Europe-Wide Certification
The ECQA is the result of a number of EU supported initiatives in the last ten years where in the European Union Life Long Learning Program different educational developments decided to follow a joint process for the certification of persons in the industry.
Through the ECQA it becomes possible to attend courses for a specific profession in one country and perform a Europe-wide agreed test at the end of the course. The certificate will be recognized by European training organizations and institutions in 18 member countries.
Why is such a Certificate of Interest?
European work forces are highly flexible and need to work for industries across Europe. Imagine that you are attending a course in one country and that you perform and pass the exam at the end of the course. The certificate will then be recognized by certifiers and training organisations in all European countries including large countries like France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Scandinavian countries, all Eastern European countries, etc. This will automatically lead to a higher recognition of the certificate and higher chances of working for customers in an open European market.
How to Cooperate with ECQA?
- You find a description of the different roles and memberships in the organisation under membership.
- You find guidelines, application forms, and agreement templates under guidelines.
- You find the persons to be addressed under contacts.
- You find details about related conferences and events in Europe under EU Cert conferences and EuroSPI conferences.
Open your mind and become a member of an Europe-wide collaboration and strategy.
EU Projects that Helped Building the ECQA Platform Strategy
- FP5 Project MM 1032 CREDIT: Development of skills portals, skills assessment functions, standards for skills sets in Europe (1998 - 2001).
- E-Learning Project EPI: Development of new learning methods and portals integrating e-learning with skills assessment (2003 - 2005).
- E-Learning Project PLATO: Application of EPI portals to new ways of certification delivery between universities and industry in placement schema (2006 - 2007).
- LLP project EQN: Design of Europe-wide valid quality criteria to empower an Europe-wide quality control in course delivery and certification for courses in the LLP schema. These guidelines formed the basis to form the ECQA association legally with defined quality and certification guidelines (2005 - 2007).
- LLP multilateral project EU Cert Campus: An online training campus has been established supporting skills assessment, online training, certification and a trainer pool (2008 - 2009).
- LLP multilateral project DEUCert: Dissemination of ECQA and the EU Cert Campus takes place in all European countries and regional certification centers are being set up (2010 - 2011).
Art. 2 of Legal Statutes: Aims of the Association 
(1) Activities of the Association will provide the organisation for certification and accreditation of new job roles (professions), training organisations, trainers and examination bodies and the co-operation of those entities on a regional, national and transnational level, in order to
a) foster the accreditation, update and release of new job roles (professions) to be accepted into the job pool to achieve a higher qualification in the international labour market using an accreditation, test and certification system.
b) support regional and/or transnational skills assessment and testing by using an accreditation portal for Europe.
c) provide the backbone for the accreditation of training organisations, trainers, examination bodies and certificate issuance for all members.
(2) The Association will, through its activities, in general promote and support the certification and accreditation process of job roles for businesses and higher education institutions on a regional, national, and transnational level.
(3) The Association will support and validate new developments within the member network and beyond.
(4) The running of the skills assessment, test and accreditation portal for certification and examination bodies will lead to a higher level of trainings and trainers and better qualification of participants in Europe.
(5) The experiences will also be disseminated amongst other European partners(hips). Especially individual trainees will benefit from the outcome of the activities.
(1) Activities of the Association will provide the organisation for certification and accreditation of new job roles (professions), training organisations, trainers and examination bodies and the co-operation of those entities on a regional, national and transnational level, in order to
a) foster the accreditation, update and release of new job roles (professions) to be accepted into the job pool to achieve a higher qualification in the international labour market using an accreditation, test and certification system.
b) support regional and/or transnational skills assessment and testing by using an accreditation portal for Europe.
c) provide the backbone for the accreditation of training organisations, trainers, examination bodies and certificate issuance for all members.
(2) The Association will, through its activities, in general promote and support the certification and accreditation process of job roles for businesses and higher education institutions on a regional, national, and transnational level.
(3) The Association will support and validate new developments within the member network and beyond.
(4) The running of the skills assessment, test and accreditation portal for certification and examination bodies will lead to a higher level of trainings and trainers and better qualification of participants in Europe.
(5) The experiences will also be disseminated amongst other European partners(hips). Especially individual trainees will benefit from the outcome of the activities.
(1) Les activités de l’Association fourniront l’organisation pour la certification et l’accréditation des nouveaux métiers, des organismes de formation, des formateurs et des organismes d’examen et la coopération de ces entités à un niveau régional, national et transnational afin de
a) favoriser l’accréditation, l’actualisation et la divulgation des nouveaux métiers devant être acceptés dans le pool de métiers pour obtenir une qualification plus élevée sur le marché du travail international en utilisant un système d’accréditation, de test et de certification.
b) assurer l’évaluation des compétences et les tests régionaux et/ou transnationaux en utilisant un portail d’accréditation pour l’Europe.
c) fournir l’épine dorsale pour l’accréditation des organismes de formation, des formateurs, des organismes d’examen et la délivrance de certificats pour tous les membres.
(2) L’Association, au travers ses activités, d’une façon générale, promouvra et soutiendra le processus de certification et d’accréditation des métiers pour les entreprises et les établissements d’enseignement supérieur au niveau régional, national et transnational.
(3) L’Association supportera et validera les nouveaux développements au sein du réseau de membres et au-delà.
(4) La gestion de l’évaluation des compétences, des tests et du portail d’accréditation pour les organismes de certification et d’examen aboutira à un niveau supérieur des formations et des formateurs et à une meilleure qualification et des participants en Europe.
(5) Les expériences seront également diffusées auprès des autres partenaires européens (hips). En particulier, les stagiaires individuels profiteront du résultat des activités.
(1) Le attività dell’associazione provvederanno all’organizzazione la certificazione e l’accreditamento di nuovi ruoli lavorativi (professioni), organizzazioni addestrative, formatori ed enti esaminatori, nonché la cooperazione di quelle entità a livello regionale, nazionale e transnazionale, per:
a) promuovere l’accreditamento, l’aggiornamento ed il lancio di nuovi ruoli lavorativi (professioni) da essere accettati nel serbatoio di attività per ottenere una più alta qualificazione nel mercato del lavoro internazionale, usando un sistema di accreditamento, prova e certificazione.
b) supportare l’accertamento e la prova delle capacità a livello regionale o transnazionale usando un portale di accreditamento per l’Europa.
c) provvedere la struttura per l’accreditamento di organizzazione di addestramento, formatori, enti esaminatori ed emissione certificati per tutti i membri.
(2) L’associazione, attraverso le sue attività, promuoverà in generale e supporterà i processi di accreditamento e certificazione di ruoli professionali per il mondo degli affair e per istituzioni di più alta istruzione a livello regionale, nazionale, transnazionale.
(3) L’associazione supporterà e validerà nuovi sviluppi all’interno della rete dei membri ed oltre.
(4) L’attuazione dell’accertamento e prova delle capacità e del portale di accreditamento per la certificazione e gli enti esaminatori porterà in Europa ad un più alto livello di addestramento e di addestratori ed ad una migliore qualificazione dei partecipanti.
(5) L’esperienze saranno anche distribuite tra gli altri partners Europei. Specialmente i singoli formatori trarranno beneficio dal risultato di queste attività.
