National qualifications framework – Ukraine

Ukraine’s NQF was adopted in 2011 as a ten-level framework. The Law on Higher Education in 2014 linked higher education qualifications to the NQF. The Law on Education in 2017 established the basis of a competency-based system of education and lifelong learning and linked existing qualifications to 11 NQF levels. In 2020 the NQF level descriptors were again revised1 and reduced to eight levels to bring them into line with the EQF for lifelong learning.
The Law on Education distinguishes between educational and professional qualifications, having a clear function in the labour market. It also laid the legal basis for the National Qualifications Agency, which became operational in 2019.
Validation of Non-Formal and Informal Learning practices started in 2016, for cooks in three cities (Odessa, Rivne and Kiev). Since 2022 these have been transformed into Qualification Centres that issue professional qualifications based on occupational standards. The National Qualifications Agency accredits these Qualification Centres and by the end of July 2023, 31 centres were operational, with more than 1 500 professional qualifications being issued for a wide spectrum of occupations.
In 2022, Ukraine completed self-certification of the higher-level qualifications in the NQF to the Qualifications Framework for the European Area for Higher Education (QFEHEA). In 2023 it completed a pilot to compare its NQF to the EQF. In the meantime, Ukraine has joined the EQF AG as a candidate country.
The war is having an enormous impact on the skill demands and recognition of qualifications, with six million refugees having fled to EU member states, millions more who have been displaced internally, large numbers who have been mobilised, destruction of companies, infrastructure and training centres, and needs for reconstruction and repair. This means that apart from making the NQF operational as planned, it needs to be developed further to support flexible learning and recognition of skills. Making the NQF fully operational in all subsectors and to all beneficiaries (individuals, companies, training providers, recognition centres, employment services) is the most urgent priority. The NQF is still in the activation stage.