Belgrade, 25 November 2025 – A meeting of the Working Group was held in Belgrade today, with the main topic being “NQFS and Qualifications Acquired Outside Formal Education”. The working group meeting was organized within the framework of the project “Increased Offer and Diversification of Accredited Non-Formal Training Courses and Adult Training Providers”, funded by the European Union.
The meeting brought together representatives of key institutions in the fields of education, labor and employment, accreditation and quality systems, universities, employers, vocational institutes, secondary vocational schools, trade unions, as well as professional associations. The aim of the meeting was to stimulate discussion on the inclusion of qualifications acquired outside formal education in the NQFS, with a presentation of European practices and the current situation in Serbia.
Participants were presented with the possibilities of introducing partial qualifications and the importance of including qualifications outside the formal system for the purpose of lifelong learning and career development.
Elido Bandelj, project team leader, presented the role and evolution of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), emphasizing that the EQF promotes two important principles – orientation on learning outcomes and a comprehensive approach covering all levels and types of qualifications from formal education and training. It was particularly emphasized that many countries already include professional, supplementary and sectoral qualifications, which opens up space for further harmonization of practice in Serbia.
The paper continues with a unique list of trainings implemented by state bodies and organizations authorized by the competent authority, which provides a unique overview of available programs intended for the development of qualifications that can be acquired outside formal education.
The workshop discussed the implications of the development of partial qualifications for the NQFS, with a focus on labor market needs, principles and modalities of development, as well as a comparative analysis of practices from six EU countries. It was particularly emphasized that the labor market increasingly requires specific competencies that can be acquired outside of formal education, through specialized courses, non-formal learning and professional experience.
In the continuation of the work, the possibility of "opening" the NQFS to qualifications acquired outside of formal education was discussed. The discussion focused on the fact that currently only formal qualifications are integrated into the NQFS, while analyses show that in Serbia there is a whole range of qualifications acquired under special regulations and sectoral laws, which are recognized and sought after on the labor market. In this context, an open strategic question is whether it is necessary to improve the architecture of the NQFS to include these qualifications, which significantly contribute to professional development and vertical and horizontal mobility of the workforce.