The project, ‘Reform of Estonian professional qualifications system’, receives funding from the European Social Fund.
The project promoter is the Estonian Qualifications Authority (SA Kutsekoda).
The eligibility period of the activity runs from 1 August 2022 to 31 August 2029.
The project activities and a detailed budget of €9,299,300 were approved by Directive No 314 of 2022 of the Minister of Education and Research until the end of 2025.
Objective and results of the support
The strategic objective of the support is to contribute to the flexible linking of the realms of education and work by improving the labour market monitoring and future skills forecasting system OSKA, modernising and reorganising the professional qualifications system, and integrating the different parts of the system into a synergetic whole.
The support will result in the development and implementation of the comprehensive, efficient, and effective skills and professional qualifications system OsKuS, which is based on a new model of governance and interaction. It will, among other things, include appropriate digital solutions and take into account the needs of different target groups.
Supported activities
- OSKA
This activity includes the development of OSKA methodology (including the development of region-based forecasts), carrying out sectoral and thematic labour needs surveys, dissemination of survey results, and monitoring of the implementation of the proposals put forward to guarantee a new generation of workforce.
- Establishment of OsKuS comprehensive skills and professional qualifications system
2.1 Preparation and implementation of the reform of Estonian professional qualifications system including the analysis of the situation, involvement of target groups, informing the public, renewal of the legal framework for the development and implementation of OsKuS, analysis of the implementation;
2.2 The description of skills involves the development of a new methodology for the systematic description of skills under a new basis, including the description of appropriate skills in the (digital) register and the definition of basic principles for the creation of skills profiles in respect to the professional qualifications system;
2.3 Development and preparation for the implementation of an efficient and effective conformity assessment model and recognition of the skills described under a new basis (including training of the target group to operate in the system based on renewed principles and informing of the tools that are available for skills assessment and recognition);
2.4 The preparations for implementing OsKuS involve informing the wider public of the concept and operation of OsKuS.
- Digital development of OsKuS
This activity includes the creation of appropriate digital solutions, registers, and capacities for ensuring the effective functioning of OsKuS (including the skills register information system, a professional services and analysis environment, a management system for the granting of professional qualifications, a skills conformity assessment environment, a database of partial occupational qualifications and skills certificates, big data mining and analysis capacities, and the visualisation and publication of OSKA data online).
All activities are carried out Estonia-wide and the results can be used by employers, educational institutions and individuals across Estonia.