- 2016Approved/Agreed
- 2017Implementation
- 2018Implementation
- 2019Implementation
- 2020Implementation
- 2021Implementation
- 2022Implementation
Background
In April 2008, the European Parliament and the Council issued a recommendation on the establishment of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). This was intended to create a Europe-wide reference framework to improve the transparency of qualifications. The recommendation called on Member States to establish national qualifications frameworks (NQF) and reference them to the EQF. Based on learning outcomes and applying the EU principles of quality assurance, qualifications should be mapped to the national qualifications framework. Subsequently, all qualifications should include a reference to the NQF/EQF level. The recommendation also urged Member States to establish national coordination bodies for the NQF, which was done in 2009.
In Austria, the Council of Ministers gave the green light for the establishment of an eight-level comprehensive NQF in December 2009.
Objectives
The following objectives have been pursued with the development and implementation of an NQF:
- implementing the recommendation of the EU Parliament and Council;
- improving the transparency and understanding of qualifications acquired in Austria;
- facilitating transnational mobility;
- promoting more permeability between educational programmes/contexts/levels at national level;
- increasing the visibility and appreciation of non-formal qualifications;
- strengthening the parity of esteem between qualifications from different contexts.
Description
The NQF development and implementation process is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF). It is supported by the NQF Steering Group, which includes representatives from all ministries, the higher education area, the social partners, continuing education and training as well as the provinces. Quality assurance steps to improve procedures and processes have been taken continously. These are coordinated by the National Coordination Point (NCP), and all results and conclusions have been coordinated with the NQF steering group. The main quality assurance measures include the improvement of the assignment request and the assignment criteria, the streamlining of the assignment process and the optimisation of communications.
Adoption of the NQF Act
In March 2016, the NQF was formally introduced in Austria with the entry into force of the NQF Act. In line with the Act, the NQF Advisory Board was established, which is based at the NCP and is responsible for the technical assessment of submitted assignment requests. The NQF handbook was also published, including the form for the assignment of qualifications and templates for the assignment requests were created.
Assignment of formal and non-formal qualifications
In 2017, the implementation of the NQF started with the assignment of formal, i.e. legally regulated, qualifications. In this phase, central qualifications from the school sector...
The NQF development and implementation process is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF). It is supported by the NQF Steering Group, which includes representatives from all ministries, the higher education area, the social partners, continuing education and training as well as the provinces. Quality assurance steps to improve procedures and processes have been taken continously. These are coordinated by the National Coordination Point (NCP), and all results and conclusions have been coordinated with the NQF steering group. The main quality assurance measures include the improvement of the assignment request and the assignment criteria, the streamlining of the assignment process and the optimisation of communications.
Adoption of the NQF Act
In March 2016, the NQF was formally introduced in Austria with the entry into force of the NQF Act. In line with the Act, the NQF Advisory Board was established, which is based at the NCP and is responsible for the technical assessment of submitted assignment requests. The NQF handbook was also published, including the form for the assignment of qualifications and templates for the assignment requests were created.
Assignment of formal and non-formal qualifications
In 2017, the implementation of the NQF started with the assignment of formal, i.e. legally regulated, qualifications. In this phase, central qualifications from the school sector were assigned: this included upper-secondary VET qualifications; the dual VET programme qualifications and three- to four-year school-based VET programme qualifications were mapped to level 4, while five-year school-based VET-programme qualifications were mapped to level 5.
In between 2017-19, the prerequisites for the assignment of non-formal qualifications were set up. This included the establishment of NQF service points which, as intermediaries between the qualification providers and the NQF bodies, were to take over the quality assurance of assignment requests. In 2019, six NQF service units were appointed to be responsible for the quality assurance of the assignment of non-formal (i.e. non-governmentally regulated) qualifications.
In January 2019, the first assignment requests for non-formal qualifications were submitted. Lessons learned were used to improve the processes and procedures.
In June 2019 the appointment of the NQF service units took place. After a period of preparation, in which each of the six institutions had to set up a website, the units started their operative work in mid-November 2019.
The first submissions of non-formal qualifications to the six service units were made in January 2020 and, in June 2020, the first allocations became effective. No further formal qualifications were assigned to the NQF register in 2020. By the end of 2020 eight non-formal qualifications were mapped to the NQF.
Assignments of qualifications - formal and non-formal - continued in 2021.
18 non-formal qualifications from different sectors and contexts (including tourism, youth work, adult education, basic vocational qualification) were classified to the NQF during 2021.
Among the formal qualifications assigned in 2021 are those in healthcare: nursing assistance (level 1) was assigned to NQF 4, and nursing assistance (level 2) to NQF 5. The general nurse programme (bachelor degree) was assigned to NQF 6.
In 2022, the work of the NQF service units was monitored. There were several feedback meetings between the service points, the NCP and the education ministry. The service units were also able to provide written feedback. The NCP drew conclusions from the results, which are to be discussed with the service points and the NQF steering group in the first half of 2023.
Bodies responsible
- NQF steering group
- National coordination point (NKS)
- Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF)
Target groups
Entities providing VET
- VET providers (all kinds)
Thematic categories
Transparency and portability of VET skills and qualifications
European principles and tools, such as EQF, ESCO, ECTS, Europass and ECVET, provide a strong basis for transparency and portability of national and sectoral qualifications across Europe, including the issuing of digital diplomas and certificates.
This thematic category looks at how individuals are supported in transferring, accumulating, and validating skills and competences acquired in formal, non-formal and informal settings – including learning on the job – and in having their learning recognised towards a qualification at any point of their lives. This is only possible if qualifications are transparent and comparable and are part of comprehensive national qualifications frameworks. Availability of qualifications smaller than full and acquirable in shorter periods of time is necessary; some countries have recently worked on developing partial qualifications, microcredentials, etc.
This thematic sub-category refers to the application of EU transparency tools that allow recognition of qualifications among EU Member States (EQF, Europass, ESCO, ECTS). Among others, it includes linking national VET platforms and databases to Europass in accordance with the Europass Decision and EQF Recommendation and the use of the ECVET principles and tools, such as memoranda of understanding or learning agreements applied in mobility actions. The sub-category also covers measures on recognition of foreign/third-country qualifications for specific target groups, e.g. migrants or highly skilled professionals.
This thematic sub-category concerns all developments related to national qualification frameworks (NQFs). As in most countries NQFs are in place and referenced to the European qualifications framework (EQF), the thematic sub-category covers updating and expanding the frameworks, developing new qualifications and using NQFs as catalysts for other reforms.