Background


	The European Qualifications Framework: a tool for employability and competitiveness 28 January 2010 Centro Congressi Roma Eventi Via Alibert 5 (piazza di Spagna), Rome


REGULATORY BACKGROUND	On 23 April 2008 the European Commission issued a recommendation establishing the European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning (EQF) signed by the European Parliament and the Council. The recommendation establishes a common reference to relate different countries’ national qualifications systems and frameworks. It will act as a translation tool to make national qualifications more readable and intelligible to employers, citizens and institutions in the EU countries and it will contribute to the citizens’ professional mobility. The European Qualifications Framework (EQF) complements and supports the current range of programmes and tools aimed at helping citizens live and work in other EU countries. It provides the possibility to create a standardised portfolio enabling citizens to describe their abilities in a transparent way. In practical terms, the recommendation sets 2010 as the target for countries to relate their national qualifications systems to the EQF. As from 2012, all new qualifications should bear the EQF reference. The Commission and the Member States are already defining the practical aspects of the implementation phase. An advisory group, composed of representatives of governments and social partners (employers and trade unions) will coordinate the process required to relate the national systems to the EQF.

VALIDATION OF NON-FORMAL AND INFORMAL LEARNING	The European Qualifications Framework includes three types of learning: > Formal > Non formal > Informal Formal learning contexts are all the learning paths that are intentionally followed, objectively substantiated and/or certifiable (e.g. recognised education and training courses, socially recognisable certificates for working or professional services, etc.) Non-formal contexts are all non certified and/or certifiable paths, even if they are structured and have identifiable objectives (e.g. casual jobs, sports activities, parallel learning initiatives such as guitar courses, voluntary work) Informal contexts refer to the people’s daily life (e.g. job, family, friends, leisure, etc.). In the international debate, an increasingly important role is attributed to the need to identify and certify the whole range of knowledge, skills and competences that people have acquired and implemented through non institutional paths. The market globalisation and the pressure of migration flows have paradoxically turned national formal qualifications less important, recognisable and transferable to the international dimension. The need arises today to revive a holistic approach to competence where the individual is considered as a whole, as a full-fledged player of his/her professional and career development. The personal background and life of individuals, alongside the professional aspects, become the new frontier for building the challenges of growth and performance. For the real economy, the person is the critical factor that offers the opportunity to overcome the crisis, promote innovation and market competitiveness. New uncharted areas open up for Life-Long Learning (LLL) to explore and map. New knowledge identification and validation models need to be created in order to have qualifications that can be internationally readable by the different stakeholders (education and training systems, enterprises and workers).

LA OUR PROPOSAL	Staples (www.staples.com) is promoting a Conference aimed at stimulating a debate on the value of the implementation of a knowledge certification system in the business sector.

STATEMENT OF REASONS	Staples is a world-leader enterprise in the marketing of office products, operating in 27 countries in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. By its own nature, the Staples international group is interested in an international recognition system for skills/qualifications. The present economic crisis, the high unemployment rate and the need for companies to relaunch their business pose new challenges that the labour market will have to take up in the near future: Workers’ geographical and professional mobility New business and business models Requalification of labour demand and supply A standardised qualifications system at international level might turn the demand and supply matching process more rational and effective, both on the markets and inside the business organisations.


OBJECTIVES	Stimulate a debate on the advantages that both enterprises and workers can derive from a qualifications validation system that is recognisable at international level Verify the pressing need, linked to the current economic crisis, of tools for the management of implicit and explicit skills in order to promote the business recovery Provide ideas on the definition of a possible certification/validation model that meets the needs of the corporate and business sectors.

INTERESTED ACTORS	Employers, SME HR Managers, Corporations and Multinational companies.