- 2017Legislative process
- 2018Implementation
- 2019Implementation
- 2020Implementation
- 2021Implementation
- 2022Implementation
Background
Since the establishment, the NQF has been used as the basis for reform and development of VET qualifications. The new engineer (Ingenieur) qualification was developed as a consequence of the NQF, as the methods for identifying the competences in the previous engineer qualification did not match NQF requirements.
Objectives
Increase of transparency in the acquisition of engineering (Ingenieur) qualifications.
Description
A new Engineering Act (IngG 2017) came into force on 1 May 2017. Graduates of VET colleges of engineering (HTL) or of VET colleges in the agricultural and forestry/environmental sector (HBLA) who have a minimum of 3 years relevant professional experience, can now apply for certification to obtain the formal engineer qualification (Ingenieur, NQF/EQF level 6).
Beside the engineer qualification discussed above, application for certification is also allowed for other qualifications comparable in content and level. For example, graduates of an apprenticeship, industrial master college or master craftsperson examination can apply for the engineer qualification if they fulfil the legal requirements (in particular, 6 years of relevant professional experience). Informal data of the first years of implementation shows that in some provinces up to 80% of applications for certification do not come from the VET colleges of engineering or agricultural sector but from alternative accesses.
In 2019, the implementation of the regulation continued.
In 2020, the award of the engineering qualification is based on a validation process. It focusses on the work experience acquired after completion of a higher technical qualification, which must be designed in such a way that advanced knowledge, skills and competences can be acquired.
In 2020, Danube University Krems was commissioned to carry out the external evaluation of this validation process. The aim was to review the functionality of the procedure as well as the work of the certification bodies and to derive conclusions for possible improvement measures from the results. The evaluation report was submitted to the Ministry of Economy in autumn 2020.
The evaluation report was discussed in detail with representatives of the certification bodies in the first quarter of 2021. As a result, measures were taken that could be easily or quickly implemented, such as a common exchange platform for all certification bodies, the intensification of communication, and the streamlining of processes. Discussions were initiated on measures that require changes in the legal bases.
The engineering certification was continued in 2022. Adjustments were made to the implementation regulation by updating the fields in which the engineering qualification can be obtained.
Bodies responsible
- Federal Ministry of Digital and Economic Affairs (BMDW) (until 2022)
- Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy (BMAW)
Target groups
Learners
- Persons in employment, including those at risk of unemployment
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 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.
This thematic sub-category refers to validation mechanisms allowing individuals to accumulate, transfer, and recognise learning outcomes acquired non-formally and informally, including on-the-job learning, or in another formal system. In case they are not automatically recognised, a learner can have these learning outcomes validated and recognised through a particular process with a view to obtaining a partial or full qualification. This thematic sub-category covers such provisions and mechanisms.