On February 6, 2024, a workshop "Harmonization of the Education System with EU Directive 2005/36/EU: Possible Models and Implications" was convened, with support from the projects "Policy and Legal Advice Centre" (PLAC III), funded by the European Union, and "Support to Dual VET and NQFS system reform in the framework of lifelong learning in Serbia" (PRODUALNOK), funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
The introductory remarks were delivered by Professor Dr. Gabrijela Grujić, Director of the Office for Dual Education and NQFS, Professor Dr. Časlav Mitrović, Director of the Qualifications Agency, and Andrej Engleman, Director of the PLAC III project. They highlighted the Serbia’s strategic commitment to harmonize its legislation with the European Union's legal acquis and emphasized the progress made in this endeavour thus far. The presenters underscored the significance of the Law on Regulated Professions and Recognition of Professional Qualifications enacted in 2019, which aligns significantly with European regulations, while acknowledging the need for further alignment with relevant sectoral legislation. The central topic of the workshop was announced as opportunities for recognizing professional qualifications for general care nurses.
Subsequently, experts provided a detailed overview of the provisions of EU Directive 2005/36/EU concerning the qualification of general care nurses. They discussed how some EU countries have harmonized their qualifications and educational offerings with the Directive's requirements and explored possible modalities for harmonizing Serbian qualifications and their implications for the education and employment systems.
Anita Prelec, an expert from the PLAC III project, shared the experiences of three EU member states in the harmonization process and presented an analysis of non-compliance between national legal frameworks and the Directive's requirements. Meanwhile, experts from the PRODUALNOK project, Vladimir Čakarević and Vladimir Bojković, analysed the employment system for nurses and the potential implications of Directive compliance on both employment and education systems.
Following the expert presentations and discussion of harmonization models, participants engaged in a fruitful discussion. Representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, the Institute for the Improvement of Education, and members of the Sector Skill Council for the Health and Social Welfare, among other relevant stakeholders, stressed the importance of respecting national legislation during the harmonization process. It was agreed that the final decision on the harmonization model should be made by the Ministry of Health, based on assessments of staffing needs in the healthcare system. The Office for Dual Education and the NQF pledged to provide support for developing new and revising existing qualification standards in accordance with sectoral policies.