Korbel and Josie Misko); (21) VET program completion rates: an evaluation of the current method (NCVER); (22) Graduate programs for VET students: is there a need? (Bridget Wibrow and Laura Jackson); (23) Apprenticeships and vocations: assessing the impact of research on policy and practice (Jo Hargreaves); (24) The development of Australia's national training system: a dynamic tension between consistency and flexibility (Kaye Bowman and Suzy McKenna); (25) Jurisdictional approaches to student training entitlements: commonalities and differences (Kaye Bowman and Suzy McKenna); (26) Making sense of total VET activity: an initial market analysis (Alison Anlezark and Paul Foley); (27) Student entitlement models in Australia's national training system: expert views (Kaye Bowman and Suzy McKenna); (28) Trends in VET: policy and participation (Georgina Atkinson and John Stanwick); (29) VET provider market structures: history, growth and change (Patrick Korbel and Josie Misko); (30) 24th National Vocational Education and Training Research Conference "no frills": refereed papers (Laura Jackson, Ed.); (31) Improving VET teachers' skills and their approach to professional learning 24th National Vocational Education and Training Research Conference "no frills": refereed paper (Anne Dening); (32) Learning preferences of Enrolled Nursing students: Educational preparation and training for workplace readiness. 24th National Vocational Education and Training Research Conference "no frills": refereed paper (Kalpana Raghunathan, Sonia Allen and Elisabeth Jacob); (33) Profiling the institutional diversity of VET providers in Australia, across four broad dimensions 24th National Vocational Education and Training Research Conference "no frills": refereed paper (Peter Bentley, Leo Goedegebuure and Ruth Schubert); (34) Skills needed for innovation: a review. 24th National Vocational Education and Training Research Conference "no frills": refereed paper (Michael Walsh); (35) Understanding the needs of VET students articulating to second-year university 24th National Vocational Education and Training Research Conference "no frills": refereed Paper (Mark Symmons, Paul Kremer and Alvin Rendell); and (36) Data on total investment in VET: what should be collected (Gerald Burke).

"Public-Private Partnerships for Skills Development" discusses the concept of public-private partnership (PPP) and its application in the domain of skills development. Volume I proposes a three-dimension typology of PPPs for skills development, and identifies common elements and governance characteristics of these PPPs. Volume II contains the 23 case studies described and reviewed according to the analytical categories of the European Training Foundation's (ETF) study methodology. Chapter 1 presents 10 cases coming from countries that have a long tradition of public-private cooperation in vocational education and skills development: Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Israel, France, Sweden, Germany, Morocco, Australia, and Belgium. Chapter 2 presents 13 cases coming from four countries that are now in the process of building a tradition of public-private cooperation in vocational education: Jordan, Kazakhstan, Serbia, and Ukraine. [For "Public-Private Partnerships for Skills Development: A Governance Perspective. Volume I. Thematic Overview," see ED610845.]

This book deals with the relevance of recognition, validation and accreditation (RVA) of non-formal and informal learning in education and training, the workplace and society. It examines RVA's strategic policy objectives and best practice features as well as the challenges faced and ways forward as reported by Member States. Special attention is paid to the analysis of institutional and political requirements that give genuine value to the recognition of non-formal and informal learning; the role played by RVA in education, working life, voluntary work and social inclusion; and the interests and motivations of all stakeholders, as well as the importance of their cooperation and acceptance. The overall aim of this book is to share experience, expertise and lessons learned concerning RVA of non-formal and informal learning across UNESCO Member States. Global Perspectives on Recognising Non-formal and Informal Learning: Why Recognition Matters addresses issues that will be of interest to a wide audience of education policymakers, researchers and practitioners as they seek out ways of reengineering education for change in order to improve the relevance, effectiveness and quality of learning. Author and subject indexes are included.

There are lessons for Australia in the key approaches to the development, approval, maintenance and quality assurance of qualifications adopted in countries overseas. This research takes into account a range of approaches used in selected European Union (EU) member states (Germany, Finland and Sweden), the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland and Wales, Scotland, and Ireland) and the nations of New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea. The processes used in Ontario, Canada, and selected accreditation agencies in the United States were also investigated. This work serves to inform the vocational education and training (VET) sector in Australia about practices used overseas. It provides a useful reference document for agencies charged with developing and reviewing qualifications and showcases the different approaches used to ensure that qualifications remain current for the industries they serve. This report highlights some key messages for Australia, some of which include: (1) The introduction of qualifications frameworks, implementation of competency-based or learning outcomes approaches to learning and assessment, recognition of prior learning, and effective regulation and quality assurance processes are all being debated overseas, with varying solutions to the perceived issues being applied; (2) The development of hierarchical national qualifications frameworks comprising progressively higher qualification levels is relatively widespread, and increasing; and (3) Collaboration between governments (or their delegated agencies) and industry stakeholders is key to developing and/or approving competency standards, educational standards and content that align with labour market needs. The following are appended: (1) The criteria for SQA accreditation of qualifications; and (2) Standards for the ACCSC in the United States. [This report has been prepared by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) under the National Vocational Education and Training Research (NVETR) Program.]

Chapter 1 starts out with a short historical view on "academisation" and "professionalisation," illustrating how much professional higher education (PHE) in Europe has been in flux in the past years. With examples from France and Ireland, the chapter argues how a new spectrum of missions, differences in national organization of PHE and a variety of denominations for PHE providers and programmes has slowed down a shared understanding of what PHE commonly characterises. Chapter 2 gives information on research aims and methodology of the "HAPHE" (Harmonising Approaches to Professional Higher Education) initiative, which made this publication possible. Chapter 3 is a central part of this book. The authors suggest a validated definition for PHE and present a structured set of characteristics (framework) including quality criteria. The three framework dimensions: policy and strategy, teaching and learning, and research, development and innovation are accompanied by examples of PHE from several European countries. Those examples where gathered from programmes and institutions that have developed a clear professional profile in all or most of the framework criteria. Chapter 4 outlines differences in PHE systems in 15 EU member states for curricular requirements, PHE provision on EQF levels, the recognition of professional degrees, and, not less importantly, access to (research) funding. Chapter 5 builds on the outcomes of all previous chapters and formulates recommendations to European and national policy-makers, the providers of PHE policy, and individuals/organisations working on quality development. [Contributors to this work included: Michael Calleja, Johan Cloet, Ulf-Daniel Ehlers, Ole Faaborg, Justin Fenech, Nicole Graf, Marko Grdošic, Michal Karpíšek, Anne Kraav, Regitze Sparre Kristensen, Stéphane Lauwick, Žarko Nožica, Armando Pires, Alicia-Leonor Sauli-Miklavcic, Christine Sholz, Monique Swennenhuis, Marc Vandewalle, and Iva Voldánová.]

The title of this document is a deliberate play on the title of the biennial reports on the progress of Bologna produced by the European Students' Union, "Bologna With Student Eyes." It is a way of paying tribute to student involvement in the Bologna reforms, and marking a parallel student working participation in the state system "Tuning" study groups in the U.S. This monograph, an expansion of the previous Bologna Club essay, draws on hundreds of documents in 8 languages, interviews with principal actors in 9 countries, and suggestions from two rounds of European reviewers, to bring to a broad academic audience in the United States an analysis of what European higher education authorities, academic leaders, faculty, and students have learned over the first decade of their considerable efforts, particularly in the challenging matters of: (1) student learning outcomes (set in what are called "qualification frameworks"); (2) the relationship of these frameworks to credits and curriculum reform; (3) the construction of new paths to student participation in higher education, including refinement of "short-cycle" degrees analogous to our Associate's, and combinations of e-learning and part-time status; (4) the reflection of all of this in the documentation of student attainment called "Diploma Supplements," and the expansion of this documentation in a lifelong "Europass' (5) the establishment of a "zone of mutual trust" through an all-encompassing culture of quality assurance, and an international accreditation register; and (6) consolidating and hence clarifying the myriad of academic credentials offered across 46 countries into common "cycles," which, in combination with qualification frameworks, a common credit system, and quality assurance, assures the recognition of degrees across national borders. These highlights help clarify, for North American readers, what Bologna is and what it is not. Some of them are extraordinarily relevant to challenges that face U.S. higher education, and are particularly applicable to accountability and access issues--in ways we simply have not considered. This document urges us to learn something from beyond our own borders that just might help us rethink our higher education enterprise. Thirteen Chapters comprise this report. They are: (1) A Tapestry of Change; (2) The Core of Bologna, Line I: Qualification Frameworks; (3) The Core of Bologna, Line II: Qualification Frameworks from the Ground-Up: the "Tuning" model and its Analogues; (4) The "Bologna-Code:" Learning Outcomes and Competences; (5) The Core of Bologna, Line III: The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS); (6) The Core of Bologna, Line IV: Closing the Loop with The Diploma Supplement; (7) Coda to the Accountability Loop: Quality Assurance; (8) The Core of Bologna, Line V: A Different Kind of Visit With Degree Cycles; (9) The Social Dimension of Bologna: Providing Multiple Pathways; (10) The External Dimension: Bologna Faces the World; (11) The Larger Language Landscape; (12) Bologna 2020: What is Left to be Done?; and (13) What Should the U.S. Learn?: Epiphanies for Our Eyes. Appended are: (A) Our European Colleagues; Our Translation Assistance; (B) 2007 Status of Core Bologna Features and Enabling Legislation in 46 Countries; and (C) Institutions from Which Diploma Supplements Were Received and Examined. (Contains 14 figures and 4 tables.) [For the document, "Bologna with Student Eyes, 2007," see ED500451.]

This paper looks at the importance of mechanisms that give formal recognition to vocational skills acquired through work-based learning and how such mechanisms might be developed. It describes how skill recognition can benefit individuals, employers and society as a whole, and identifies in which contexts skill recognition has the highest potential to bring benefits. The focus is on three tools that are commonly used to shorten the path to a formal qualification: admission into a programme, reduced programme duration and qualification without a mandatory programme. For each of these tools, this paper sets out country approaches, discusses common challenges that arise in their implementation and advances policy messages to support policy design and implementation.

This annex to the main report "Promoting the Relevance of Higher Education" includes the international policy literature study and the review of indicators. The objective of the literature study was to provide first insights into the policies that relate to the three dimensions of higher education relevance: personal development, sustainable employment, and active citizenship. The literature study allowed the next steps (country fiches and (country case studies) to continue with a clearer focus. As a first stage towards making an analytical and diagnostic tool to measure countries' scores on aspects of relevance dimensions, a review of indicators was done. This review looked into internationally comparative data sources and their used indicators, while judging their validity and usability to measure aspects related to higher education relevance. The results of the literature study and the indicator review are presented in this annex. A bibliography is included. [Related reports include: (1) "Promoting the Relevance of Higher Education. Main Report," ED587026; (2) "Promoting the Relevance of Higher Education. Executive Summary," ED586993; (3) "Promoting the Relevance of Higher Education. Annex 1: Country Case Studies," ED587043; and (4) "Promoting the Relevance of Higher Education. Annex 3: Country Fiches," ED587046.]

This book examines existing European environmental education and agricultural practices friendly to the environment. Focus is on studies conducted in five countries Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain--that aimed to define new knowledge qualifications related to environmental issues in producing alternative agricultural products without agrochemicals (organic farming). How these qualifications can best be acquired, including curricula design, are discussed. Chapter 1 is an introduction to the background, objectives, and design of the study. Chapters 2 and 3 describe European policies related to agriculture and employment and the practice of organic farming. Chapter 4 examines the state of agricultural education, environmental education, and vocational training within the European Union. Chapter 5 discusses processing, distribution and consumer information for organic products, specifically wine, olive oil, and fruit juice. Chapter 6, which constitutes over 1/3 of the book, presents the five national case studies. These include interviews with agronomists; agricultural inspectors; agricultural extension workers; teachers and directors of agricultural training centers; and retailers and consumers of organic products. Chapter 7 presents conclusions and suggestions for the formation of a common policy. Chapter 8 is a summary of the study. A list of 10 Web site addresses is appended. (Contains 75 references and 55 figures and tables.) (AJ)