Study and Analysis of Qualifications at EQF Level 5 in Third Countries

The incre­a­sing inter­na­tio­na­li­sa­ti­on of the economy and society is also reflected in the education sector. International, lin­gu­istic, and inter­cul­tu­ral com­pe­ten­ces have become integral to many pro­fes­si­ons, leading to new edu­ca­tio­nal goals, curricula, and teaching prin­ci­ples. Transnational coope­ra­ti­on and mobility among students and teachers – par­ti­cu­lar­ly through Erasmus+ – play a key role in imple­men­ting this inter­na­tio­na­li­sa­ti­on strategy. As part of the National Implementation Plan (NIP) for the 2020 Council Recommendation on Vocational Education and Training and the Osnabrück Declaration, the Ministry of Education has iden­ti­fi­ed inter­na­tio­na­li­sa­ti­on as a key issue in education policy for the coming years and is focusing on streng­thening coope­ra­ti­on in voca­tio­nal education.

The aim of the project is to identify potential coope­ra­ti­on partners for Austrian Colleges for Higher Vocational Education (BHS) in selected countries outside the EU (in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Asia and the Pacific region, America and Africa). It focuses on school-based and post-secondary pro­gram­mes leading to qua­li­fi­ca­ti­ons that are largely equi­va­lent to BHS-qua­li­fi­ca­ti­ons at EQF Level 5.
Special attention is given to countries with strong economic ties to Austria and to fields under the respon­si­bi­li­ty of the Ministry of Education.

The project is carried out in two phases:

1. Compilation of a long list of around 20 potential partner countries offering relevant qualifications.
2. Detailed analysis and descrip­ti­on of qua­li­fi­ca­ti­ons from eight selected countries in the form of concise country profiles.

The project is conducted in coope­ra­ti­on of 3s (Karin Luomi-Messerer) and ibw Austria – Research & Development in VET (Sabine Tritscher-Archan).