The EQF and what it means for counsellors

In the future, what people know or be capable of doing will matter more than when, where or how they learned it. This will greatly affect the work of counsellors.

The European Parliament and the European Council adopted the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) in April, 2008. This framework will gradually affect all European schools and other institutions for education and training as each country designs its own National Qualifications Framework (NQF).

The main purpose of the EQF is that education and training will no longer be viewed by input factors such as which school a student attended, the duration of a course or which subjects that have been taught. Instead, the focus will be on learning outcomes, what a person knows and is able to do on completion of a learning process, regardless of where and how he or she has learned this.

Eight levels of knowledge, skills and competences

The framework consists of eight main levels and a description of knowledge, skills and competences defining each level. For example the knowledge column of the framework describes the levels as:

1. basic or general knowledge
2. basic factual knowledge of a field of work or study
3. knowledge of facts, principles, processes and general concepts, in a field of work or study
4. factual and theoretical knowledge in broad contexts within a field of work or study
5. comprehensive, specialised, factual and theoretical knowledge within a field of work or study and an awareness of the boundaries of that knowledge (levels 5-8 refer to the Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area – the so-called Bologna process)
6. advanced knowledge of a field of work or study, involving a critical understanding of theories and principles (first university cycle)
7. highly specialised knowledge, some of which is at the forefront of knowledge in a field of work or study, as the basis for original thinking and/or research critical awareness of knowledge issues in a field and at the interface between different fields (second university cycle)
8. knowledge at the most advanced frontier of a field of work or study and at the interface between fields (third university cycle).

Anyone is supposed to be able at any time to get formal recognitions according to these levels for skills they have acquired outside the school system. In reality, this means that all European nations will gradually have to establish some sort of a system for assessing and validating such skills.

Counsellors will be at the forefront of guiding people on where to go to get such an assessment and how to apply for it. They can also illustrate to their clients that even though they may not have passed their English exam for example, they may still receive recognition for being proficient in car mechanics or hairdressing.

Even the subjects generally thought of as being really complicated (e.g. brain surgery or flying into space) can therefore in theory be learned informally, even though in reality it may turn out to be extremely difficult.
Some countries have already adopted a National Qualification Framework and others are in the process of doing so. Counsellors are therefore advised to start familiarising themselves with it, as it is likely to be common practice in the future.

Further information on the EQF:
Europa website

Dóra Stefánsdóttir, Euroguidance Centre, Iceland