Qualifications Frameworks

The Finnish National Board of Education has been appointed by the Ministry of Education as the National Co-ordination Centre for the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). The co-ordination centre supports and, in conjunction with other relevant national authorities, guides the relationship between the national qualifications system and the European Qualifications Framework.

The tasks of the National Co-ordination Centre are to:

  1. participate in development of the National Qualifications Framework and implementation of the European Qualifications Framework;
  2. inform stakeholders and citizens of the European Qualifications Framework, the National Qualifications Framework and the placement of qualifications to the frameworks;
  3. provide different stakeholders with guidance and advice on how to apply the framework;
  4. participate in and promote national and international co-operation concerning the European Qualifications Framework;
  5. perform any other duties assigned by the Ministry of Education.

European Qualifications Framework (EQF)

The European Parliament and the EU Council adopted the Recommendation on the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) for lifelong learning on 23rd April 2008.

The purpose of the EQF is to facilitate comparison of qualifications and levels of qualifications in different countries. It aims to promote citizens’ mobility and lifelong learning.

The EQF divides qualifications into eight reference levels. It covers all general education, vocational and higher education qualifications as well as those provided by postgraduate programmes.

The EQF reference levels are described according to what the learner knows, understands and is able to do. Learning outcomes are defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competences.

Implementation of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF)

The European Qualifications Framework makes it possible to determine relationships between national qualifications and qualifications systems. Each country is expected to classify its national qualifications into the eight EQF levels by means of its National Qualifications Framework or the levels of its national qualifications system.

The Recommendation suggests that:

  • the Member States relate their national qualifications systems to the European Qualifications Framework by 2010, either by referencing, in a transparent manner, their qualification levels to the EQF levels, or, where appropriate, by developing national qualifications frameworks; 
  • by 2012, all new qualification certificates, diplomas and Europass documents contain a reference to the appropriate EQF level;
  • the Member States designate national co-ordination points, in order to support the relationship between national qualifications systems and the European Qualifications Framework.

The National Framework for qualifications and other learning in Finland

A committee appointed by the Ministry of Education has completed its proposal for a National Framework for qualifications and other learning. Preparation of the National Framework is part of the process of relating Finnish qualifications to the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). At the same time, another aim of preparing the National Qualifications Framework was to improve the effectiveness and transparency of the Finnish qualifications system.

According to the proposal, the National Framework consists of eight levels, similar to the EQF. The Framework describes the competence required by Finnish qualifications in terms of knowledge, skills and competences based on the EQF level descriptions, while further specifying the EQF level descriptions from a national perspective.

The proposal places Finnish qualifications at the following requirements levels of the National Qualifications Framework:

  • completion of the basic education syllabus at level 2; 
  • the matriculation examination and completion of the upper secondary syllabus at level 4;
  • vocational upper secondary qualifications and further vocational qualifications at level 4 and specialist vocational qualifications at level 5 (notwithstanding, an individual vocational qualification may be placed at a higher level in an exceptional case, if the qualification clearly and justifiably has higher requirements than other qualifications of the same type); 
  • university and polytechnic Bachelor’s Degrees at level 6;
  • university and polytechnic Master’s degrees at level 7;
  • scientific and artistic postgraduate degrees, such as licentiate and doctoral degrees, at level 8.