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Europe – Lack of qualification recognition hampering cross-border jobseekers

12 September 2014

More than half (56%) of EU citizens believe that their qualifications would be recognised across the European Union. However, 6% of those who tried to work or study in another Member State were unable to do so as their qualifications were not recognised, according to the “European Area of Skills and Qualifications” survey from Eurobarometer, reports HRM Asia.

The survey’s findings mirror the results of a separate European Commission online consultation, “Towards a European Area for Skills and Qualifications”, targeted towards education and training specialists.

It found that there is strong support for moves to simplify the recognition of skills and qualifications, to ensure they are clearer and easier to use, and to ensure that there is a greater emphasis on the needs of students, workers, and employers.

Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, commented: "Our objective is simple: everyone in Europe should be able to have their skills and qualifications understood and recognised, within and across national borders, by employers and educational institutions.”

“They need to be recognised in a fair, comparable and transparent way, so that people's skills and qualifications improve their employability or open the way for further learning,” she added.