European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning

European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning: the second issue of the EQF Newsletter has just been published. If you wish to subscribe to the newsletter please register by sending an email to: eac-eqf-newsletter@ec.europa.eu. If you would like to contribute to the newsletter you can do so under the same address. Contributions can be sent in English, French or German.
The European Commission has just published the second issue of the EQF Newsletter which gathers information about the latest developments in the implementation of the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning. The first issue has met with considerable success and already more than 460 people have subscribed to receive the electronic version of the Newsletter.
In the editorial of this second issue, Mr Jan Truszczyński, Director-General for Education, Training, Culture and Youth notes the intensive development of comprehensive national qualifications frameworks (NQFs) for lifelong learning.
The editorial is followed by an article from the UK National Coordination Points, who present the results of the UK referencing process. The article specifically focuses on the evidence used for referencing levels of NQFs of the UK to the EQF, the role of stakeholders in this exercise as well as the lessons learnt not only for the international understanding of the UK NQFs but also for their domestic use.
An article presenting the second Cedefop mapping of NQFs in Europe discusses patterns in which countries link qualifications from all levels, including higher education and vocational education and training qualifications, in a single comprehensive national framework. It also presents examples of broader national reforms to support lifelong learning, which are related to NQF developments.
The broader European developments are then discussed in an article reporting from the international conference on National Qualifications Frameworks and the European Overarching Frameworks: Supporting Lifelong Learning in European Education and Training. This summary highlights among other things the coordination in the implementation of the European meta-frameworks - the Qualifications Frameworks for the European Higher Education Area and the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning – in order to support the development of comprehensive qualifications frameworks at national level.
Finally an article from oversees, more specifically from Australia, presents the recent NQF developments in this country. It also announces that the theme of qualifications frameworks will be at the core of upcoming policy dialogue activities in the area of education and training between the European Commission and Australia. Read the full newsletter.