His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa the King of Bahrain has issued a Decree No. (83) for 2012 organising the National Qualifications and Quality Assurance Authority for Education and Training NAQQAET (formerly known as the Quality Assurance Authority for Education and Training QAAET).
The NAQQAET now comprises of five units. A new unit called ”National Qualification Framework (NQF) Unit” was established along with the present four units (Schools Review Unit; National Examinations Unit; Vocational Review Unit; and Higher Education Review Unit). The NQF Unit will run the operations of the National Qualification Framework and establish communications with national and international bodies that are involved with Education and Training Frameworks.
It is foreseen that the NQF will further enhance the Authority‟s main objectives in improving the quality and performance of education and training sectors within the Kingdom. The NQF emphasizes the value of qualifications by mapping those qualifications on the framework according to a set of educational quality standards that are on par with global standards.

Depuis la signature du premier traité instituant la Communauté européenne le principe de "l'abolition, entre les états membres, des obstacles à la libre circulation des personnes" (article 3) a été établi. Sa mise en œuvre a ainsi donné lieu à de multiples directives et recommandations. Ce principe prend appui sur la qualification des personnes. La question de la reconnaissance de la qualification renvoie, en général, à la possession de diplômes titres ou certificats (ou certifications), mais aussi, à l'attestation d'une expérience personnelle ou professionnelle probante.
Vous avez un projet de mobilité à l' étranger et vous cherchez des supports de lisibilité. Pour favoriser la lisibilité de vos acquis, 5 supports Europass ont été mis au point dans le cadre d'Europass:
Contactez « l'agence Europe-Education-Formation France », qui est le Centre national Europass et le Point national de contact Europass-Mobilité.

La fin de la qualification pour les postes d'enseignants-chercheurs est annoncée dans la proposition 124 du Rapport Vincent Berger, synthèse des Assises de l'enseignement supérieur et de la recherche.
124. Prendre en compte dans l’évaluation et dans le contrat des établissements les efforts effectués pour appliquer la nouvelle charte de l’égalité entre les femmes et les hommes associant la CPU, la CDEFI et les Ministres de l’ESR et du droit des femmes.
Nous proposons de supprimer la procédure de qualification. Elle est extraordinairement chronophage, mobilise pendant des semaines un nombre d’enseignants chercheurs considérable qui seraient mieux employés à travailler à la recherche ou à la formation, ou à mener des activités d’expertise à plus haute valeur ajoutée, telles que nous en proposons dans ce document. Ajoutons qu’elle est appliquée à certains recrutements et pas à d’autres – elle ne garantit donc aucunement le statut national – puisque les enseignants chercheurs venant de l’étranger en sont dispensés. Par là, elle disqualifie le doctorat français, puisqu’elle indique que le doctorat étranger suffit à garantir le niveau requis pour devenir maître de conférence, alors que le doctorat français nécessite une procédure supplémentaire de « vérification ». Nos universitaires n’auraient­‐ils pas confiance dans les doctorats qu’ils délivrent? Ce serait un comble. Les organismes de recherche se passent de la procédure de qualification comme toutes les universités prestigieuses du monde; ni les uns ni les autres n’ont particulièrement à rougir de leurs recrutements. La qualification est finalement le signe d’un manque de confiance unique au monde envers les universités. Il est vrai que dans certaines sections (histoire ou sciences politiques), la qualification est loin d’être automatique. Mais si l’on fait confiance aux universités, à leur rigueur et à leur ambition dans le recrutement, il n’y a pas de raison que des personnes non qualifiées aujourd’hui soient recrutées demain. Ce constat était bien renforcé lors des Assises puisque le seul argument pour défendre la procédure de qualification consistait à en louer son rôle de rempart contre le recrutement local, appelé aussi « localisme ». Il nous semble que la lutte contre le localisme peut se mener d’autres manières. Nous proposons par exemple de contrôler les procédures de recrutement, pas systématiquement, a posteriori. Ce type de contrôle aura l’intérêt de faire progresser les universités dans leurs méthodes de recrutement, délicates et essentielles pour la qualité de notre enseignement supérieur. Ces méthodes ne font pourtant l’objet d’aucun regard extérieur en dehors de l’observation d’indicateurs macroscopiques. C’est bien ici les pratiques sur le terrain qu’il convient de regarder, par exemple la garantie de l’absence de conflits d’intérêts.
Le CNU et le CoNRS pourraient également produire ensemble des principes directeurs permettant aux établissements de lutter contre le localisme. Ces principes devraient en effet présenter des variantes, en fonction des disciplines. Dans les disciplines rares par exemple, la mobilité est naturellement très difficile. Dans les disciplines expérimentales, un équipement se construit parfois dans la durée et le départ de celui ou celle qui a monté l’expérience peut perturber fortement le laboratoire, jusqu’à des pertes de savoir‐faire très préjudiciables. La suppression de la qualification dégagera du temps au CNU pour lui permettre de concentrer son énergie sur le suivi de carrière des enseignants chercheurs, mission certainement plus utile à la communauté. Précisons que cette évaluation, que nous estimons nécessaire pour tous les personnels (voir proposition 131), n’a pas pour objectif de sanctionner les personnels ou d’aménager des modulations de service, mais d’apporter à toutes et à tous un accompagnement de manière analogue à ce qui se pratique très bien dans les organismes de recherche tels que l’INSERM ou le CNRS.
Une autre pratique contribuant à lutter contre le localisme consiste à faire coopérer les différents établissements dans l’organisation des procédures de recrutement. Cela réduira aussi la charge de travail globale et évitera les tracas liés aux candidatures multiples – on pense aux candidats provenant de l’étranger. Les périmètres des comités de sélection doivent également faire l’objet d’une réflexion approfondie: un comité de sélection différent pour chaque poste, comme l’a institué la LRU, empêche la construction d’une politique pérenne. La pluridisciplinarité devrait également être encouragée au sein des comités.
Voir aussi Réforme de l’enseignement supérieur et de la recherche, Assises - un rapport consternant!, Rapport - Assises de l'enseignement supérieur et de la recherche, Rapport sur les Assises de l'enseignement supérieur et de la recherche, Louis Vogel - des propositions pour lutter contre l'échec à l'université, Evaluation de la recherche: aller vers une "complexité simple", Contribution de Campus France aux Assises de l’ESR, Actes et discours de Vincent Berger, Assises ESR - allocution de Geneviève Fioraso devant l'OPECST, Premières Impressions sur les Assises de la recherche et de l’enseignement supérieur, Debate on future of higher education and research, Droit à la formation initiale différée - Contribution de Jean-Marie Filloque, Assises de l’Enseignement supérieur - un petit bilan du côté des grandes écoles, Pour une plus grande coopération entre universités et entreprises, Assises de la recherche: les propositions, La formation continue dans les 121 propositions des Assises nationales de l'enseignement supérieur et de la recherche, Les Assises nationales de l'enseignement supérieur et de la recherche - l'aboutissement d'un processus inédit de concertation, Enseignement supérieur et recherche - l’ambition des Régions, "Le changement, c'est d'abord l'écoute et l'ouverture du dialogue", Assises de la recherche l'avis du CNRS, Manifeste pour des Universités ouvertes sur les Territoires, Contribution de l’Amue aux Assises de l’ESR, Contribution du Medef aux Assises de l'enseignement supérieur et de la recherche, Pour une université de la formation tout au long de la vie, Assises de l’enseignement supérieur et de la recherche - prise de position du Conseil de l’AERES, L’Aeres ne veut pas être la grande sacrifiée des Assises, Contribution de l'ANRT aux Assises de l'enseignement supérieur et de la recherche, N° Spécial Assises de l'Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche, Assises de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche – Contribution du réseau IUT, La CPU mobilisée pour contribuer aux assises de l'enseignement supérieur et de la recherche, Contribution de l'AERES aux Assises de l'Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche, Contribution des établissements d’enseignement supérieur et de recherche au développement durable et au redressement productif de la France, Préambule à la contribution de la CPU en vue des Assises Nationales de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche, Assises de l'enseignement supérieur et de la recherche - premier bilan, Les assises de l'enseignement supérieur et de la recherche en Poitou-charentes, Mise en ligne des premières contributions des Assises de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche, Plus de 50 auditions déjà menées aux Assises de l'Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche, Assises territoriales de l'enseignement supérieur et de la recherche - Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Assises lorraines de l'enseignement supérieur et de la recherche, Assises de la recherche - le C3N fait pression sur Fioraso, Assises de l'enseignement supérieur et de la recherche, Le mécénat, un sujet que les Assises de la Recherche et de l’Enseignement Supérieur doivent prendre en compte, Assises, retard à l’allumage, Assises de l'enseignement supérieur et de la recherche, Composition du comité de pilotage des Assises de l'enseignement supérieur et de la recherche, Geneviève Fioraso lance les Assises de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche, 3 priorités pour les Assises de l'enseignement supérieur et de la recherche, Assises de l'enseignement supérieur et de la recherche - une ambition partagée pour l'avenir de notre pays, Françoise Barré-Sinoussi prend la tête du comité de pilotage des assises de l’enseignement supérieur.

HUMART outcomes
The outcomes of the SQF Humanities and Arts (HUMART) project are now available on the website. You are welcome to comment on the documents. Please direct any comments you might care to make in relation to this document to Ingrid van der Meer (y.van.der.meer@rug.nl). Download EQF Level Descriptors Linguistics.
Project Title: Sectoral Qualifications Framework for Humanities & Arts
GRADUATES IN LINGUISTICS AT LEVEL 4 ARE EXPECTED TO...
Knowledge
Demonstrate knowledge of the main categories for grammatical description and some basic grammatical processes.
Demonstrate broad knowledge of the influence of genres, contexts, audiences and purposes on language forms and their meanings.
Demonstrate broad understanding of the social and cultural role of language and discourse.
Skills
Carry out basic language description using appropriate descriptive terminology.
Describe and interpret in broad terms variation in and between different modes and genres of spoken and written texts.
Competence
Adjust their spoken and written language according to genres, contexts, audiences and purposes.
GRADUATES IN LINGUISTICS AT LEVEL 6 ARE EXPECTED TO...
Knowledge
Demonstrate advanced knowledge of the structure and use of language
Demonstrate advanced knowledge of the role of language data in linguistic argumentation
Demonstrate knowledge of linguistic theories, principles, hypotheses and explanations
Demonstrate knowledge of linguistic methodologies and their relationship to linguistic theories
Demonstrate advanced knowledge of the role of language in society
Demonstrate knowledge of the relatedness between linguistics and other disciplines
Demonstrate knowledge of the acquisition, production and comprehension of language.
Skills
Ask empirically motivated questions in relation to language
Analyse language data using appropriate linguistic techniques
Formulate linguistic generalizations on the basis of structured data
Collect, organise and interpret language data under guidance
Argue for or against a particular linguistic analysis on the basis of data sets.
Convey basic linguistic ideas to a non-specialist audience
Write and speak in the language of instruction
Engage in abstract thinking and carry out analysis and synthesis
Search for, process and analyse information from a variety of sources.
Competence
Demonstrate sensitivity to issues of register and language appropriacy.
Demonstrate a capacity to learn and stay up-to-date with learning
Demonstrate awareness of one’s own knowledge and skills
Demonstrate a capacity to reflect on one’s own performance
Demonstrate a capacity to reflect on one’s own problem solving skills.
GRADUATES IN LINGUISTICS AT LEVEL 7 ARE EXPECTED TO...
Knowledge
Demonstrate specialised knowledge within the areas of linguistics relevant to the program
Demonstrate theoretically grounded knowledge of the role of language data in linguistic argumentation
Demonstrate advanced knowledge of linguistic theories, principles, hypotheses and explanations
Demonstrate specialised knowledge of linguistic methodologies and their relationship to linguistic theories
Demonstrate specialised knowledge of the relatedness between linguistics and other disciplines.
Skills
Formulate theoretically grounded questions in relation to language
Formulate linguistic generalisations out of independently sourced data.
Select appropriate research methodologies
Collect and organise language data independently
Analyse and interpret complex language data within a relevant framework
Use appropriate linguistic techniques in handling data
Provide theoretically informed argumentation for or against a particular linguistic analysis on the basis of complex data sets.
Convey linguistic ideas to a non-specialist audience
Communicate in one or more major languages of the world
Write and speak according to the relevant register (formal, informal and specialist).
Competence
Demonstrate a capacity to generate new ideas
Demonstrate an ability to determine the nature of a problem and to reflect on the appropriate approach to its solution
Demonstrate an ability to be critical and self-critical
Demonstrate an ability to evaluate one’s own problem solving skills
Demonstrate an ability to work independently with abstract ideas
Demonstrate an ability to independently search for, process and analyse information from a variety of sources
GRADUATES IN LINGUISTICS AT LEVEL 8 ARE EXPECTED TO...
Knowledge
Demonstrate highly specialized knowledge as the basis for original thinking and research within linguistics.
Skills
Design and implement complex data collection procedures
Write and present for a targeted professional audience
Argue clearly and persuasively in a scholarly and/or professional environment
Communicate in a variety of modes at an expert level
Identify significant and topical research questions.
Competence
Demonstrate a capacity for original thinking in linguistics
Demonstrate a capacity to generate and recognise contributions to the field of linguistics
Recognise and respond to opportunities to promote linguistic ideas to a wider audience.

Cedefop - Briefing note - Qualifications frameworks in Europe: an instrument for transparency and change.
National qualifications frameworks are central to European objectives, but are becoming equally important for achieving national aims
Qualifications are increasingly important for finding a job and essential for building a career. How qualifications are classified and ranked is going through some major changes influenced by rapid development of national qualifications frameworks (NQFs) across Europe.
Currently, 35 countries are developing 39 NQFs. Ireland, France and the UK used NQFs prior to 2005, but their development in other countries was stimulated by the European qualifications framework (EQF) as a way to compare qualifications between different countries. Although NQFs remain central to achieving this European objective, they are becoming increasingly important for countries to achieve their national aims...
Challenges ahead
Progress over the past few years provides a good basis for realising NQFs’ potential, but they need to be visible beyond the limited circle of policy-makers and experts involved in creating them. The following steps are crucial for NQFs to succeed.
- Learning outcomes-based levels need to become visible to people. Including EQF and NQF levels in certificates and qualifications is a key step.
- NQFs are increasingly becoming national structuring and planning instruments. This requires producing databases and guidance materials reflecting NQFs’ structures. This has been done with pre-2005 NQFs, but not yet with later ones.
- NQFs must increasingly engage with and be more visible in the labour market (through assisting development of career pathways, certifying achievements acquired at work, guidance and links to sectoral frameworks).
Although NQFs use learning outcomes, there are other current practices that use learning inputs to recognise qualifications. Networks of academic recognition centres (the European network of information centres (ENIC) and the National academic recognition information centres (NARIC) (4) which support learners and institutions on access to and progression in higher education. The EU’s directive (2005/36) which addresses relationships between professional qualifications and occupations in the labour market is also based on learning inputs. The links between NQFs and these other approaches must be clarified and strengthened.
This illustrates the need for systematic monitoring and evaluation of NQF implementation, both qualitative and quantitative. Only a few countries have baseline data or are tracking destinations of qualification holders.
If treated as an isolated initiative, outside mainstream policies and practices, NQFs will fail. The biggest danger is that countries ‘forget’ their NQFs once they are referenced to the EQF, seriously undermining the EQF as a trusted European reference framework.

An online service has been launched to help employers check graduates’ qualifications and recognised degree-awarding bodies.
The Higher Education Degree Datacheck (HEDD) can be used to check that a UK higher education provider existed and was approved by the UK Government at any given date going back to 1990. Every UK university and college is listed in the database to provide a check on degree awarding status.
In response to a query, HEDD provides contact details to direct the user to the appropriate university or college records office. The service is also particularly useful for employers and postgraduate course providers who want to verify degree results, and can be used by graduates to request transcripts and replacement certificates.
Three universities, Manchester, Sheffield Hallam and Essex, have signed up and submitted their student records to the HEDD service and several more are in the pipeline. Together they are generating around 350 enquiries per month. Over 90 per cent of the enquiries are from screening and recruitment agencies, with almost half of these from overseas.
The main benefits of the service are fast and reliable verification, and improved efficiency. Universities using the system have reported a 50 per cent reduction in enquiry processing time as well as a positive effect on staff morale and productivity. The service reduces the burden of work on Registry teams by handling all customer service activity and providing automatic verification, where student data is available. Verification enquiries have been increasing significantly each year and cost English universities alone over £2 million in Registry resources.
Katie Britton, Verifications Manager at the University of Manchester, said:

‘Having HEDD has made a big impact on us – it’s much more convenient and easy to use than our old processes were, and it’s freed up so much time to spend on the other jobs we have to do.’

The service is one of several projects funded by HEFCE to support greater efficiency at universities and colleges and reduce costs over the medium term.The HEDD web-site provides more information, or contact s.mcgovern@prospects.ac.uk.
Notes

Vice-rectors for academic affairs of 40 Central American universities gathered at a workshop in Guatemala City from 8 to 9 October, to discuss the development and implementation of a regional qualifications framework for Central America.
The workshop was led by the Central American University Association (CSUCA) and supported by EUA. It took place in the framework of the ALFA PUENTES project, which is co-funded by the European Commission. Coordinated by EUA, the project involves 23 Latin American and European university asssociations, and is dedicated to supporting higher education convergence and harmonisation processes and to strengthening the role of university associations in Latin America.
The initiative for a qualifications framework for Central America is one of three sub-regional project strands of the ALFA PUENTES project and is driven by the CSUCA, an independent university organisation, in close collaboration with its 20 university members, and the national university associations of Costa Rica (CONARE), Panama (CRP), Honduras (UNAH) as well as Nicaragua and El Salvador. In the current phase, the project researchers are mapping and analysing the qualifications awarded in various disciplines at institutions in the region. In the next phase, generic descriptors will be developed for the qualifications framework (QF).
This month’s workshop was designed to promote the initiative to academic vice-rectors and to debate potential advantages and risks in developing such a framework. Practice was shared by European participants on both the European qualifications frameworks and national frameworks.
Workshop participants were generally positive regarding the prospect of having a regional qualifications framework. Beyond its potential value for transborder mobility, it was seen as a possibility to enhance quality of learning, but also to stress the relevance of university education for society and the labour market. A QF was also welcomed as another building block in the Central American regional (higher education) harmonisation process, which is led by CSUCA, and has over the past decade resulted in joint approaches for quality assurance and study credits. The European case of a regional QF was perceived as inspiring and – given the diversity within Europe – also as proof that it should be feasible to come up with an agreement in Central America. A question addressed was also whether the present initiative could lay the ground for a larger regional framework for Latin America. But there were also some sceptical voices, regarding the inherent risk of bureaucratisation, and that a QF could become overly regulatory or limit academic freedom.
In the course of the next months, CSUCA and partners will be designing a draft regional QF that will be shared with representatives of the academic community, of industry and national bodies.
ALFA PUENTES is a three-year EU-supported project that is driven by EUA, OBREAL and more than 20 partners in Latin America and Europe (including some EUA collective members), all of which are national and regional university associations. It is co-funded by the European Commission Alfa Programme.

The CHANGING ROLES OF QUALIFICATIONS IN GOVERNING THE LABOUR MARKET. Thessaloniki, 27-28 September 2012.
The workshop is based on Cedefop’s work on governance and international qualifications and will bring together researchers and representatives of sectors, the social partners, governments and other stakeholders from all over Europe. The workshop will provide an opportunity to participants to get an overview of current developments and actively debate their own roles and responsibilities.
In recent years, Cedefop has increasingly focussed its activities on the changing role of qualifications and on how VET systems are governed and interact with other parts of the education and training system and the labour market. The purpose of the workshop is to present Cedefop’s work and discuss dynamic relationship between education and training and the labour market as well as areas that require future research. Download Background Note.
Workshop background document, drafted by Loukas Zahilas, Cedefop
Modernising lifelong learning (LLL) and especially vocational education and training (VET) is important for Europe to recover from the current economic crisis. In this respect an important challenge to be addressed is how to better coordinate and govern education and training in order to ensure quality, relevance and inclusion.
In recent years, Cedefop has increasingly focussed its activities on the changing role of qualifications and on how VET systems are governed and interact with other parts of the education and training system and the labour market. Using the insights gained through these activities Cedefop intends to launch a debate on VET governance in Europe.
The study on the role of qualifications in governing occupations and professions, that will be presented in the event, builds on comparative data from a number of countries and occupational sectors and provides an overview over the different forms of regulation, how these are changing in the current economic and political situation – also due to technological and labour market developments – and discuss the implications for the VET system. Another study on the cooperation between education and training and the labour market, delivers insights on how VET standards are defined and renewed focusing on the conditions for improving the relevance of VET qualifications and for ensuring that the needs of the labour market are reflected in education and training provisions. A third study, that will be launched in 2012, will look into the character and diversity of partnerships of education and training providers - at national, regional and local level - and how they can facilitate access and progression in VET and between VET and HE.
Parallel to this, Cedefop is working in the area of qualifications supporting developments related both to the European qualifications framework (EQF) and the European taxonomy on skills, competence, occupations and qualifications (ESCO). The work on international qualifications which is another theme presented in the workshop will provide a major contribution to the development of the ESCO qualifications pillar, with a particular reference to the direct link to the EQF and NQF developments.
The purpose of the event is to present Cedefop’s work on governance, and discuss the role of qualifications (with a specific interest to international) in the dynamic relationship between education and training and the labour market as well as areas that require future research.
Qualifications play important roles in modern societies as carriers of information and value (currencies) and extensively influencing the way the occupations and professions are defined and regulated. By defining the minimum level of knowledge, skills and competence required by somebody holding a particular position, qualifications are used to regulate access to and conduct of an occupation or profession. Indirectly and/or directly they also define the status and/or entitlements of the existing members of the occupation or profession. Qualifications can thus be seen as an important instrument of governance, attributing substantial influence and power to those stakeholder(s) controlling them.
There may be many reasons for using qualifications as regulatory instruments; health and safety reasons are probably the most common. The professional conduct of pilots and medical doctors may easily affect the lives of their passengers and patients and it is widely accepted that regulation is needed. In other areas where health and safety issues are less pronounced, concerns regarding the overall quality of products and services are common, frequently presented as being in the interest of consumers and customers. Sometimes we can observe that this concern for the general good is mixed with the more limited interests of particular stakeholders. This is an issue much discussed in relation to the (relative) monopoly of some public sector professions to regulate and control access to and conduct of particular tasks.
The use of qualifications to govern occupations and professions is thus a highly politicised area with high levels of stakeholder involvement and potential conflict. This gate-keeping function has traditionally been upheld by national governments strictly regulating the award of qualifications through delegation to designated institutions and systems. This delegation of authority implies that professional associations (for example in medicine, psychology and aviation) and social partners (in vocational education and training) are given substantial influence over design and awarding of qualifications. This has been (and still is) the normal way of guaranteeing the value of a qualification – the way their currency is underwritten. The extent to which qualifications directly govern and regulate occupations and professions is demonstrated by the EU Directive on recognition of professional qualifications (2005/36). This Directive covers more than 800 professions which Member States regulate and which can be pursued only if certain professional qualifications have been acquired.
Qualifications and the labour market
In order to understand the way in which the relationship between qualifications and the labour market is changing, Cedefop carried out a study on the role of qualifications in governing the access to and practice within occupations and occupations. This study examined the situation in ten European countries and five sectors to come to an overarching view of the current state of affairs.
The main role of qualifications is that of an instrument of communication, signing a person’s knowledge, skills and competences in a particular field and with regard to a specific occupation. By setting up functional qualification systems linked to trusted educational structures in which labour market relevance is guaranteed by using instruments such as occupational profiles set up by social partners, countries can facilitate the processes which lead to a good balance of qualitative and quantitative supply and demand of labour. In addition to this general system, qualifications are used as regulatory instruments. In a number of occupations, strict entry requirements are set to determine that only people who have acquired the specific qualification (including diplomas, certificates, and licenses) may work in this occupation. In these cases, qualifications are seen as necessary, though not always sufficient criteria for employers’ selection of employees at micro level and therefore do determine a minimum level of competence of all occupational practitioners. Where the license to practice is also connected to obligations with respect to continuing professional development, the qualifications connected to this aspect of the training can also play the role of ensuring the continued relevance of the skills present in the work force.
Qualifications can only fulfil this role on the labour market if the institutional structure supporting them elicits trust amongst the end users. In some situations, qualifications are trusted to such an extent that the labour market actors actively support strong licensing systems, as they see these systems as providing the basis for a strong professional environment. In situations where the strict regulation is combined with weak institutional structures, qualifications might be seen as legally necessary, but practically irrelevant and requirements may be disregarded after all. In situations where the trust in qualifications is high however, strict licensing is not even necessary for micro level actors to acknowledge the importance of qualifications for assuring the quality of staff and services.
Overall it can be said that there is no alternative to the use of qualifications in the specific role they play in translating occupational activities into learning outcomes and the other way around. Two reservations should however be added to this conclusions. Firstly, the role of qualifications as instruments of governance in contributing to the qualitative and quantitative balance of supply and demand in occupations and professions can, in all the different governance systems, only be of practical relevance when it is embedded in trusted institutional structures and used in conjunction with other instruments such as occupational profiles, learning outcomes and qualifications frameworks. Secondly, although qualifications can be identified as crucial practical linking pins between the different actors and essential conceptual connectors between educational and labour market, this does not mean that policy makers, social partner organisations or educational institutes actually classify them as such. Such a purposeful use of qualifications is possible, however not a necessary requirement for them to fulfil the role as communication vessel after all.
Working Group 1: “Qualifications and the labour market” will discuss these issues and will provide an opportunity for the participants to gain an overview of current Cedefop’s work. The findings of the study on “how qualifications govern occupations and professions” will be presented followed by a report on the interim findings of the study on the “cooperation between education and training and the labour market in renewing VET”. The country example of Germany and the sectoral cases of welding and sports will provide additional input for the discussion on the future challenges and perspectives.
In particular the workshop will focus on the following questions:
- How important are qualifications in linking labour market and education, both as an instrument of governance and as actual currency on the ground?
- How will the constant redefinition of occupational and professional content and requirements influence the use of qualifications by countries and sectors for regulation and governance?
- Which models of governance of professions and occupations can be identified in the different countries and sectors and how can these be described in terms of principles and practical applications?
International qualifications
More and more qualifications – certificates and diplomas - are awarded at international level, outside national authorities’ jurisdiction. These ‘non-State’ qualifications have been developed and awarded by a wide range of bodies, organisations and companies addressing various purposes. This trend goes against our traditional understanding of qualifications, as ‘papers of value’ guaranteed by national authorities and can be seen as a direct reflection of globalisation of economies and labour markets.
Cedefop’s report on international qualifications is a first effort to increase transparency, notably by pointing to existing sources and clarifying the concepts to be used for mapping and analysis. Individuals need to be able to use their qualifications in more than one country and employers need to be able to judge the level of skills and competences held by potential employees. This trend is particularly visible in sectors like ICT and transport where international organisations, sectoral bodies as well as multinational companies already play a key role in defining and awarding qualifications and thus, in setting the requirements for skills and competences.
Working on international qualifications is complicated considering the diversity and complexity of the concept. For the purposes of Cedefop’s report an international qualification is a certificate, diploma, degree or title developed, awarded and recognised in more than one country. International qualifications can be issued in the framework of an international, national, regional or sectoral qualification system. There is big diversity in the companies, organisations and other bodies involved in developing and awarding international qualifications. Quality assurance is the crucial dimension regarding value and recognition by the labour market. Types of international qualifications become highly important when considering the effect of licensing and certification as licensing intervenes further in the market process.
Discussion on the real value of international qualifications can be very complex due to different social, economic and sectoral elements. Flexibility and tailor-made solutions offered to the labour market is in many cases counterbalanced by complications created due to the many international certifications on offer. Geographical and institutional coverage are key points and will have to be considered for each qualification as, although coverage is frequently clearly indicated, in several sector-based certificates limited coverage exists in practical terms.
What unites this extreme variety of qualifications is the fact that they are not restricted to a particular national system or territory. They are all ‘non-state’ qualifications whose exchange value is defined outside the traditional national qualifications systems. This raises some key-questions and challenges relevant to policy-makers as well as to users – be these individual citizens or employers.
An interesting general observation is that transparency of national qualifications is improving as it is becoming easier to review which qualifications exist, by whom they have been awarded and where they can be used. The reason is the introduction of national qualifications frameworks and the development of more sophisticated databases that have reduced some of the complexity traditionally faced by users. The opposite applies to international qualifications.
Gaining importance of qualifications awarded outside national jurisdiction has increased intricacy and lack of transparency. There is currently no single institution or body, at national or international levels, with an overview of or fully understanding developments. For users, individuals or employers, the situation is deteriorating rather than improving. The situation points to a need to deepen mapping of international qualifications and gradually come up with a system making it easier for users to review developments.
Quality issues are of fundamental importance as although in national qualifications quality is a central issue systematically involving a broad range of stakeholders and attracting considerable political attention, in international qualifications quality is still crucial but far more difficult to comprehend fully. While market forces are important (the role played by certificates from multinational companies is a direct reflection of their market position), individuals increasingly face a problem of how to distinguish ‘rogue’ and ‘ fake’ qualifications from ‘serious’ qualifications reflecting high levels of learning.
While ISO and EN standards have played a role, future developments will require a much more systematic effort to understand and address quality of international qualifications. To some extent, those awarding qualifications must become more accountable and willing to be open about the processes leading to award of a certificate or diploma.
Future work lies at the crossroads of transparency and quality. Overall relevance of international qualifications requires that they are trusted by potential users. This can only be achieved by systematically creating an overview of what exists and emerges, and by systematically addressing the need for accountability and openness regarding the process leading to a particular qualification. International and national qualifications are both value papers which require trust if they are to fulfil their roles in the labour market and society. Without this trust they will fail and in the worst case mislead individuals and employers.
Working Group 2: “International qualifications” will discuss these issues and will provide an opportunity for the participants to contribute to identifying future needs.
The recent Cedefop’s publication on “international qualifications” will be presented followed by presentations on the role of international qualifications in the context of ESCO and EQF. The cases of the welding and agriculture sector will provide input on the challenges and future perspectives.
In particular the workshop will focus on the following questions:
- Which are the necessary data-categories when developing an overview of what exists and emerges in the area of international qualifications?
- Which are the quality issues related to the accountability and openness of the processes leading to international qualifications?
- There is a strong relation between the type of international qualification and the sector, occupation or profession it relates to. Which can be the role of sectors in promoting the required trust and the labour market value?

Blog Educpros de Pierre Dubois. François Garçon, Le Dernier Verrou. En finir avec le Conseil national des universités, Editions The Media Faculty. Présentation sur le site officiel de l’auteur, “universitaire à Paris-Panthéon Sorbonne, historien”. Article critique d’Isabelle Rey-Lefebvre dans le Journal Le Monde. Livre inutilement polémique dans la conjoncture présente. Les sections nationales du CNU ne doivent surtout pas disparaître, mais il faut changer le mode de scrutin.
Présentation par l’auteur. “Inconnu du grand public, au cœur de l’enseignement supérieur français se trouve le Conseil national des universités. C’est lui qui  décide quels sont les jeunes docteurs pouvant candidater à un poste de maître de conférences dans l’université française, c’est encore lui qui juge quels sont les maîtres de conférences aptes à devenir professeurs, et quels sont les enseignants-chercheurs méritant honneurs et récompenses (primes, changement de classe, congés sabbatiques, etc.) Ca n’est pas tout : en dépit du toussotement de certains, le CNU s’apprête maintenant à évaluer individuellement les enseignants-chercheurs. C’est dire les prérogatives de cette gigantesque institution de près de 1500 membres, élus sur des listes syndicales fermées pour les 2/3 d’entre eux. Osons dire que ces pairs ne sont ni les meilleurs, ni les mieux inspirés dans les disciplines qu’ils sont supposés défendre. Tout l’atteste : l’enseignement supérieur français ne cesse de perdre de son lustre. Ne cherchez pas: la faute en revient principalement au CNU. Preuves à l’appui”.
Cette présentation comporte deux erreurs factuelles importantes. Le CNU n’est jamais intervenu dans l’attribution des primes (primes d’enseignement et de recherche, primes d’excellence scientifique, primes pédagogiques et administratives). Il n’est plus en charge de l’évaluation individuelle quadriennale de tous les enseignants-chercheurs: Geneviève Fioraso a en effet entendu les protestations et a suspendu la mise en œuvre du décret d’avril 2009 qui concernait ce point.
Critique faite par Isabelle Rey-Lefebvre: “on reste sur sa faim en ce qui concerne les témoignages à l’appui de la thèse de l’auteur, car son pamphlet ne rend compte d’aucun scandale, dérapage, injustice ou passe-droit, ne livre aucune anecdote ni témoignage vérifié. Le discours, uniquement à charge, en des termes forts, parfois agressifs, nuit à l’efficacité de la démonstration”.
Le CNU, instance nationale organisé par champ disciplinaire, doit absolument continuer à décider des qualifications aux fonctions de maître de conférences et de professeur, doit conserver un quota de promotions de grade. Qualifications et promotions ne peuvent en effet être uniquement décidées au niveau local: copinages, clientélismes, népotismes existent encore trop à ce niveau.
Mais il faut changer le mode de scrutin, abolir le scrutin de liste à la proportionnelle contrôlé par les organisations syndicales et plus largement par les corporations et les lobbies. Il faut abolir la nomination d’un tiers des membres du CNU par le pouvoir en place. Je suis partisan pour ma part d’un scrutin uninominal à deux tours, i.e. de candidatures individuelles ayant au préalable fait l’objet d’un certain nombre de soutiens nominaux, répartis dans des universités de plusieurs. Les “meilleurs” de la discipline seraient-ils candidats dans ce contexte? Je crois que “oui”, mais il faut en débattre. Les enseignants-chercheurs sont des gens responsables qui acceptent de servir leur communauté universitaire.