The workshop will provide policymakers, stakeholders, experts, researchers, social partners and the wider public with an opportunity to discuss the role that National Qualifications Frameworks (NQFs) can play in the Union of Skills. Participants will exchange views on how NQFs can better promote the portability of qualifications and skills, responding to the needs of all people living in Europe.
When: 17 February 2026 - Time: 10.00-12.00 CET
For more than 15 years, NQFs have played a key role enhancing transparency, comparability and mutual trust between actors in the education and qualification systems as well as employers and learners in countries participating in the EQF process, while supporting flexible learning pathways essential for Europe’s economic competitiveness and social resilience.
As Europe faces skills shortages, labour market imbalances and the demands of the digital and green transitions, the need for transparent and comparable qualifications has become increasingly pressing. The ambition of the Union of Skills to support competitiveness and mobility across the single market depends on making qualifications and skills visible and trusted. This, in turn, will enable learners and workers to move more easily across education subsystems, the labour market and national borders and ensuring that education and training respond to evolving labour market needs.
In this context, participants of the workshop will have the chance, through three parallel breakout sessions, to reflect on key topics related to the potential function of NQFs within the Union of Skills. The event will seek to address the following key questions:
- How can NQFs respond to the challenges of the digital transition?
- How do NQFs contribute to facilitating the recognition of foreign qualifications?
- How can awareness and use of NQFs among learners, workers, jobseekers and companies be improved?
- How NQFs can contribute to achieving the objectives of the Union of Skills?
In the workshops, panellists will present developments at national level, followed by the opportunity for participants to interactively share their views on how current challenges in NQF implementation can be addressed, as well as on what can be done to ensure that NQFs remain relevant. Cedefop also aims to collect reflections and ideas that will contribute to shaping future work and research, including the 2026 update of the European inventory of NQFs.
The workshop will provide a platform for a live discussion among stakeholders from all European countries. Join the dialogue by registering to the event!
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