Policies and tools for comparing and recognising VET qualifications in Europe
This Working Paper “Policies and Tools for comparing and recognising VET qualifications in Europe” by Cedefop deals with the shift towards Vocational Education and Training. The European approach to recognising and comparing Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications places strong emphasis on skills, competences, and learning outcomes, marking a shift from evaluating traditional learning inputs to focusing on what learners know, understand, and are able to do.
This shift is central to enhancing recognition and mobility, allowing individuals to move freely for work or education by making their skills and qualifications more visible and transferable. The European Qualifications Framework (EQF), the Lisbon Recognition Convention (LRC), and recommendations on validating non-formal and informal learning all promote learning outcomes as the basis for recognition, rather than just formal curriculum content.
To support this, the EU has developed transparency tools like ESCO, which classifies thousands of occupations and skills to create a shared professional language. Europass and the European Learning Model (ELM) also help individuals and employers understand and compare qualifications across countries.
However, challenges remain. These include inconsistent application of learning outcomes across countries, an overemphasis on occupation-specific skills at the expense of general and transversal skills, and unclear definitions of key terms. Differences in quality, structure, and presentation of learning outcomes also make comparison difficult. While digitalisation and AI offer opportunities to improve processes, their effectiveness depends on access to complete, structured data.
To address these issues, there is a need for clearer terminology, better training for recognition authorities, and increased cooperation between national systems. Overall, the shift to learning outcomes is essential for making skills and competences comparable and recognised across Europe, but further work is needed to fully realise its potential.
