Partnership in the development of NQFS

On the 11th of February 2015 the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development established an Expert team for creating the integrated National Qualifications Framework in the Republic of Serbia (NQFS), based on the previously developed proposals for vocational education and training levels (levels 1 to 5) and higher education (levels 6 tо 8).

Expert team for creating NQFS gathers the competent individuals in the area of qualifications, as well as the representatives of national institutions (МoESTD,IIE, CCIS, NES) and higher education institutions.

With reference to the key elements of the development of NQFS, a cooperation was accomplished with the most significant institutions and bodies in the field of education and labour market. National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), Commission for Accreditation and Quality Assurance (CAQA), Council for Vocational Education and Training of Adults (CVET), Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (CСIS) and Institute for Improvement of Education (IIE) within NQFS gave a positive opinion about the implementation of international qualification of education ISCED 2013f in the pre-university and higher education. Expert team has prepared and proposed levels and descriptions of qualification levels, as well as classification of qualifications according to NQFS levels to the competent Councils in the field of education. NCHE and СVET have made decisions that propose determination of the envisaged levels in order to access, in the following period, the referencing process of NQFS with EQF.

During the development of qualifications framework professional representatives of the institutions and the experts in the area of national and international level of qualifications through workshops, conferences, gatherings, study visits and round tables have given their proposals and recommendations for operating of educational, economy and employment sectors.

In October 2015, in the National Assembly, a public hearing was held on “The National Qualifications Framework – referencing education and labour market in Serbia“ organised by The Committee for Education, Science, Technological Development and the Information Society and the Committee on Labour, Social Issues, Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction. During 2015 and 2016 there were numerous workshops supported by the European Training Foundation (ЕТF) on the topics: referencing with EQF, validations of non-formal and informal education and providing quality in national qualifications frameworks. Also, a workshop was held on the methodology of creating sector profiles with international consultants.

In March 2016, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development (MoESTD) organised, in cooperation with Council for Vocational Education and Training of Adults (СVET), Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (CСIS) and European Training Foundation from Italy (ЕТF), a Conference called “Development, Innovations and Investments in Qualifications – a way to quality human capital“.

With the aim of presenting NQFS and having discussions on the effects of its implementation in the area of labour and employment, MoESTD and the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs (MoLEVSA) held a round table on “National Qualifications Framework and National System of Classification of Occupations in the Republic of Serbia“.

In May 2016, there were discussions on the needs of the labour market in Serbia at the gathering organised by the Republic Secretariat for Public Policy.

Expert team members for creating of NQFS visited the Centre for Vocational Education in the Republic of Slovenia and the National Agency for Quality of Higher Education in Ljubljana. After the detailed insight into the work of the mentioned institutions and having professional discussions with experts in this field, new information was obtained on the possibilities of operating and work, the exchange of experiences was accomplished, further cooperation and promotion of European achievements in this area was established, and all with the aim of improving the creation of National Qualifications Framework in the Republic of Serbia.

On the 5th of July 2016 a session was held of the Presidential Council of the Students Conference of Academies of Vocational Studies in Serbia about NQFS, where the document entitled “Levels and descriptions of qualifications in the National Qualifications Framework in Serbia as well as classification of qualifications according to the levels of National Qualifications Framework“ was discussed, which was adopted by the Council for Vocational Education and Training of Adults (СVET), and the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE). For the purpose of the development of qualifications database and the sector profiles a successful cooperation was established with Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia (SORS) and Central Registry of Compulsory Social Insurance (CRCSI).

Download document:  International Standard Classification of Education