16th Meeting of the EQF AG Project Group on the Third Country Dimension

Órla Barry, representing the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) National Coordination Point (NCP) for Ireland which is hosted by QQI, attended the 16th Meeting of EQF Advisory Group Project Group on the Third Country Dimension online on Friday 16 May.

This group is finalising draft guidelines for comparison of the EQF and Third Country Qualifications Framework. The guidelines will be presented to the EQF Advisory Group for approval in due course and will support future comparisons.

The updated guidelines build on the pilot comparisons undertaken with Ukraine, Cabo Verde and the Southern African Community Development Framework in the last 2 years. Comparison is a process of enabling trust in the quality and level of qualifications of third country qualifications frameworks in order to support cooperation, recognition and the international mobility of learners and workers.

The comparison of Third Country frameworks is key to the achievement of EU priorities relating to facilitating mobility of skilled workers from outside the EU into the EU including Talent Partnerships, EU Talent Pool and the Union of Skills.