National Qualifications Framework

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Basic data
Title: National Qualifications Framework
Long title: Federal Act on the National Qualifications Framework
Abbreviation: NQF law
Type: Federal law
Scope: Republic of Austria
Reference: BGBl. I No. 14/2016
Date of law: March 21, 2016
Effective date: 15th March 2016
Please note the note on the applicable legal version !

The development of a National Qualifications Framework in Austria (NQF) goes back to the recommendation of the European Parliament and the Council to establish a European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning in 2008. The European Union advises its member states to develop and implement National Qualifications Frameworks on a voluntary basis and recommends that these should be linked to the European Qualifications Framework by 2010. A large part of the EU member states and some candidate countries are currently working on implementing this recommendation, thus setting clear signals in the direction of a European educational area.

Already in the context of the Lisbon Council meeting, the European Council stated the need for greater transparency in European qualifications. The idea of ​​a European educational area, advanced by the Bologna Process in the field of higher education, was expanded to include vocational training in 2002 by the Copenhagen Process. Through the implementation of the EQF recommendation, transparency and the promotion of mobility are now to be promoted in the entire education system.

Objectives and benefits of the NQF

First and foremost, the National Qualifications Framework is intended to create a system in the complexity of the Austrian educational landscape, on the basis of which national qualifications can be linked and compared with one another. The aim is to 'translate' between the various levels and areas of the national qualification system, and thus to ensure clarity and comprehensibility of the various educational qualifications.

In addition, the coupling of the NQF to the European Qualifications Framework results in numerous advantages. For citizens, these primarily consist in a Europe-wide understanding of the scope and quality of their qualifications and the resulting opportunities to move around the European educational landscape and the European labor market in a mobile and transparent manner. For companies there are advantages above all from the simplified use of national and international qualifications and potential, an easier cross-border exchange of experience, and thus a potential increase in competitiveness.

Structure and organization of the NQF

The structure of the Austrian National Qualifications Framework corresponds to that of the EQF. It consists of 8 levels and the corresponding descriptors in three dimensions, the learning outcomes. The Austrian NQF covers all levels and areas of the Austrian education system. In order to break through the complexity of the Austrian educational landscape, it was divided into three "corridors". Corridor 1 comprises the formal education and school system (i.e. formal general and vocational education and training), Corridor 2 the system of non-formal education (e.g. adult education) and Corridor 3 means the entire area of ​​informal learning (e.g. B. Competencies that are acquired through work experience, in leisure time, through voluntary work, etc.). After the development and implementation work has been completed, it should be possible to map all three corridors in the NQF, i.e. they should be assigned to a level of the NQF and presented transparently using descriptors that describe competencies.

At the higher levels of the NQF (levels 6 to 8), Bologna qualifications (Bachelor, Master, PhD) will be assigned based on the Dublin descriptors. In accordance with the permeability principle of the NQF, it should not and must not be ruled out from the outset that these higher NQF levels can also be achieved through other educational pathways. The design of the NQF reflects this 'dichotomy' in the upper ranks by treating Bologna qualifications and those higher qualifications that are acquired outside of higher education in two separate, parallel 'strands', and assigning others based on the defined NQF descriptors.

qualification

A qualification in the sense of the NQF is a diploma or certificate that attests to the positive completion of a qualification and has been confirmed and certified by an official body. At the end of a qualification there is accordingly a so-called assessment procedure in which an objective and standardized check is carried out to determine whether a learner has achieved the learning objectives defined in the curriculum of his training.

Learning outcomes

In the course of the development and implementation of the learning outcome-oriented NQF, a paradigm shift is taking place in the Austrian school system from input to output orientation, which is partly due to the current curriculum reform in the vocational school system (see also 'Competence Orientation', 'Educational Standards in Vocational Education') becomes recognizable. Qualifications are assigned to the NQF solely on the basis of their learning outcomes, which leads to the irrelevance of duration, location, content and other input factors for the level assignment. This is followed by an increased permeability in the Austrian school and education system, which enables the individual NQF levels to be achieved on a variety of educational tracks.

Knowledge, skills, competencies

Learning outcomes describe what a learner should know or be able to do as a result of the previous learning process. In detail, the NQF distinguishes three dimensions of learning outcomes. The first dimension 'knowledge' comprises knowledge and understanding in a specific area of ​​study or work (e.g. knowledge of theories and practice). The second dimension, 'Skills', comprises practical, cognitive and social competences that the learner should have at the end of their educational path (e.g. problem-solving skills, communication skills). The third and final dimension of 'competencies' represents the degree of independence, autonomy and responsibility that a learner should be able to take on at the end of the qualification, i.e. the ability to use his / her acquired knowledge and skills in a learner - or to be able to use and apply work situation. For each of these three dimensions, the NQF provides general and relatively abstractly formulated descriptors at each level. The learning outcomes achieved are compared with these descriptors and then assigned to the corresponding level in accordance with the 'Best Fit Principles'.

The European Qualifications Framework as a translation tool

The European educational landscape is characterized by a well-developed heterogeneity of national qualification systems. The European Qualifications Framework aims to create transparency at all levels of education. Nationally acquired qualifications should be made visible, understandable and comparable across Europe, and realistically positioned on the European education and labor market. Transnational mobility, lifelong learning , employability and competitiveness are to be promoted and expanded in this way. The EQF does not intend to intervene in national education systems or, contrary to the subsidiarity principle, to change the competences of the member states in the education sector. The main goal is to create a 'zone of mutual trust' in which educational qualifications and the associated learning outcomes can be understood transnationally and presented transparently. This is intended to make a significant contribution to increasing mobility and to the cross-border exchange of experience and resources. In a broader sense, the objectives of the EQF make a significant contribution to achieving the benchmarks of Education and Training 2020 (mobility, transparency, quality, promotion of lifelong learning) and to further strengthening competitiveness, employability and social cohesion of the individual member states and of the whole Union in the spirit of the overarching Europe 2020 strategy .

Web links

Remarks

  1. ↑ Recommendation of the European Parliament 2008 (PDF; 222 kB)
  2. ↑ [1] (2000; PDF; 56 kB)