Strengthening vocational qualifications to support Ukraine’s reconstruction and long‑term recovery

3. Policy options to better match VET qualifications and skills for the labour market

Building on Section 2, this chapter discusses policy options to strengthen the responsiveness, credibility and portability of Ukraine’s vocational qualification system. It focusses on how existing instruments can be used more strategically, rather than proposing a new architecture. It covers five areas: qualification management; updating procedures; sectoral collaboration and international alignment; micro-qualifications; and assessment practices.

3.1. Monitoring and management of qualifications

Qualification management is central to keeping vocational qualifications relevant, coherent and usable over time. It requires systems to identify where skill needs are changing, decide whether those changes require updates to qualifications, modules or assessment requirements, and avoid reactive or fragmented revisions. Ukraine already has many of the elements needed for effective qualification management, including the NQF, occupational standards, partial professional qualifications, sectoral consultation mechanisms and labour-market information. The priority is to use these instruments more coherently to guide qualification development and updating, through two levers: module‑based approaches to target updates where change occurs, and labour-market intelligence, digital tools and sectoral inputs to guide proportionate qualification decisions.

3.1.1. Use of module‑based approaches for qualification management

Managing qualifications through recognised modules allows systems to combine stability in full occupational profiles with flexibility at task and competence level. When competences are organised into recognised modules, targeted updates can be made where change actually occurs, for example where new technologies, safety requirements or regulatory standards affect specific tasks. This can reduce the need for repeated full revisions and help qualification systems respond more proportionately to labour-market change (OECD, 2025[25]).

Finland illustrates how modular structures can be used as instruments of qualification management when modules are nationally visible, described through learning outcomes and linked to assessment requirements. It also shows how modular governance can support targeted updates while preserving the stability of full qualifications. See Box 3.1.

Box 3.1. Finland: Managing qualifications through nationally defined competence modules

In Finland, vocational qualifications are built from nationally recognised modules expressed in competence points and published through a single national platform for qualification requirements (ePerusteet). A typical initial vocational qualification consists of 180 competence points, combining vocational modules with common modules.

Modules are defined with standardised learning outcomes and assessment requirements, and can be revised, added or recombined without reopening the full qualification. This enables authorities to update specific competence areas, for example linked to new technologies or regulatory requirements, while preserving the stability of occupational profiles. In addition to compulsory modules, the system includes optional and local modules that training providers can design to respond to regional or sector-specific labour market needs. Finnish authorities are also working towards greater standardisation of module sizes, facilitating accumulation and combination across qualifications.

Source: OECD (2025[25]), Vocational Education and Training and the Green Transition in Finland, https://doi.org/10.1787/4d29a34a‑en.

How this applies to Ukraine

Ukraine’s vocational qualification system already incorporates important modular elements: qualifications are expressed in learning outcomes, partial professional qualifications provide a formal basis for certifying defined sets of competences, and training programmes are commonly organised into modules. The priority is to use these elements more explicitly as tools for qualification management, rather than only for programme delivery, by clarifying which modules are intended to function as nationally recognised qualification components and which are not. This implies distinguishing between modules formally linked to recognised qualifications or partial qualifications, provider-specific curricular modules used only for programme delivery, and short non-formal courses developed outside the qualification system. Without this distinction, modular structures remain difficult to use for targeted updating, progression and strategic steering (OECD, 2023[1]).

For Ukraine, a pragmatic starting point would be to prioritise a limited set of high-demand modules linked to reconstruction and transversal skills. These could include occupational safety, operation of specific machinery, energy-efficiency tasks, compliance with updated technical standards or digital tools used across construction, energy, logistics and utilities. Defining these modules with clear learning outcomes and assessment criteria would allow module‑level updates to substitute, where appropriate, for repeated full qualification revisions.

Recognised modules could also provide a clearer reference point for linking full qualifications, partial professional qualifications and emerging micro-qualifications, reducing the risk that modular and short learning offers develop in parallel without clear relationships.

3.1.2. Using labour-market intelligence, digital tools and sectoral inputs to guide qualification decisions

Vocational qualification systems increasingly operate in contexts where skill needs evolve faster and at a more granular level than traditional labour-market information tools can easily capture. Digital tools and advanced analytics can complement established anticipation and consultation mechanisms by improving the timeliness, scale and analytical depth of labour-market intelligence.

By processing large volumes of data, including online vacancies, job advertisements, training descriptions, occupational standards and regulatory texts, these tools can help identify recurring patterns, detect early signals of emerging competence needs and monitor how task requirements evolve across regions and sectors (Vaccarino, 2020[26]). Recent OECD work on artificial intelligence reinforces this point: text mining, natural language processing and other AI-enabled tools can help identify cross-cutting competences, while also supporting competency mapping, drafting and quality or compliance checks in the development of VET curricula, qualifications and occupational standards (OECD, 2025[25]; OECD, 2026[27]).

At the same time, advanced analytics and AI-enabled tools are best understood as decision-support tools. Their role is to inform expert judgement and policy deliberation, not to replace them. They are most useful when combined with qualitative inputs, sectoral expertise and structured consultation processes that aggregate and review labour-market, sectoral and local signals (OECD, 2016[28]) (OECD, 2026[27]). By comparing recurring signals across sectors, regions and learning formats, these arrangements can help distinguish between temporary or localised pressures and competence needs that require broader intervention. This reduces the risk of reactive, case‑by-case responses and supports prioritisation in qualification updating (OECD, 2023[1]; OECD, 2025[25]).

Estonia provides a useful example of how labour-market intelligence and sectoral expertise can be connected to decisions on whether to adjust existing modules, develop partial qualifications or undertake broader qualification revisions (see Box 3.2).

Box 3.2. Estonia: Using labour market intelligence for targeted qualification updates

Estonia’s vocational and occupational qualifications system is structured around occupational qualification standards, which describe work activities and the competences required for occupational performance. The system is administered by the Estonian Qualifications Authority, Kutsekoda, which develops and updates qualification standards, maintains the national register of occupational qualifications and organises related governance activities.

Estonia’s OSKA system provides regular analysis of labour and skills needs across economic sectors. It combines quantitative and qualitative methods and brings together expert panels with representatives of employers, education institutions and public authorities to produce sectoral reports on skill demand and projections.

OSKA studies do not automatically trigger full revisions of qualification standards. Labour-market information from OSKA contributes to evidence‑informed decisions on qualification development and review, including whether emerging skill needs can be addressed through targeted adjustments to existing modules, the introduction of optional modules or the development of partial qualifications.

Source: Estonian Qualifications Authority (n.d.[29]), OSKA – OSKA studies, https://oska.kutsekoda.ee/en/; Cedefop (2020[30]), “Strengthening skills anticipation and matching in Estonia : capitalising on OSKA’s potential to realise national ambitions”, www.cedefop.europa.eu/files/4 83_en.pdf.

How this applies to Ukraine

Ukraine already has access to labour-market intelligence from vacancy data, employer surveys, qualitative research, SQC inputs, occupational standard development processes, training provision data and project-based consultations, particularly in reconstruction-related sectors such as construction, logistics, energy and utilities. It has also participated in pilots led by the European Training Foundation using big data for labour-market intelligence, which demonstrated the feasibility of analysing online vacancies, classifying skills against the European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations taxonomy, and generating granular insights into occupational and skill dynamics (Vaccarino, 2020[26]). The priority is to connect this evidence and, where relevant, AI-enabled analytical outputs systematically to qualification management decisions.

Ukraine could define a limited set of trigger criteria to determine when evidence should be reviewed and what type of response may be proportionate. These criteria could include recurrent task-level shortages across regions, repeated employer requests linked to specific technologies or regulatory changes, consistent vacancy data showing demand for defined competence bundles, or sectoral council evidence pointing to gaps in occupational standards. Digital and AI-enabled tools could help screen evidence against these triggers, but final decisions should remain embedded in existing expert review and governance processes. Some signals may require targeted updates to recognised modules. Others may justify the development of partial qualifications or the adaptation of assessment criteria. Full qualification revisions should be reserved for cases where core occupational profiles are affected. This would make labour-market intelligence more actionable while reducing reliance on ad hoc or actor-driven revision processes.

Digital tools could also strengthen the link between local provision and national qualification management. As Ukraine experiments with modular approaches and shorter learning formats, improved digital reporting and analysis of locally developed modules could help identify recurring competence bundles across regions. To be useful for system steering, local modules and short learning offers would need to be described through consistent categories, including learning outcomes, scope, assessment requirements and links to existing qualifications or modules. This would help distinguish isolated local responses from innovations with broader relevance, and support decisions on whether such modules should remain local, be consolidated or contribute to nationally recognised qualifications.

3.2. Timely and targeted updating of qualifications and modules

Ensuring that vocational qualifications remain relevant requires not only identifying changing skill needs, but updating qualifications and modules in a way that is timely, proportionate and manageable. In contexts of rapid technological change, green transition and post-crisis reconstruction, qualification systems face pressure to respond quickly without undermining stability, quality or trust. For Ukraine, the priority is to differentiate update procedures according to the nature and urgency of change, using targeted module‑level updates and fast-track mechanisms where appropriate, while sequencing implementation so that providers and Qualification Centres can absorb revised requirements in practice.

3.2.1. Differentiated update procedures based on the nature and urgency of change

VET systems face different types of skill change. Some changes affect the core purpose or occupational profile of a qualification, while others concern specific tasks, technologies, safety requirements or regulatory standards. Differentiated update procedures can help align the intensity of governance processes with the scope and urgency of change, rather than applying the same revision process to all updates (OECD, 2023[1]).

A targeted approach can distinguish between several update pathways. Comprehensive revisions may be more appropriate when core occupational competences, professional boundaries or qualification purposes change substantially. Targeted module‑level updates may be better suited when change affects specific tasks, technologies or regulatory requirements within otherwise stable occupational profiles. For urgent needs, accelerated or fast-track procedures can address narrowly defined competences within shorter timeframes (OECD, 2023[1]; OECD, 2025[5]). AI-supported analysis could help inform this differentiation by mapping whether emerging skill signals relate to core occupational profiles, specific tasks, regulatory requirements or assessment criteria. Such tools should support, not replace, expert review, stakeholder validation and formal approval processes (OECD, 2026[27]).

Update procedures could also reflect the expected volatility of different competence areas. Foundational and broad professional competences usually remain relevant for longer, while task-specific competences linked to technologies, equipment, safety rules, regulation or work organisation may require more frequent review (Kuusela et al., 2023[31]; Bianchi, Pisiotis and Cabrera, 2022[32]). This distinction can help prioritise review cycles and avoid treating all qualifications or modules as equally exposed to change.

Purpose‑driven qualification models offer another way to support proportionality. Australia provides an example of how qualifications can be reviewed according to their intended function and the type of labour-market outcome they are expected to support (see Box 3.3).

Box 3.3. Australia’s purpose‑driven model for VET qualifications

Australia has introduced a purpose‑driven model to improve the clarity, responsiveness and relevance of VET qualifications. The model categorises qualifications according to their main purpose: qualifications leading to a specific occupation, such as licensed trades; qualifications preparing learners for multiple occupations within an industry; and qualifications developing cross-sectoral or foundational skills that can support mobility across industries or progression to further education.

Source: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (Australia) (n.d.[33]), VET Qualification Reform, www.dewr.gov.au/vet-qualification-reform.

How this applies to Ukraine

Ukraine’s qualification system already contains several features that could support more differentiated update procedures. Qualifications are expressed in learning outcomes, partial professional qualifications are formally recognised, and training programmes are organised in modular structures. These elements provide a basis for distinguishing between comprehensive revisions, targeted module‑level updates, partial qualifications and accelerated procedures.

According to NQA input received during the preparation of this paper, introducing or updating a vocational qualification typically takes between 12 and 24 months, even when changes are well documented and narrowly defined. In the reconstruction context, this creates an opportunity to use more proportionate pathways where labour-market change affects specific competences rather than full occupational profiles. Relevant areas could include equipment use, occupational safety, updated technical standards, energy-efficiency requirements, digital tools or regulatory compliance.

One possible approach would be to clarify the conditions under which different update pathways could be used. Full revisions could remain appropriate when occupational profiles or qualification purposes change substantially. Targeted module‑level updates could be used when change affects specific competence areas within otherwise stable qualifications. Partial professional qualifications could certify defined bundles of competences where there is demand for recognised, portable skills below the level of a full qualification. Over time, digital and AI-enabled tools could support this process by comparing evidence from vacancies, occupational standards, training provision and assessment feedback, while leaving final decisions to established expert and governance processes.

There may also be scope to develop regulated fast-track procedures for urgent competence needs linked to reconstruction, safety, critical infrastructure, digitalisation or the green transition. Such procedures would need to remain time‑bound, clearly scoped and embedded within the formal qualification system.

Ex post review or consolidation could help ensure that accelerated responses remain coherent with occupational standards, recognised modules and full qualifications, while preserving quality assurance, stakeholder involvement and trust.

3.2.2. Sequencing of qualification updates for effective implementation

Differentiation concerns the type of update procedure used, while sequencing concerns the order in which changes are introduced across the system. Even where update pathways are well designed, reforms can be difficult to implement if occupational standards, qualifications, curricula and assessment arrangements are revised in parallel or without clear prioritisation.

OECD analysis highlights the importance of co‑ordinating updates across qualification requirements, curricula and assessment arrangements, and of allowing time for implementation and adjustment (OECD, 2023[1]). Sequencing can help ensure that formal changes translate into practice, rather than remaining only changes in standards or documentation. This is particularly important when modular updates are introduced. In Finland, changes to nationally defined competence modules are co‑ordinated with related guidance for curricula and assessment practices. Providers are given time to adapt teaching content, train staff and adjust equipment before revised requirements become fully binding (OECD, 2025[25]).

How this applies to Ukraine

In Ukraine, qualification reform involves interconnected components, including occupational standards, qualifications, curricula, assessment tools and the work of Qualification Centres. An explicit sequencing approach could help manage reform pressures and reduce the risk that multiple changes overload providers, assessors or administrative bodies at the same time. A pragmatic approach could begin by prioritising a limited number of high-impact sectors and competence areas, particularly those linked to reconstruction, safety and critical infrastructure. Prioritisation could consider the scale of labour shortages, safety or regulatory importance, repeated employer demand, the readiness of the relevant occupational standard, and the availability of providers and Qualification Centres able to implement the update.

Sequencing could help align the order of updates across system components. Where occupational standards provide the reference point for qualification design, updates to standards would need to come before updates to qualifications and recognised modules. Curricula, training materials and assessment tools could then be adapted on the basis of the revised qualification requirements. AI-supported mapping could also help identify downstream implications of a change in occupational standards for recognised modules, curricula, training materials and assessment tools. Giving providers and Qualification Centres time to adapt could further support implementation. In a reconstruction context, phased implementation could make updates more realistic and support consistent application in practice.

3.3. Sectoral collaboration and alignment with the European Qualifications Framework

Sectoral collaboration helps ensure that qualification decisions are informed not only by labour-market data, but also by qualitative judgement from employers, social partners, education providers and public authorities. It supports the interpretation, prioritisation and validation of skill needs, while alignment with European frameworks strengthens the comparability and portability of qualifications. For Ukraine, the priority is to make sectoral collaboration more operational and representative, while advancing alignment with international frameworks, including the EQF. This involves three complementary areas of action: adapting consultation formats so that SMEs can contribute more effectively, using intersectoral dialogue to address transversal and emerging competences, and making European alignment visible and usable through reliable qualification information and transparency tools.

3.3.1. Structured and representative sectoral collaboration in qualification governance

Structured sectoral collaboration can strengthen qualification governance when consultation processes have a clear mandate and are linked to decisions. Its value lies not only in gathering employer input, but in supporting the interpretation of labour-market evidence, the prioritisation of competence areas for review, and decisions on whether changes require targeted adjustments, module‑level updates or broader qualification revisions. Where this role is unclear, consultation risks remaining descriptive or formalistic, reducing incentives for sustained participation by employers and social partners (OECD, 2023[1]).

The quality of sectoral collaboration depends on whose input is captured. In many systems, participation tends to be easier for larger firms, sectoral associations and employers with dedicated administrative or human resources capacity, while smaller firms face higher participation costs, despite being well placed to identify task-level changes linked to new technologies, subcontracting arrangements, local labour-market conditions or regulatory requirements. SME‑inclusive collaboration therefore requires adapted formats, such as intermediary organisations that aggregate SME input, shorter competence‑focussed consultations, and digital or asynchronous channels that reduce participation costs (OECD, 2023[1]).

Lithuania provides a useful example of how sectoral collaboration can be embedded in qualification governance through formally mandated advisory bodies (see Box 3.4). Its relevance for Ukraine lies in the way sectoral bodies are connected to concrete outputs, such as qualification standards, training programmes and proposals for new or updated qualifications, rather than operating only as general consultation forums.

Box 3.4. Lithuania: Sectoral Professional Committees as a governance mechanism for prioritising qualification updates

Lithuania’s vocational qualification system includes Sectoral Professional Committees, which operate as formal advisory bodies co‑ordinated by the Qualifications and Vocational Education and Training Development Centre (KPMPC) under the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport. Their members include employer representatives, education and training providers, trade unions and public authorities.

The committees advise on sectoral qualification standards and priorities for their development and updating. Their roles include providing expert advice on qualifications and competences needed, setting priorities for the development of qualification standards, submitting proposals for new or updated qualifications, and submitting conclusions on standards and the alignment of training programmes with those standards. Through KPMPC, the committees contribute to broader qualification governance, including the preparation and updating of sectoral qualification standards and the co‑ordination of modular programme development.

Source: Qualifications and VET Development Centre (Lithuania) (2023[34]), Updating of national report “Referencing the Lithuanian Qualifications Framework to the European, www.kpmpc.lt/kpmpc/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/EQF-LTQF-report-ENG-2023.pdf; CEDEFOP (2019[35]), Lithuania: sectoral professional committees – strong voices in the Lithuanian qualifications system, www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/news/lithuania-sectoral-professional-committees-strong-voices-lithuanian-qualifications-system.

How this applies to Ukraine

Ukraine’s vocational qualification system already gives employers a formal role through SQCs, consultation processes and participation in occupational standard development. This provides a foundation for stronger sectoral collaboration without requiring the creation of entirely new structures. The main opportunity is to make these channels more operational by clarifying how sectoral inputs are used to interpret evidence, identify priority competence areas, validate proposed changes and determine the appropriate scope of qualification updates.

Making sectoral collaboration more operational also requires attention to representativeness. This is particularly important given the structure of Ukraine’s economy: SMEs account for virtually all business entities, about 99.98%, provide around 74% of total employment and generate roughly 64% of value added nationally (OECD/EBRD, 2023[36]). Their input is therefore important for understanding how skill needs evolve in practice, especially in sectors and territories affected by reconstruction, relocation, labour shortages and changing production arrangements.

Ukraine could strengthen SME participation by adapting how input is collected, rather than by adding broad consultation requirements. Intermediary organisations, such as employer associations, chambers, sectoral bodies or professional organisations, could help aggregate input from smaller firms and reduce participation costs. Consultations could also focus on specific tasks, technologies, equipment, safety requirements or regulatory changes, making SME input easier to connect to concrete qualification decisions. Digital or asynchronous tools could complement these channels, particularly in regions affected by displacement, infrastructure disruption or limited administrative capacity.

Used in this way, more structured and representative sectoral collaboration could help determine whether emerging skill needs require adjustments to occupational standards, targeted updates to recognised modules, partial professional qualifications, new or updated qualifications, or broader revisions. It would also connect employer input more directly to qualification monitoring and updating, while reducing reliance on ad hoc requests from individual actors or projects.

3.3.2. Intersectoral dialogue for transversal and emerging competences

Many emerging skill needs cut across traditional sectoral and occupational boundaries. Digitalisation, environmental sustainability, occupational safety and regulatory compliance increasingly affect several occupations at the same time, often through transversal competences rather than sector-specific skills. If addressed only through separate sectoral processes, similar competences may be integrated unevenly across qualifications (OECD, 2023[16]).

Intersectoral dialogue can complement sectoral collaboration by creating structured spaces to interpret cross-cutting signals and identify where co‑ordinated responses may be useful. Its role is not to replace sectoral expertise, but to support consistency where similar competences appear across multiple sectors, qualifications or modules. This can reduce duplication and strengthen coherence across qualifications while preserving sector-specific judgement (OECD, 2023[1]). Norway provides an example of how intersectoral evidence interpretation can be linked to broader skills governance (see Box 3.5).

Box 3.5. Norway: Intersectoral co‑ordination to interpret and prioritise transversal skill needs

Norway combines sector-specific VET governance with broader mechanisms for assessing future skill needs. National tripartite co‑operation in VET includes formal advisory bodies, such as the National Council for Vocational Education and Training and vocational training councils covering major programme areas. These bodies bring together employer organisations, trade unions and public authorities to advise on curriculum development, training provision and quality assurance.

The Norwegian Committee on Skill Needs provides evidence‑based assessments of future skill requirements for national and regional authorities. It brings together social partners, analysts and county authorities, and draws on evidence from long-term forecasts, employer surveys and other labour-market sources. By combining quantitative evidence with stakeholder dialogue, it helps interpret skill needs that may affect several sectors and supports planning and strategic decision making in education and labour-market policy.

Source: Cedefop (2023[37]), Vocational education and training in Europe – Norway: system description, www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/vet-in-europe/systems/norway-u3; Norwegian Committee on Skill Needs.no (n.d.[38]), Norwegian Committee on Skill Needs, www.kompetansebehovsutvalget.no/norwegian-committee-on-skill-needs; CEDEFOP (2023[39]), Skills anticipation in Norway, www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/data‑insights/skills-anticipation-norway-2023.

How this applies to Ukraine

In Ukraine, transversal skill needs linked to reconstruction are partly identified through sectoral processes, particularly during the development or revision of occupational standards. A more explicit intersectoral approach could help determine when common requirements, such as shared digital tools, occupational safety, environmental compliance or updated building and energy standards, should be addressed consistently across several qualifications rather than separately within each sector.

This could be done by organising targeted dialogue around reconstruction-relevant themes that cut across sectors, rather than creating broad new governance structures. For example, intersectoral discussions could focus on the digitalisation of construction and logistics processes, common safety requirements for reconstruction worksites, updated energy and building standards, or regulatory compliance needs affecting several occupations.

The outputs of such dialogue could inform shared modules, transversal modules, partial qualifications or co‑ordinated updates across existing qualifications. This would help clarify whether a cross-cutting competence should be treated as a common module, a sector-specific adaptation or a broader update, reducing duplication and uneven treatment across sectors.

3.3.3. Alignment of national qualifications with European and international frameworks

Alignment with European and international qualifications frameworks can strengthen the readability, comparability and portability of vocational qualifications. The EQF provides a common reference point for interpreting qualification levels and learning outcomes across countries and education systems, supporting recognition, labour mobility and lifelong learning. For vocational qualifications, this is particularly important where learners, workers, employers and recognition bodies need to understand not only the level of a qualification, but also what it certifies and how it relates to occupational requirements (Cedefop, 2024[40]).

However, alignment is not only a formal referencing exercise. Its value depends on whether framework levels and qualification information are visible, reliable and usable in practice. This includes the consistent use of framework levels on qualification documents, certificate supplements and registers, as well as accessible information on learning outcomes, awarding bodies, links to occupational standards and quality assurance arrangements. Interoperable data systems and user-facing transparency tools help translate framework alignment into practical benefits for learners, employers, providers and recognition bodies (Cedefop, n.d.[41]).

How this applies to Ukraine

For Ukraine, alignment with European and international frameworks is relevant in the context of EU accession, cross-border labour mobility, displacement and potential return migration. Ukraine has made progress. Its NQF has been compared with the EQF through an analytical exercise led by the European Commission in partnership with Ukrainian authorities and the European Training Foundation, providing a technical basis for formal referencing (European Commission, 2023[42]). Ukraine also participates in the EQF Advisory Group and has designated a National Coordination Point to support co‑operation between the NQF and the EQF. Formal EQF referencing remains a separate process from the 2023 comparison exercise. As of the latest official information reviewed for this paper, formal referencing had not been confirmed as completed; the process is therefore described as ongoing (Cedefop, 2024[19]).

The priority is now to make this alignment visible and usable in practice. This includes using NQF and, once referencing is completed, EQF levels consistently on qualification documents, certificate supplements and registers. Clear level information would make Ukrainian qualifications easier to interpret abroad and would also support clearer communication within Ukraine across education sectors, awarding bodies, employers and users of qualifications.

Comparability, portability and mobility also depend on reliable and interoperable qualification data. Ukraine has established a stronger infrastructure through the Unified Qualifications Register – Classification of Occupations, which entered into operation in May 2026 and provides for electronic information interaction with other state information resources. As the public register remains in pilot operation, the next implementation challenge is to make these connections fully operational and ensure that qualification records include consistent information on NQF and, once referencing is completed, EQF levels, learning outcomes, links to occupational standards, awarding or certifying bodies and Qualification Centres. This would allow qualification data to support education, recognition, guidance, validation of non-formal and informal learning, and European transparency tools such as Europass and related guidance services. Reliable, interoperable and machine-readable qualification data would also create the conditions for responsible AI-supported analysis of qualifications, occupational standards and labour-market signals, while preserving human oversight and accountability in final decisions.

Ukraine’s operating Europass and Euroguidance services can further support mobility, lifelong learning and career guidance, provided they are connected to reliable registers and consistent level information. Europass supports the documentation and communication of skills and qualifications across European countries, while Euroguidance supports guidance professionals and provides information on learning and mobility pathways.

For Ukraine, the policy issue is therefore not only formal alignment with the EQF, but whether that alignment becomes usable for learners, employers, education institutions and recognition bodies through coherent level information, reliable registers and accessible guidance tools.

3.4. Use of micro-qualifications in qualification systems

Micro-qualifications can improve the responsiveness and flexibility of vocational qualification systems by certifying narrowly defined sets of competences and supporting timely upskilling and reskilling. However, if introduced without clear links to recognised qualifications, modules and quality assurance arrangements, they can increase fragmentation and weaken transparency (OECD, 2023[1]) (OECD, 2025[25]). For Ukraine, micro-qualifications have emerged as practical responses to urgent skill needs linked to reconstruction, displacement and task-level change. The priority is to use them strategically so that flexibility reinforces rather than bypasses the qualification system, by positioning micro-qualifications within recognised qualification pathways and defining minimum design and quality assurance principles to support trust, portability and progression.

3.4.1. Strategic use of micro-qualifications within the qualification system

A recurring risk associated with the expansion of micro-qualifications is ambiguity about their status and purpose. When short credentials are introduced without a clear relationship to full qualifications, partial qualifications or recognised modules, they may operate alongside formal systems, with uneven recognition and labour-market value (OECD, 2023[1]). This can reduce transparency and weaken skills signalling, particularly where recognition depends mainly on local, sectoral or bilateral arrangements.

Micro-qualifications are most useful when they complement, rather than substitute for, full vocational qualifications. Their added value lies in addressing narrowly defined, task-specific or transversal competences, especially where rapid updating is required or where skills cut across several occupations, such as in contexts shaped by regulatory change, digitalisation or sustainability transitions (OECD, 2023[1]) (OECD, 2023[16]).

Embedding micro-qualifications in recognised pathways can also strengthen learner incentives and system coherence. Where learning outcomes from micro-qualifications can be mapped to recognised modules, they may be accumulated, transferred or, where appropriate, recognised towards partial or full qualifications. This allows short learning to support both immediate upskilling and longer-term progression, without granting micro-qualifications the same status as full qualifications.

New Zealand and Croatia illustrate two complementary ways of positioning micro-qualifications within coherent qualification systems, while the Republic of Korea provides a broader example of credit accumulation and progression across diverse learning pathways (see Box 3.6).

Box 3.6. Positioning micro-qualifications within coherent qualification systems: New Zealand and Croatia

New Zealand provides an example of formal integration into an NQF. Micro-credentials are regulated and quality-assured by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and included in the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework. They certify coherent sets of learning outcomes, typically ranging from 5 to 40 credits, with one credit corresponding to about ten hours of learning, teaching and assessment. Approval requires evidence of labour-market or community need, including employer demand, sectoral change or emerging skill requirements. Micro-credentials may be developed by education providers, industry standard-setting bodies or other recognised organisations, and are primarily used for upskilling, reskilling, short introductory pathways and rapid responses to emerging skill needs, including in areas linked to the green transition. They can be stackable towards full qualifications, although this is not automatic and depends on provider decisions and quality assurance rules.

Croatia illustrates a more operational approach within modular VET reform. Since 2023, new vocational curricula have been progressively rolled out at upper-secondary level, organised around modules composed of learning-outcome modules linked to occupational and qualification standards and registered in the Croatian Qualifications Framework. Within this structure, micro-qualifications are short, targeted programmes responding to emerging skill needs, including technological updates, sector-specific requirements and local labour-market demand. They are built from the same learning-outcome modules used in full vocational qualifications, quality-assured by the Agency for VET and Adult Education and registered in the Croatian Qualifications Framework.

The Republic of Korea provides a broader example of credit accumulation and progression. Its Academic Credit Bank System, governed by the National Institute for Lifelong Education under the Act on Credit Recognition, allows learners to convert learning from formal study, non-formal courses, workplace training, massive open online courses and other short or modular programmes into recognised academic credits. Once sufficient credits are accumulated, learners may apply for formal qualifications equivalent to those obtained through regular higher education pathways.

Source: NZQA (2024[43]), Micro-credentials in New Zealand: Policy and Implementation Guide, www2.nzqa.govt.nz/assets/Tertiary/Approval-accreditation-and-registration/Micro-credentials/Guidelines-for-micro-credentials-January-2024.pdf; New Zealand Qualifications Authority (n.d.[44]), Micro-credential listing, approval, and accreditation, https://www2.nzqa.govt.nz/tertiary/approval-accreditation-and-registration/micro-credentials/; Ministry of Science and Education of Croatia (n.d.[45]), About CROQF, www.kvalifikacije.hr/index.php/en/node/4; Eurydice (2025[46]), National reforms in vocational education and training, https://eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/eurypedia/croatia/national-reforms-vocational-education-and-training; Institute for Lifelong Learning of UNESCO (2023[47]), Case study: The Academic Credit Bank System, www.uil.unesco.org/en/articles/case-study-academic-credit-bank-system; Academic Credit Bank System (South Korea) (n.d.[48]), About ACBS, www.cb.or.kr/creditbank/info/nInfo7_1.do.

How this applies to Ukraine

In Ukraine, micro-qualifications and short modular courses have emerged as practical responses to urgent skill needs linked to reconstruction, displacement and rapid task-level change. Evidence from VET institutions consulted suggests that these offers remain uneven, but already include short courses in areas such as hospitality, energy efficiency in construction and electric vehicle repair, often lasting around 40 to 60 hours and sometimes developed through specialised training centres, employer co‑operation or international projects.

This confirms their potential for targeted upskilling and reskilling, while showing the need for clearer system-level rules on status, recognition and progression. At present, micro-qualifications are not explicitly positioned within the NQF as an integrated qualification category, are not registered in the Unified Qualifications Register and are not assessed through Qualification Centres. Their recognition therefore depends on the reputation of providers, employer partnerships or project-specific arrangements, limiting portability and creating risks of overlap with partial professional qualifications or provider-specific short courses. Where micro-qualifications are intended to support recognition or progression, their learning outcomes could be mapped to occupational standards, recognised modules or partial professional qualifications.

Ukraine could clarify the role of micro-qualifications as short, outcome‑oriented credentials that complement full and partial professional qualifications. This would require defining their scope, intended use and minimum quality expectations, particularly for reconstruction-related tasks and transversal digital and green skills. Where equivalence exists, learning outcomes from micro-qualifications could be mapped to recognised modules, allowing them to function as building blocks that may be accumulated, transferred or recognised towards partial professional qualifications under clear conditions.

Clearer rules would also reduce fragmentation between formal, non-formal and workplace learning, while allowing authorities to monitor how short credentials relate to existing qualifications and to use them strategically within differentiated update procedures, without treating all micro-qualifications as full or partial qualifications.

3.4.2. Minimum design and quality assurance principles for micro-qualifications

While flexibility is a strength of micro-qualifications, excessive variation in design can weaken their credibility and labour-market value. If learning outcomes, workload, assessment methods, issuing bodies and quality assurance arrangements are not clearly described, employers and learners may struggle to understand what a credential represents or how it compares with other offers. Trust may depend mainly on provider reputation rather than transparent information on the competences acquired (ETF, 2022[21]).

International guidance therefore emphasises minimum common design features, without regulating micro-qualifications as if they were full qualifications. The EU Council Recommendation on micro-credentials highlights standard elements such as learning outcomes, workload, assessment, identification of the issuing body and quality assurance arrangements, while also underlining the need to preserve flexibility and innovation (European Union law, 2022[17]).

Several countries have operationalised these principles through shared reference points for design and documentation rather than uniform programme formats. The Netherlands provides an example of how minimum information requirements can be embedded in a digital credentialing infrastructure, making learning outcomes, assessment criteria and issuer information verifiable and easier to share (see Box 3.7).

Box 3.7. Digital credentialing and minimum quality information: The Netherlands

In the Netherlands, a national digital credential infrastructure has been built to enhance the transparency, comparability and quality assurance of short learning achievements while preserving institutional flexibility. Central to this system is edubadges, a secure platform developed and maintained by SURF, the co‑operative information and communication technology organisation for Dutch education and research, which allows educational institutions to issue digital certificates for learning outcomes in both formal and non-formal contexts. Edubadges incorporate metadata such as the issuer, learning outcomes and assessment criteria, and are verifiable and shareable online, for example through digital portfolios or professional networking sites, strengthening trust in the credential beyond familiarity with the issuing provider.

Within this ecosystem, micro-credentials can be defined as a specific type of digital badge representing a short, assessed module of study linked to a recognised quality framework. This makes the credential easier for employers and other users to interpret, while preserving institutional flexibility in programme design and delivery.

Source: SURF.nl (n.d.[49]), Step 2: define your edubadge types, www.surf.nl/en/step‑2‑define‑your-edubadge‑types; University of Twente (n.d.[50]), Edubadges, www.utwente.nl/en/service‑portal/educational-support/about-ut-education/edubadges.

How this applies to Ukraine

In Ukraine, micro-qualifications and short modular courses currently vary in duration, content, assessment and documentation. This diversity has enabled rapid and context-specific responses to urgent skill needs, but the absence of shared reference points limits comparability and portability for learners and employers.

Introducing minimum design and quality assurance principles would strengthen trust without undermining flexibility. Such principles could require micro-qualifications to specify competence‑based learning outcomes, scope and workload, assessment methods, issuing body, quality assurance arrangements and links, where relevant, to occupational standards, recognised modules or partial professional qualifications. These requirements would not need to imply full national approval or systematic assessment through Qualification Centres for every micro-qualification. A proportionate approach could distinguish between provider-specific short courses, micro-qualifications aligned with recognised modules, and micro-qualifications that may contribute to partial professional qualifications. The closer a micro-qualification is to formal recognition or progression, the stronger its quality assurance requirements would need to be.

Consistent design principles would also make it easier to map learning outcomes, support stacking and avoid duplication. Over time, digital credentialing tools and common data fields could further strengthen transparency by making the content, assessment basis and relationship to recognised qualifications easier to verify.

3.5. Assessment practices and the credibility and portability of vocational qualifications

Assessment practices are central to the value of vocational qualifications as labour-market signals. Even when qualifications are well designed and regularly updated, their credibility depends on consistent interpretation of assessment standards and trust among employers, learners and recognition bodies (OECD, 2023[1]). In Ukraine, assessment through accredited Qualification Centres provides a strong basis for credible certification and recognition. The priority is to strengthen assessment practices without altering the core institutional design, by improving consistency and assessor capacity across Qualification Centres, strengthening RPL for skills acquired through diverse pathways, and using assessment outcomes more systematically for qualification management and continuous improvement.

3.5.1. Ensuring consistent assessment and assessor capacity across Qualification Centres

Assessment through accredited Qualification Centres can strengthen trust in vocational qualifications by separating the certification of competences from the delivery of training. However, translating competence‑based standards into consistent assessment outcomes is institutionally demanding. Even where occupational standards are defined, assessment practices may vary because of differences in assessor interpretation, sectoral experience, access to equipment and local workplace conditions. This can weaken portability, employer confidence and the value of full and partial professional qualifications (OECD, 2023[1]).

Consistency is rarely achieved through tighter regulation alone. It is usually reinforced through practical tools and routines that support a common interpretation of standards, including shared assessment criteria, model tasks, rubrics, examples of acceptable evidence, structured professional dialogue and light-touch external quality checks. External quality checks can also review assessment materials or records to identify inconsistencies and issue guidance, without re‑assessing individual candidates (OECD, 2023[1]).

Assessment also needs to remain practical, occupation-specific and, where possible, close to real work situations. The challenge is therefore to combine realistic assessment with common expectations about the competences to be demonstrated, the evidence required and the thresholds used to judge performance. This is particularly important where assessment involves practical demonstrations, portfolio evidence, RPL or partial qualifications.

Assessor capacity is also a pillar of assessment quality, not only a support for consistency. In competence‑based systems, assessment often relies on professional judgement, practical demonstrations and evidence from different learning pathways, including work-based, non-formal and prior learning. Assessors need not only occupational expertise, but also methodological preparation to apply criteria reliably, judge evidence, document decisions and remain aligned with evolving workplace practices. Regular engagement with employers, updated sectoral knowledge, peer exchange and calibration can help reduce reliance on individual discretion and support assessment judgements that are both labour-market relevant and comparable across centres (OECD, 2025[24]).

Country examples illustrate different ways of combining common assessment expectations with decentralised delivery. Denmark shows how sector-led final assessment can support national comparability; the Netherlands illustrates how external quality assurance can review assessment practice without centralising every decision; and Germany and Switzerland show how examiner eligibility, workplace involvement and structured preparation can strengthen assessor capacity and employer trust (see Box 3.8).

Box 3.8. Supporting consistent assessment and assessor capacity: Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland

Denmark provides an example of sector-led assessment comparability in a decentralised VET system. Final assessments in apprenticeship programmes take the form of trade tests designed at national level by sectoral trade committees, which include employer and worker representatives. These committees define assessment tasks, performance criteria and grading principles, while trained examiners, often including vocational teachers and workplace representatives, assess candidates using shared national criteria. This supports comparable outcomes across providers and regions while leaving training provision locally organised.

The Netherlands illustrates a complementary approach based on external quality assurance rather than centralised control of each assessment decision. The inspectorate reviews samples of assessment materials and decisions across providers, examining how learning outcomes and criteria are applied in practice. This risk-based approach helps identify recurrent issues that require clarification or guidance, while preserving provider autonomy and avoiding excessive regulatory burden.

Germany and Switzerland show how assessor and examiner capacity supports trust in vocational assessment. In Germany, final apprenticeship assessments are organised by chambers, with examiners drawn from the world of work and required to meet defined eligibility criteria. In Switzerland, examiners involved in final vocational assessments are expected to demonstrate both occupational expertise and assessment competence, supported by structured preparation and guidance. These arrangements underline that credible assessment depends not only on standards and tasks, but also on the capacity of those applying them.

Source: OECD (2025[24]), Vocational Education and Training Systems in Nine Countries, https://doi.org/10.1787/1a86eb6c-en.

How this applies to Ukraine

Ukraine’s assessment framework already includes established procedures for formal VET programmes, including current, intermediate and final assessment, qualification certification and the participation of employer representatives in final certification processes (Eurydice, 2025[51]). In parallel, Qualification Centres provide an important institutional basis for independent assessment, as they are authorised to assess learning outcomes, award or confirm full and partial professional qualifications, and recognise relevant professional qualifications obtained abroad (Cedefop, 2024[40]).

The main priority is to strengthen consistency across Qualification Centres. Occupational standards already provide a common reference point, but centres may still differ in how they interpret criteria, design assessment tasks, use practical demonstrations or judge evidence. This could weaken the value of certificates across sectors or regions as the number of centres and qualifications expands.

Ukraine could reinforce practical assessment guidance without changing the core institutional architecture. Shared assessment tasks, rubrics, sector-specific performance thresholds, examples of acceptable evidence and guidance on practical or portfolio-based evidence could help ensure that similar competences are assessed against comparable expectations.

Structured peer learning, moderation and exchange among Qualification Centres could support alignment of assessment practice over time. This could be complemented by light-touch external quality checks, such as reviewing assessment materials or records, to identify recurrent inconsistencies and issue guidance without re‑assessing individual candidates. Together, these mechanisms would help reduce variation across centres, reinforce employer confidence in assessment outcomes and strengthen the portability of vocational qualifications.

Assessor capacity should be strengthened alongside these tools. Regular training, peer review, calibration exercises and external quality assurance could reduce variation across centres, particularly in reconstruction-related sectors where technologies, work processes and regulatory requirements are evolving rapidly.

3.5.2. Strengthening RPL for work-based and non-formal learning

RPL is increasingly important for inclusive and responsive VET systems, particularly in contexts of adult learning, labour mobility and structural change. It allows competences acquired through work, non-formal learning, informal learning or learning abroad to be assessed against recognised standards. Effective RPL arrangements are grounded in outcome‑based assessment frameworks that balance rigour with feasibility, allowing professional judgement while avoiding unnecessary procedural complexity (OECD, 2019[23]).

RPL works best when assessment methods are differentiated according to the type, complexity and risk of the competences being assessed. Practical or safety-critical competences may require direct demonstrations, simulations or observation in real or realistic work settings, while transversal, regulatory or technical competences may be assessed through combinations of documentary evidence, portfolios, structured interviews and targeted tasks. Clear guidance on acceptable evidence, assessment methods and decision making criteria is therefore essential for accessible and credible RPL (OECD, 2019[23]).

The Netherlands and France illustrate how RPL can be made more transparent and proportionate through structured procedures and nationally recognised reference points, while allowing assessment methods to vary according to the type of competence being assessed (see Box 3.9).

Box 3.9. Differentiated and proportionate RPL: The Netherlands and France

In the Netherlands, the Recognition of Acquired Competences system (Erkenning van Verworven Competenties) validates competences against recognised occupational or qualification standards. The system allows evidence to be adapted to the competences being assessed, including portfolios, interviews, targeted tasks, demonstrations and simulations. Practical and task-specific competences can therefore be assessed in real or realistic work settings, while transversal, regulatory or technical competences can be assessed through documentary evidence and structured interviews. This differentiated approach helps reduce unnecessary burden for candidates while maintaining a link with recognised standards and employer expectations.

In France, the “Validation des acquis de l’expérience” (Validation of acquired experience) provides a nationally regulated route for adults to obtain full or partial qualifications based on prior work experience. Candidates compile evidence of their experience and competences, which is assessed against the requirements of the targeted qualification. The evidence is examined by a jury, which may review a portfolio, conduct an interview and, where relevant, request practical demonstration or more evidence. The jury can award the full qualification, award part of the qualification, or identify the additional competences that the candidate needs to acquire. Recent reforms have aimed to simplify procedures and improve accessibility for candidates while preserving the credibility of validation outcomes.

Source: OECD (2019[23]), Getting Skills Right: Future‑Ready Adult Learning Systems, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264311756-en; OECD (2023[1]), Building Future‑Ready Vocational Education and Training Systems, https://doi.org/10.1787/28551a79-en.

How this applies to Ukraine

Ukraine faces growing demand for RPL in a context of displacement, return migration, labour mobility and reconstruction. This is particularly relevant for adults, including veterans, who may have acquired relevant competences through work experience, non-formal training, military service, international mobility or learning abroad, but may lack formal documentation that is easily recognised by employers or education institutions. Recent arrangements allow veterans and their family members to confirm professional experience through NQA-accredited Qualification Centres and obtain professional certification without repeating a full training course (Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine, n.d.[14]). Clearer RPL methodologies could support labour-market reintegration, adult upskilling and recognition of skills needed in reconstruction-related sectors.

Qualification Centres provide the institutional basis for RPL by assessing competences against occupational standards and confirming full or partial professional qualifications, including in cases involving non-formal and informal learning or relevant professional qualifications obtained abroad (National Qualifications Agency (Ukraine), n.d.[12]). However, stakeholder consultations suggest that RPL remains resource‑intensive, partly because occupational standards do not always translate easily into guidance on what evidence candidates should provide and how different forms of prior learning should be assessed.

Ukraine could strengthen RPL by developing nationally endorsed methodologies that clarify how existing occupational standards should be applied to prior learning. Such guidance could specify when direct demonstration is required, when documentary or portfolio evidence may be sufficient, and how interviews, targeted tasks or workplace evidence can be combined. For veterans, such methodologies would be particularly important for translating competences acquired through military service into civilian qualification pathways, while preserving clear evidence requirements and assessment standards. This would help avoid both excessive procedural burden and overly informal recognition practices, make recognition procedures easier for candidates to understand and strengthen employer confidence in skills acquired outside formal programmes.

A differentiated approach would be particularly useful for partial professional qualifications and reconstruction-related competences. Practical competences linked to safety, equipment use or regulated tasks may require direct demonstration or simulation. Other competences, such as knowledge of standards, digital tools, documentation procedures or transversal workplace skills, could be assessed through targeted tasks, interviews or documented evidence where appropriate.

3.5.3. Use of assessment outcomes for system learning and continuous improvement

Assessment outcomes can support not only certification, but also system monitoring and improvement. When analysed at aggregate level, information from assessment practices can help identify unclear standards, recurring implementation challenges, emerging skill needs and possible mismatches between qualification requirements and workplace realities. This can support more targeted updates to guidance, assessment tools, occupational standards and qualifications (OECD, 2023[1]).

The value of such information lies in its use as part of regular policy processes, rather than as a trigger for immediate large‑scale reform. Recurring evidence from assessment, external quality assurance and stakeholder dialogue can help systems distinguish between isolated implementation issues and more structural problems. It can also support proportionate responses, starting with clarification of assessment criteria, guidance or assessor support before more resource‑intensive qualification revisions are considered (OECD, 2023[1]).

The Netherlands and Denmark illustrate how assessment evidence can be used to improve guidance and qualification governance without recentralising assessment decisions (Box 3.10).

Box 3.10. Using assessment evidence for system improvement: The Netherlands and Denmark

In the Netherlands, information generated through assessment practice and external quality assurance is reviewed at aggregate level. Recurrent difficulties in applying assessment criteria or demonstrating specific learning outcomes can be identified through reviews of assessment materials, decisions and quality assurance findings. This information is used to clarify expectations, refine guidance and strengthen support for providers before broader changes to qualification standards are considered.

In Denmark, sectoral trade committees connect assessment practice with qualification governance. Feedback from final trade tests, examiners and employers can inform discussions on assessment tasks, criteria and qualification requirements. This allows sectoral actors to address recurring assessment challenges, clarify expectations and maintain the relevance of qualifications, while preserving decentralised training provision.

Source: OECD (2025[24]), Vocational Education and Training Systems in Nine Countries, https://doi.org/10.1787/1a86eb6c-en.

How this applies to Ukraine

In Ukraine, assessment practices generate valuable information on how vocational qualifications and occupational standards function in practice. However, this information is not yet systematically collected or analysed to inform qualification management, assessor guidance or standard updates.

Strengthening feedback loops would not necessarily require complex new data systems. A practical first step would be to clarify how information already generated by Qualification Centres, external quality assurance processes and stakeholder consultations can be synthesised and discussed by the NQA, qualification developers and relevant sectoral actors.

Relevant signals could include frequent difficulties in demonstrating specific learning outcomes, repeated requests for clarification, inconsistent interpretation of assessment criteria or high reliance on assessor discretion. These patterns could help identify where occupational standards or assessment guidance lack operational clarity, where assessor support is needed, where emerging skill needs are appearing, or where qualification requirements no longer fully reflect workplace practice.

This feedback could be used first to refine guidance, exemplars, assessment tools and assessor support before broader revisions of standards or qualifications are considered, making assessment a source of system learning as well as certification.