From IRQ to QDR: giving visibility to our qualifications within Europe

27–10–2022

Our Irish Register of Qualifications (IRQ) was established by QQI in 2020 offering a definitive list of qualifications recognised on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) and linked to the European Qualifications Dataset Register giving visibility of our qualifications within Europe. 

Since the June 2022 upload the IRQ lists around 10,655 qualifications, 302 providers and 13,578 courses. An increase of 1,649 courses since 2021. Analytics to date indicate that the IRQ has a worldwide audience with over 8,000 users accessing the site from January to August 2022.

Compiled in cooperation with awarding bodies, the IRQ lists qualifications at all 10 levels on the NFQ and aims to support funding bodies, national and international learners and recognition services as a verifiable programme and qualification information resource. QQI would like to thank providers and awarding bodies for their continued support populating the IRQ enabling us to meet our statutory obligation and QQI’s strategic priority on information provision outlined in our Statement of Strategy 2022-2024.

The qualifications data contained in the IRQ is linked to the European Qualifications Dataset Register (QDR) meeting our obligations for EU requirements which can be accessed on the Europass Platform.  

The Qualifications Dataset Register (QDR) is a tool developed by the European Commission to support national authorities to publish their data as ‘linked open data’ which can be made available to and used by learners, course providers, employers, and credential evaluators on the Europass Platform.

We look forward to further engaging with awarding bodies over the next couple of months, particularly the new Technological Universities and aim to complete a data transfer from the IRQ register to the QDR in December 2022.

04_QQIWebPattern-Certs