What do you know about Europass? Most widely known are Europass documents, such as Europass CV, Diploma Supplement and Certificate Supplement used to document and communicate skills, qualifications and experience. But Europass is not only a set of documents.
Have you ever thought that Europass can help you in finding and applying for a job or a course of study in the EU country? That it can help you to assess and represent your skills and competences, including gained during your work, non-formal learning or volunteering?
On the 1st of July 2020, the European Commission launched a new Europass portal. The New Europass offers web-based tools and brings together different EU and national services to support individuals in their career and lifelong learning choices.
E-Portfolio. The new Europass portfolio is now not only a framework of Europass documents. You can create, manage and store your personal profile on the Europass platform, and use this platform to share the information and documents you wish when applying for a learning or a job vacancy.
The e-Portfolio can support your career planning. It can help you in identifying your career goals and interests, or future learning paths. It will interact with other tools, such as EQF, ESCO and EURES. The EQF and ESCO support documentation of your skills and qualifications in a consistent way. While interaction with EURES and other platforms will guide you in finding employment or learning opportunities providing tailored jobs or learning suggestions.
EU framework for digital credentials. The emerging shift from paper-based certificates to digitally signed credentials changes the way we document and recognize skills and qualifications. Digital credentials technologies can provide an effective mechanism to support issuing, storing and verification of qualifications.
The new Europass proposes a European-wide digital format for issuing digital credentials and a secure fraud-resistant digital infrastructure (EDCI). This will enable education and training institutions to issue digital diplomas and certificates to confirm degrees or vocational training. But also to confirm other forms of learning achievement and experiences, the learning outcomes achieved in informal and non-formal settings.
The potential of the New Europass is even more. It will serve as one single platform for the EQF implementation. The national databases or registers of qualifications will be connected at the European level and integrated into the new Europass. This will facilitate comparison and recognition of qualifications.
The new Europass will support self-assessment by individuals and documentation of the skills and experiences outside the formal education sector. It will also support recognition of the skills and qualifications of refugees, migrants and citizens of non-EU countries using the EU Skills Profile Tool for Third Country Nationals.
When linked to the EU Skills Panorama, it will make use of skills intelligence to provide information on skills trends and needs for occupations and specific industries.
Emerging digital ecosystems in skills and qualifications will certainly change the way we describe and communicate our skills, qualifications and experience. Why not to try to use the new Europass now?
Are you interested to know more about the new Europass and the benefits it may bring to you or your organisation?
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