ECO-CENTER QUALIFICATIONS DESCRIPTION 

European and National Qualifications Frameworks 

European Qualifications Framework (EQF) provides a reference framework, which assists in comparison between national qualifications systems, frameworks and their levels.

The EQF framework translates qualifications by making them more understandable across different countries and systems in Europe. EQF promotes lifelong and life-wide learning and the mobility of European citizens whether for studying or working abroad.

The EQF encourages countries to relate their national qualifications systems to the EQF so that all new qualifications issued from 2012 on carry a reference to an appropriate EQF level.

European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET)

The European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET) aims to give people control over their individual learning experience and makes it more attractive to move between different countries and jobs. It facilitates the validation, recognition and accumulation of work-related skills and knowledge acquired during a stay in another country and experience in different situations. ECVET works for better compatibility between different VET systems across Europe and the qualifications they offer.

ECVET creates a technical framework to describe qualifications in terms of units of learning outcomes that are subjected to assessment, transfer, accumulation and recognition procedures. Each unit is associated with a certain number of ECVET points developed on common standards: 60 ECVET points are allocated to the learning outcomes for a year of full-time VET.

Individual’s learning outcomes are assessed and validated in order to transfer credits from one qualifications system to another. The system allows development of common references for VET qualifications and is fully compatible with the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

EUROPASS

EUROPASS is an EU initiative that aims at increasing transparency of qualifications and mobility of citizens across Europe. It is a lifelong learning portfolio of documents describing all learning results, qualifications, work achievements, skills and competencies, acquired over time, along with appropriate certificates.

The portfolio consists of the following five documents that make skills and qualifications easily understood:

• Curriculum Vitae is freely accessible CV format that helps the EU citizens to present their skills and qualifications in the best possible way.
• European skills passport gives a comprehensive picture of skills and qualifications

• Language Passport is a self-assessment tool for language skills and qualifications.
• EUROPASS Mobility certificate records the knowledge and skills acquired in European countries.
• Certificate Supplement describes the knowledge and skills acquired by holders of vocational education and training certificates.
• Diploma Supplement describes the knowledge and skills acquired by holders of higher education degrees.

ECO-Center steps for qualifications recognition

• The ECO-Center team establishes the management structure, distributes activities among partners and supporting organizations, and creates thematic and grade units and course subjects.
• The ECVET based system for sectoral qualification description is elaborated through creation of a training program in clean environment sector, comprising 12 courses which knowledge part is organized in Training Pathways (TPs) designed to match EQF levels 5, 6 and 7, and weighed through ECVET.
• The project participants implement pilot procedures for assessment and transfer of the learning outcomes in formal and non-formal education.
• ECO-Center Knowledge & skills passport will be provided for gathering of documents certifying completed training and acquired competence/qualification in Environment protection sector.