A seminar on the regional dimension of qualifications took place in Rome last November. The event was a milestone in an ETF regional project, which tries to promote cooperation among seven countries of Euro-Mediterranean region (Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, France, Italy, Spain) in qualifications in two sectors: construction and tourism. The rationale of the project is to enhance mobility of workers by raising the status of qualified workers in the region.

The purpose of the meeting was twofold. First, it was called to finalise common profiles in each sector concerning the occupations of waiter, receptionist, bricklayer and site supervisor. Second, the participants were to reflect on the work programme for 2012 and on the future of the cooperation initiated by the project beyond its four years duration. The project is already halfway to its end.
 
Regarding the first objective, the meeting allowed for rich exchanges to compare the national occupations. ‘Transparency is a long process leading to a consensus,’ said Jean-Marc Castejon, ETF expert who manages the project. ‘After meeting in Rome, we are almost there with the four occupations, and soon there will be a common description of the qualification profile of each occupation. This is what we will pursue in 2012.’
 
In 2012, ETF project should also move towards the definition of sector profiles i.e., a set of occupations (and corresponding qualifications) in the construction and tourism sectors, which are common to the seven countries.

‘The mapping of sectors is one step higher in difficulty,’ says Mr Castejon. ‘But once it is done, the project team will be able to reference the whole system of qualifications to the European Qualifications Framework [EQF] as planned in the project’s methodology. The EQF provides a ready made outcome-based system of reference.’

If this is achieved, in 2013 the ETF and its partners will be able to talk about sectoral qualifications systems in tourism and construction in the Euro-Mediterranean region.
 
One of the project’s innovative features is pulling together the resources and expertise of sector representatives, the relevant ministries, the qualification authorities and, whenever it is possible, the social partners in each country. This lays the basis for future national qualifications frameworks.

You can learn more about this project on the Qualifications Platform, a  community of practitioners, experts and officials working on qualifications systems worldwide. The Platform is managed by ETF.  To join the Platform, please send an e-mail, asking to join to: qualifications.platform@etf.europa.eu

 

If you are already registered, go directly to Qualifications Platform.