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Useful, clear and comparable qualifications: a global drive

From Malaysia to Morocco to Mexico, representatives of sixty seven countries, who joined the ETF's conference on qualifications frameworks in Brussels on 6-7 October, confirmed that there exists a global drive to more useful, transparent and comparable qualifications across the world.

From Malaysia to Morocco to Mexico, representatives from more sixty seven countries, who joined the ETF’s conference on qualifications frameworks in Brussels on 6-7 October, confirmed there exists a global drive to more useful, transparent and comparable qualifications across the world.

In the past two years most countries surrounding the EU adopted or commenced plans for such qualifications frameworks, and by the end of 2012 all countries in Europe are expected to have a framework in operation.

This may not be an outcome of the ETF meeting “Qualifications Frameworks, from Concept to Practice”, but it was certainly a conclusion that holds a promise for years ahead. Many of ETF partner countries will start implementing systems that have been on the drawing board in the past years: developments in this field can go fast.

But the conference also concluded that these will be crucial years, during which professionals in many of these countries will need all the support they can get from an international community of colleagues.

They were given some clear advice along the way, as Gordon Clark of the European Commission, summarised the two days of discussions:

‘There is no ideal model,’ he said. ‘Each [NQF] model has its own context and derived merits. There are certainly elements, such as coordination and communication, and stages that are common in most scenarios but the process is never completed and therefore international transparency on the different experiences is essential.’

He also reminded people that ‘qualification frameworks are not just economic tools but also social tools, to address social issues in society and, more importantly, to help individuals.’

This sentiment was echoed by Commissioner Stefan Füle for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy.

‘Qualifications frameworks offer practical and concrete tools [...] to allow people to maximise their potential’, he said.

Pierre Mairesse, director at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Education and Culture, however, warned that what we have developed in Europe in the past years is largely institutional changes.

‘Although we are entering a new phase now, where relations between sub-systems, cooperation between countries and the transition from education to work are growing in importance, this is all still fairly institutional,’ Mr Mairesse said.

‘We need an impact on the ground now. We need to disseminate the qualifications frameworks principles for use by providers and users of qualifications. We need an impact on individuals,’ he said.

But even he could be charmed by the promise that broader international cooperation holds in a globalising world.

‘Can we move beyond even regional frameworks and move, perhaps together with UNESCO, towards a worldwide framework for referencing?’
 
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