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EU Qualifications Framework landmark in Education
By MaltaMedia News
May 6, 2008 - 8:47:32 AM
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The Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Dolores Cristina hailed the adoption by the European Parliament of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) as a landmark in the history of European Education and Training.
This is an innovative tool to translate qualifications that would help learners have a more transparent pathway to all their learning experiences.
Minister Cristina welcomed the formal adoption on April 23rd by the European Parliament and the Council of the EQF. Member States can now adopt this voluntary scheme that aims at promoting lifelong learning and mobility by making it easier to understand and compare individuals’ qualifications around all Member States.
The EQF is a lifelong learning tool with eight reference levels applied to qualifications obtained in all sectors of education from general education to higher education and vocational training. The EQF can also be used as a tool to align qualifications obtained through a system of validating informal and non-formal learning. The EQF is based on what a learner knows, understands and is capable of doing rather than the length of a learning experience or the type of institutions.
The process to adopt an EQF which started in 2004 and which captures the essence of the Bologna, Lisbon and Copenhagen processes sets two important targets: 2010 for countries to relate their qualifications systems to the EQF and 2012 for all new qualifications to bear reference to the EQF so that employers and institutions can identify a candidate’s skills, knowledge and competences.
An EQF Advisory Group comprising governments and social partners (employers and trade unions) was set up by the Commission to coordinate the processes required to relate national systems to the EQF. The Malta Qualifications Council represents the Maltese Government on this Advisory Group.
Minister Cristina appreciates the sterling work which the Malta Qualifications Council (MQC) has already undertaken to support the EQF. Malta is one of four EU Member States (the others are the UK, France and Ireland) which already has a National Qualifications Framework.
Malta’s NQF is modeled on the EQF and therefore making it easier for Maltese citizens to relate their qualifications to the EQF. MQC’s work on relating qualifications to the EQF is progressing according to schedule with the Institute of Tourism Studies being the first public institution to relate all its qualifications to the NQF/EQF system.
MQC is also the Malta’s EQF Focal Point and regular information meetings open to targeted stakeholders will be held at MQC’s premises between May 2008 and January 2009. MQC is also leading for the Commission an EQF Leonardo project on the alignment of tourism qualifications to the EQF.
Mobility and lifelong learning are the two important strands that the EQF aims at achieving. The EQF will make qualifications between countries easier to compare helping European live and work anywhere in the EU. Furthermore all learning experiences will now carry a value and can form part of a qualifications framework.
The Malta Qualifications Council before summer will launch a working document on the validation of informal and non-formal learning. “This document will recognize all learning, particularly that taking place in informal and non-formal contexts, and will clarify the skills gap that we often face in industry. Such validation will provide official recognition for what our people are capable of doing and will make it easier for industry to tap recognized skilled workers”, the Minister said.
© Copyright 2008 by MaltaMedia.com
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May 8, 2008 - 4:03:42 PM CET
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