With the support of the Erasmus Agenda IBA project funded by the European Union, a workshop was held on October 17, 2023, on the topic of integrating partial qualifications and qualifications from non-formal education into the NQF system, organized by the Office for Dual Education and the National Qualifications Framework.
Experts Elido Bandelj and Vladimir Bojković presented a comparative study of different models for integrating (partial) qualifications acquired through non-formal education into the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), analyzing the situation in the Republic of Serbia and examining the approaches of four EU countries (Denmark, France, Poland, and Slovenia). Based on this analysis, legislative possibilities were proposed to enhance the NQF system.
In all analyzed countries that have developed NQFs to support lifelong learning, a common challenge arises: how to integrate qualifications acquired outside formal education systems into the NQF. Each country has established its approach, often centered around national institutions, partially or entirely. They have introduced quality assurance systems with recognized procedures, criteria, and bodies for validating professional decisions. Approaches to preparing qualification standards vary, ranging from a liberal accreditation process that allows institutions to accredit their qualifications to centralized systems led by national bodies, enabling adjustments at the group or individual level.
As experts point out, the link between qualifications obtained through formal education and partial qualifications is not always clear, despite efforts to establish connections between them. Considering that Serbia is moving towards a system based on broad qualification standards, it is wise to consider partial qualifications as a separate type of qualification, experts emphasize.