QQI attends 62nd meeting of EQF Advisory Group

Órla and Andrina attended the 62nd meeting of the EQF Advisory Group meeting in Brussels on 19th and 20th June. The meeting covered a number of interesting topics including re-referencing of NQFs to the EQF, comparison of third country frameworks, updates on inventories of NQFs and validation and global studies related to qualifications. An update was provided by the Commission regarding the European Year of Skills and member states were encouraged to register their events and communicate them as European Year of Skills events.

A core function of the AG is to ensure continued referencing of NQFs to the EQF. The group received a presentation from Belgium regarding re-referencing of their NQF to the EQF following the 2017 recommendations, and an update from Malta on the state of play of its re-referencing report.

The draft comparison report of the Cabo Verde National Qualifications Framework to the EQF as part of a pilot project which has already compared the Ukrainian framework and will consider the Southern African Development Community regional framework later this year.

There is significant work underway by both Cedefop and the European Training Foundation regarding NQFs and qualification systems generally. Cedefop is currently updating the NQF inventory and presented interesting interim finding on NFQ developments across Europe. The third volume of the global inventory of regional and national qualifications frameworks has been developed and will be published shortly. Work related to mapping of recognition centres and qualifications agencies is underway and a network of qualification databases is being developed.

The AG celebrated the publication of the European Guidelines for Validating Non-Formal and Informal Learning which is a significant milestone, and the product of huge engagement across Europe, including Ireland. The development and implementation of validation relies on several interconnected elements that, when combined, can strengthen the role of validation at national and European levels. The guidelines put the individual at the heart of the process, responding to needs and objectives. They provide insights into validation provision and methodologies and how the process can be coordinated and carried out.

The EQF AG will next meet online in November.