Recognition of qualifications has been an important focus for the Nordic Council of Ministers, since the opportunity to study or work across borders is central to the Nordic vision of an integrated region.
In 2018, the Council decided to not only continue work on recognition of higher education qualifications, but also to look more closely at vocational education and training (VET) qualifications.
To support this, an ad hoc group with representatives from the Nordic ENIC-NARIC offices was established. The group examined how the offices handle recognition of VET qualifications, especially those at European Qualification Framework (EQF) levels 3 to 5, and highlighted differences between national systems. The group recommended enhancing the role of the NORRIC offices as information providers on VET education and exploring the possibility of creating a NORRIC information platform for these VET qualifications.
As a result, a follow-up project was carried out, leading to the creation of information on VET qualifications now available at norric.org. This helps individuals and stakeholders better understand VET qualifications in the Nordic countries.