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The roles and functions of Qualifications
Qualifications (certificates, diplomas and titles) play an important role in modern societies. They are carriers of information and values and extensively influencing the way individuals and education/training systems as well as labour market institutions interact with each other
Modern national qualifications frameworks, reflecting the principles laid down by the EQF, focus on the relationship between different education and training sectors (general, vocational and academic) and try to embed these in a lifelong learning strategy. The need for more transparent and responsive qualifications calls for structural changes in the governance of qualifications systems, including the opening up towards learning outside formal education and training institutions.
Cedefop’s work on qualifications
In recent years, Cedefop has increasingly focussed on the roles and functions of qualifications. A number of comparative studies, analysis and activities have looked into different aspects of qualifications and qualifications systems (for example related to the shift to learning outcomes, to qualifications standards, to curricula, to validation and certification, to credit transfer and to qualifications frameworks ) have been carried out. In 2008 an overarching study ‘The Changing role of Qualifications’ was initiated with the explicit purpose to provide for a better understanding of how qualifications and qualifications systems operate and point to main tendencies and challenges in this field.
Conferences’ objectives
The conference will build upon this ongoing research and provide an opportunity for VET stakeholders, policy makers and researchers to reflect on how these findings will influence future policy and research priorities. The conference will thus address the following main objectives:
· To identify current and future trends as regards the changing functions and roles of qualifications
· To gather further evidence on the character and direction of these changes, especially focusing on developments at sectoral and national levels
· To formulate key messages that can usefully support policy developments and lifelong learning strategies at national level
· To discuss the overall implications of these changes for future (post 2010) research and European policy cooperation in education and training.
The Conference is conceived around three main issues: 1) qualifications and its stakeholders, 2) qualifications as currencies, 3) qualifications and lifelong learners. Each issue will be discussed within parallel working groups. Time for exchanging on future activities will be given during the “key messages” session and more concisely during the final session of the conference. This final session (with high level education/training and labour market experts) will be devoted to Putting the pieces together – Qualifications towards 2020.
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