The Finnish National Board of Education is the National Coordination Point for the European Qualifications Framework appointed by the Ministry of Education and Culture. The National Coordination Point supports and guides the relationship between the national qualification system and the European Qualifications Framework together with other national authorities.

European Qualifications Framework

The European Parliament and the Council adopted the Recommendation on the European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning (EQF) on 23 April 2008.

The purpose of the framework is to facilitate the comparison of qualifications and qualification levels of different countries. The framework aims to  further citizens’ mobility and lifelong learning.

In the EQF, qualifications and competences are allocated on eight reference levels. The framework covers all general education, vocational and higher education qualifications, as well as those acquired through continued education. Each level is provided with a description of the knowledge, understanding and practical capability of a person who has achieved that level. Learning outcomes are defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competences.

The European Qualifications Framework provides a tool for defining the interrelations of national qualifications and qualifications systems. Each EU Member State references its national qualifications to the eight levels of the European Qualifications Framework, by using national qualifications frameworks or levels of national qualifications systems as guides.

National Framework for Qualifications and Other Learning in Finland

It is intended that the National Framework for Qualifications and Other Learning be adopted from the start of 2013. A framework covering the whole system of education will improve the clarity and effectiveness of the Finnish qualifications system, increase the national and international transparency and comparability of qualifications, and promote national and international mobility. The Government submitted a legislative proposal on a Framework for Qualifications and Other Learning to the Parliament on 3 May 2012.

In this framework, the qualifications, syllabi and other extensive competence entities of the Finnish  national education system are classified into eight levels on the basis of the requirements. It is proposed that statutory regulations on the level descriptors and the positioning of qualifications, syllabi and extensive competence entities on the various levels on the basis of required learning outcomes be enacted at a later date by a Government Decree. 

The framework facilitates overall scrutiny of the Finnish education and qualifications system and other learning. It describes the learning outcomes of qualifications, syllabi and other extensive competence entities as knowledge, skills and competences, and by defining their interrelations. The competence-based description of qualifications is designed to support lifelong learning, improve employment prospects, increase mobility, and bridge the gap between education and the world of work.

The Framework for Qualifications and Other Learning is based on the European Qualifications Framework (EQF).

In the proposal, Finnish qualifications are placed at the following levels of competence of the National Qualifications Framework:

• learning outcomes produced by completion of the basic education syllabus at level 3
• The Matriculation Examination and completion of the upper secondary school syllabus at level 4
• Vocational upper secondary qualifications and further vocational qualifications at level 4
• Specialist vocational qualifications at level 5
• University and polytechnic Bachelor’s degrees at level 6
• University and polytechnic Master’s degrees at level 7
• Scientific, artistic and professional postgraduate degrees from universities, e.g. Licentiate and Doctoral degrees at level 8