Plana, Jordi,

Sala, Guillem

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6 Loukas ZahilasThe National and European Qualifications Frameworks:a New Jerusalem? The Spanish evidencesJordi PLANAS & Guillem SALAGRET Universitat Autònoma de Barcelonajordi.planas@uab.es & guillem.sala@uab.esThessaloniki, October 5 & 6.NQF vs EQF• One of the EU’s goals for the European VET’s policy is to create a European Qualification Framework (EQF) based on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF)• National and the European authorities try to establish a “norm” for the “good matches” searching to introduce more transparency in the labour market functioning as a tool to combat the incertitude characterising our economies and societies. • The European Authorities encourages the states to develop their own National Qualification Framework as the basis of the European Qualifications Framework. Both, national and European frameworks are theoretically supported by the adequationist approach.Part I: Goals and theoretical framework of NQF & EQF.Between main NQFs goals¾ Provide “Norms of regulation” for the match between qualifications and jobs in the Labour Market.(They are a diversity between NQFs concerning the importance of this aspect - Raffe 2009).• “i) moving from a supply-led approach to education and training to one that takes better account of demand;• (ii) improving the coherence  of a particular national qualifications system through connecting the different parts and making the whole more transparent to the users; • (iii) making the components of individual qualifications more “portable” and so encouraging progression;• (iv) providing a framework within which an individual’s formal or informal learning can be recognised and accredited (for the purposes of study, training employment, mobility, etc.), and finally • (v) providing a basis for the exchange, credit transfer and recognition of qualifications between different countries.”Young & Gordon (2007: 439)The theoretical framework supporting QF• The “ adecuationist” standpoint¾ “Adequationist” paradigm is based on a stylised conception of the labour market based on the assumptions of perfect information and the agents’ rational behaviour. ¾ Based on the normative hypothesis of the correspondence between training level/speciality and employment level/speciality (optimal situation) and then advocates that the dynamics of the labour market tend to favour it.• Norms of regulation & normative matching: the QF expect to play the role of a “regulation norm” in the Labour Market.¾ We need norms to prevent or reduce the conflicts and to reduce the uncertainty. ¾ But norms need to have: legitimacy (not equivalent to legality) , legibility and operativenessPart II: The Spanish evidences(about all non-university graduates)Based NQF Catalogue applied to current youngsters occupations (ETEFIL Survey)Spanish evidences (1): works the youngsters in the adequate place?Speciality AdequationLevel AdequationTotalAdequate Not AdequateUncertain adequationAdequate 55.879 30486 363 86.72815,5 8,5 0,1 24,1Not Adequate 69930 60511 3157 133.59819,5 16,6 0,9 37,2Uncertain adequation 68295 67.519 3310 139.12419,0 18,8 0,9 38,7Total194.104 158.516 6.830 359.45054,0 44,1 1,9 100,0Spanish evidences (2): normative adequation versus subjective adequation. Subjetive adequation   Normative adequation Below my training/ qualificationAdequated to my training/qualification Above my training/ qualification Total Level yes, speciality yes 12.2 (6,437) 82.8 (44,014) 5.1 (2,689) 100 (53,170) Level not or uncertain, speciality yes  18.6 (4,875) 76.8 (19,795) 4.3 (1,107) 100        (25,777) Level yes, speciality not or uncertain  26.1 (35,860) 70.8 (97,176) 3.1 (4,206) 100 (137,242 Level not, speciality not or uncertain 26.2 (34,726) 70.2 (92,890) 3.6 (4.731) 100 (132,347) TOTAL 23.5 (81,898) 72.8 (253,875) 3.7 (12,733) 100 (348,506) Source: Elaborated by the authors on the basis of the ETEFIL Survey.  Spanish evidences (3): relationship between normative adequation and monthly income (only full-time employees)Monthly income  Normative adequation Less than 750 Euros Between 750 and 999 Euros 1,000 Euros and more DK/DA Total Level yes, Speciality yes 29.5 (12,927) 42.8 (18,783) 23.6 (10,348) 4.1 (1,829) 100 (43,877) Level not or uncertain, speciality yes 24.8 (5,237) 45.6 (9,642) 25.2 (5,332) 4.3 (918)        100 (21,129 Level yes, speciality not or uncertain 32.2 (33,455) 40.6 (42,200) 23.5 (24,393) 3.6 (3,695) 100 (103,743) Level not, speciality not or uncertain 29.0 (30,500) 42.7 (44,966) 23.8 (25,024) 4.5 (4,726) 100 (105,216) TOTAL 30.0 (82,119) 42.2 (115,591) 23.8 (65,097) 4.1 (11,168) 100 (272,975) Source: Elaboration by the authors on the basis of the ETEFIL Survey.  Part III:Conclusions, suggestions and recommendationsConclusions:• The model of “normative matchings” only depicts a small portion of the actual behaviours of the labour market. Considering all non- university working youngsters, the “normative adequation” hardly surpasses 15% of the matchings. • The norm established in the National Catalogue of Qualifications is not a good indicator of the quality of labour insertion. Neither in salary terms nor in terms of the subjective perception. • The “normative” model does not depict the relationship between training and employment for the whole of the labour market, but it does for a part of it. In view of the results, we should not look for “the model” that is an alternative to the normative one, but to take into consideration the different models that exist at the same time.• It’s not the “promised land” where the VET qualifications and the employers needs match up.For a new model considering the interfaces between VET and the employers’ needs: B + C Actors EMPLOYERSInstitutions B C A VETSome recommendations:• Firstly, to create the norm on the basis of information regarding people’s productive skills in a less reductive way than academic certificates (Thévenot, 1997). Formal education is just a part of  youngsters competences’ source. To do this, the approach based on skills offers an appropriate theoretical and methodological framework.• Secondly, to define coordination norms on the basis of acknowledging the coexistence of different matching models, including the “normative” one, and, based on the empirical observation of a reality that involves the behaviour of agents and institutions in different areas and segments of the market. Including the sub- frameworks relationship.• Thirdly, to base therefore the definition of the norms on the observation of reality and not on technocratic constructions. 

The national and european qualifications frameworks : a new Jerusalem? The spanish evidences

https://ddd.uab.cat/pub/presentacions/2009/165367/qualiflea_a2009a1iENG.pdf

The national and european qualifications frameworks : a new Jerusalem? The spanish evidences

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