The EQF acts as a tool to relate different qualification systems in Europe,

making qualifications more transparent, comparable and understandable across Europe.

Educational structures within Europe are still highly diverse and for foreign companies

it is much easier to be able to classify the skills of young trainees and professionals,

making things much more convenient for spending time abroad.

The EQF and the Irish NFQ have transformed the Irish education sector here

and more generally across Europe because they provide key pieces of infrastructure

to allow students and graduates to move around Europe.

We have many foreigners who look up our school to learn Portuguese

for professional reasons, for personal reasons, because they are working in Portugal.

The EQF gives both learners and employees an initial orientation on educational degrees in other European countries,

and if appropriate, also on workplace qualifications.

But it’s also important to note that the qualifications framework has increased acceptance of foreign qualifications in European countries.

The Irish are a global people so we’re very used to travelling,

but previously students might have been apprehensive about studying abroad that their qualifications

might not have been recognised or they might not have been recognised when they came home to Ireland.

So the benefit now is that they can understand that through the EQF that their skills are recognised.

But for its future success we need to ensure that more learners are aware of the EQF and the benefits that it brings.

The best feature of the European Framework is to truly create a European space for our citizens

in terms of qualifications and this is of enormous importance in developing an EU

which promotes equality, mobility and transparency among all our citizens, across our Europe.