Erasmus+ Worldwide: Comparable NQF Level 5 Qualifications

An online event organised by the Erasmus+ VET Team Austria focused on the results of a project on comparable NQF level 5 qualifications as basis for international cooperation.

On 4 December 2025, the Erasmus+ VET Team Austria at the OeAD (Agency for Education and Internationalisation), together with the Federal Ministry of Education (BMB), hosted an online infor­ma­ti­on event entitled “With Erasmus+ VET mobile worldwide – com­pa­ra­ble NQF level 5 qua­li­fi­ca­ti­ons in selected countries”. The event centred on the question of how inter­na­tio­nal mobility and coope­ra­ti­on in voca­tio­nal education and training with countries outside the EU (‘third countries’) can be stra­te­gi­cal­ly expanded.

A key con­tri­bu­ti­on was provided by Karin Luomi-Messerer together with Sabine Tritscher-Archan (ibw), who presented the results of a recently finished project com­mis­sio­ned by the Ministry of Education and the OeAD. The study analysed voca­tio­nal education and training qua­li­fi­ca­ti­ons in 20 countries worldwide which can be con­side­red largely equi­va­lent to qua­li­fi­ca­ti­ons at Austrian NQF level 5 and ISCED levels 4 and 5, and that are in principle suitable for coope­ra­ti­on with higher voca­tio­nal schools. In-depth country profiles were developed for eight selected countries – Egypt, Japan, Canada, Morocco, Moldova, the Philippines, Singapore and South Korea. These profiles are intended to provide schools and teachers with initial guidance and support them in initia­ting and imple­men­ting collaborations.

In addition, the event provided infor­ma­ti­on on Erasmus+ funding oppor­tu­ni­ties for worldwide mobility of learners, teachers and other education staff, as well as on accom­pany­ing support measures. Short inter­views with prac­ti­tio­ners from school-based and company-based contexts offered insights into existing mobility projects and their importance for long-term inter­na­tio­nal cooperation.

The country profiles, together with a longlist con­tai­ning infor­ma­ti­on on a total of 21 countries, are available as downloads and represent a valuable resource for education and training insti­tu­ti­ons seeking to further develop inter­na­tio­nal acti­vi­ties in VET.