Overview of National Qualification frameworks - Project-Nqf-Sqf

Italy’s response to the request from Europe became concrete in 2007, when a committee for theconstruction of a national system of minimum professional, certification and training standards,promoted by the Minister of Labour, started work. The committee has the objective of defining anational standards system coherent with the setting up of the EQF. The committee members are theMinistry of Education, the Ministry of Universities and Research, the Regional Councils, theIndependent Provincial Councils and social partners.Italy started preparing a common methodology, including a national learning outcomes approach,providing the basis for closer integration of the different parts of the qualification system. An inventoryof regional standards of competences was prepared and methodology successfully tested in tourism andmechanical sector. Other sectors (e.g. chemical, food and agriculture) are about to be mapped with thesame methodology. Some Regions adopted regional standards using the same methodology.Furthermore, currently the ISFOL is supporting the Ministry of Labour in creating a national database ofjob descriptions and standards (occupational and training standards) developed in Italy in recent years,which are clustered in 24 economic and professional areas.__ How are interfaces between the NQF and the EQF defined? How is it managed? How are learningoutcomes from EQF accredited in the NQF? How are qualifications from an education abroadgenerally accredited? Who is responsible for those definitions and accreditation?The development of the NQF in Italy is running a new evolution phase due to:- the progress of the national reforms in the field of education, VET system and the labour market;- a stronger dialogue among institutions and competent bodies on the implementation of the System(coherent with the EQF);- the EQF Recommendation commitments;- a concrete impulse in the activities of the “National Table/Committee”, launched in 2006 by theMinistry of Labour for the definition of the Italian NQS.In this new phase criteria and priorities settled are:- to preserve specific characteristics of sub-systems and regional frameworks;- to overcome diversities and develop a common and shared language (focused on learning outcomes);- to guarantee transparency, legibility and quality procedures;- to take into consideration European issues and deadlines;- to develop cooperation with other national agencies in EU involved in the definition of their NQFs.The “National Table/Committee” started to work on NFQ and it is still working on it. The “NationalTable/Committee” is promoted by the Italian Ministry of Labour and is composed by: Ministry ofLabour, Ministry of Education, Employers Representatives, Trade Unions and Local Authorities(Regions, Autonomous Provinces). ISFOL at national level and Tecnostruttura at regional level, are thescientific and methodological bodies that support the Italian policy in this field.The Ministry of Education, University and Research and Ministry of Labour and Social Policies areleading the NQF development and implementation process in agreement with the Regions andAutonomous Provinces and the social partners. At the technical level, ISFOL (the national institute fordevelopment of vocational training) is involved in implementing the national methodologies andcoordinates sectoral and professional expert groups involving social partners. The monitoring of theimplementation of the NQF to prepare the referencing process to the EQF will be operated by theMinistry of Labour and the Ministry of Education, with the support of the NCP appointed at ISFOL.The concept of “qualification” has several meanings and different uses in Italy:- it is the formal output of a learning and/or certification/validation process (titoli e qualifiche) such as:attestato di qualifica, diploma, laurea, etc…, delivered by a authorized institutions;- qualifica has always been used in the VET system, and its use in ED and HE needs an effort ofadaptation;- it defines professions and levels (qualifica) in the national collective agreements;Page 3/3