The NQF serves a diverse range of stakeholders, including students, academic staff, employers, and politicians. It functions as a crucial mechanism for recognizing and valuing acquired knowledge and skills, significantly impacting job searches and facilitating continued education. This influence extends not only within our country but resonates throughout Europe, as our NQF aligns with the European framework, ensuring seamless "readability" of qualifications and enhancing the mobility of workers, students, and academic staff.

 

Moreover, the NQF is instrumental in recognizing knowledge and skills obtained through non-formal and informal learning, offering vital support in the development of educational policies. Minister of Education and Science, Jeton Shaqiri, underscored these points during the official closing ceremony of the Twinning project, "Further Support to the Implementation of the National Qualifications Framework," executed over the past 27 months with the collaboration of experts from Lithuania, France, and Slovenia.

 

The overarching goal of the project was to further strengthen and operationalize the NQF, concentrating on enhancing quality assurance procedures, transparency, and governance of skills and qualifications across all educational stages. The project aimed to improve the quality and adaptability of education and training in response to labor market requirements, foster connections between formal, non-formal, and informal learning, and support the validation of learning outcomes acquired in diverse settings.

 

Minister Shaqiri emphasized the critical role of expert assistance in a country aspiring to join the EU, stating that such support is crucial for developing necessary resources and strengthening capacities. He expressed the expectation that this collaboration will persist in the future, providing ongoing support for reform processes.