European Parliament adopts qualifications framework

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 will help learners have a more transparent pathway to their learning experiences, she said.

EU 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 the member countries.

The EQF is a learning tool with eight reference levels applied to qualifications obtained in all sectors ranging from general to higher education and vocational training.

The framework can also be used to align qualifications obtained through a system of validating informal and non-formal learning.

It 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 Malta Qualifications Council is soon to launch a working document on the validation of informal and non-formal learning.

"This document will recognise 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 people are capable of doing and will make it easier for industry to tap recognised skilled workers," the minister said.