Difficulties in recognising and verifying professional qualifications between different European countries continue to hinder cross-border worker mobility and make it harder to fill job vacancies, according to a statement published on Wednesday by the European Labour Authority (ELA) and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion.
The statement said there are cases in which businesses struggle to find suitably qualified workers despite trained professionals in other European countries being available for the positions.
One factor making it harder to match workers with vacancies is that qualifications and professional experience acquired in one country are not always easy to recognise, verify or compare in another.
Complex rules
The statement refers to two recent reports by the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop), which examine barriers to the transfer and recognition of skills and professional qualifications between countries.
One of the main problems identified is the existence of different and, in some cases, complex rules governing the recognition of professional qualifications. Procedures vary significantly between countries, both in terms of the authorities involved and the requirements applicants must meet.
According to the statement, the issue is particularly evident in non-regulated professions, where transparency over the equivalence of qualifications can be limited.
Where an employer cannot immediately establish the value or equivalence of a qualification obtained abroad, hiring the candidate may become more difficult.
A second barrier is the fragmentation of digital systems.
Digital credentials
Although many European countries are developing digital databases and issuing digital credentials for qualifications, these systems are not always interoperable.
As a result, a digital credential issued in one country may not be easily verified by an employer or competent authority in another.
Cedefop notes that progress has been made in the issuing of digital credentials, but challenges remain when it comes to verifying them across borders.
The ELA and the relevant Commission directorate also refer to a European initiative on skills portability currently under preparation, which aims, among other things, to achieve greater alignment of relevant rules and improve connections between digital systems.
Until broader changes are implemented, the EURES network provides support to workers and employers on issues related to cross-border employment.
EURES advisers can guide jobseekers towards the authorities responsible for assessing and recognising qualifications obtained abroad. They can also provide information on how to present formal, non-formal and informal skills when looking for work.
Worker mobility
Through the creation of a profile on the EURES portal, jobseekers can also present their skills and qualifications in a standardised format, making them easier for employers in other European countries to understand.
For employers, EURES advisers provide guidance on recruiting staff from other countries, issues relating to qualifications obtained abroad and the cross-border recruitment process.
The statement said addressing differences between qualification recognition systems and the lack of interoperability between digital systems is considered a key element in facilitating worker mobility and improving the matching of available skills with employers’ needs across the European labour market.
Source: CNA
