European inventory of NQFs 2024 : Netherlands

Cedefop's work on qualifications frameworks dates back to 2003. The Centre has contributed to the conceptual development of the European qualifications framework (EQF) and has supported its further implementation, working alongside with the of national authorities and stakeholders to introduce and develop national qualifications frameworks (NQFs). This report is part of the European inventory of NQFs, which systematically maps and analyses NQF developments in countries participating in the EQF process. The inventory is updated biennially in close cooperation with the EQF Advisory Group, the European Commission and the European Training Foundation. The report provides a detailed description of the structure of the NQF of the Dutch NQF (Nederlands Kwalificatieraamwerk NLQF) and its institutional arrangements. It also examines the framework's implementation and its impact on broader policy areas, focusing on key developments since 2022. The NLQF was adopted in 2011 and referenced to the EQF in 2012, building on the qualifications framework for higher education, which was self-certified against the qualifications framework of the European higher education area (QFEHEA) in 2009. The NLQF is a systematic classification of qualifications, covering two main groups: regulated qualifications awarded in the formal education and training system, and non-regulated qualifications awarded on the labour market (non-formal qualifications). It has eight main levels, plus an entry level below EQF level 1, and a sublevel of level 4 (level 4+). Level descriptors are defined in terms of knowledge, skills, responsibility, and independence, and context.