I am moving to another country, where I will be seeking employment or wishing to engage in further study. How will CPCAB qualifications be rated in terms of equivalence in that country?

The European Qualifications Framework (EQF) offers an overarching framework for establishing equivalence across qualifications in Europe. CPCAB qualifications display the EQF level on every certificate. However, it is important to recognise that this is a only rough equivalence and may not be sufficient for employers to make a judgement about content and appropriateness for individual country requirements.

In the UK there is a body called the National Academic Recognition Information Centre (NARIC) who, despite their name, also deal with vocationally-related qualifications (such as those offered by CPCAB). There is an equivalent to NARIC in each EU country (and in some countries outside the EU) - the contact details for these organisations can be obtained by phoning UK NARIC on 01242 260010 or by visiting the NARIC website.

In general, each country has the responsibility to assess awards themselves. Therefore the acceptance of a qualification is normally dealt with by the relevant authority in the country that the holder of the qualification is going to. In Europe the NARIC/ENIC agency in the country concerned should be contacted for further advice (otherwise contact the relevant embassy or Ministry of Education for assistance).

For CPCAB candidates who have successfully completed the following qualifications you can download a copy of a ‘Europass certificate supplement’ using the following links:

The certificate supplement describes the knowledge and skills acquired by learners who have completed one or more of these qualifications.

The certificate supplement is one of five documents that will make the skills and qualifications clearly and easily understood in Europe. Three documents are issued by education and training authorities - the Europass Mobility, Certificate and Diploma Supplements - and two are freely accessible and are completed by European citizens:

the Curriculum Vitae helps you present your skills and qualifications effectively and clearly. A template is available to download.
the Language Passport is a self-assessment tool for language skills and qualifications, a template is also available to download.

For more detailed information visit the Europass website.

If you are seeking to have a CPCAB qualification rated in terms of local equivalence in a particular country, you will need to contact the local NARIC (Europe) in the country concerned to find out what documents you need to submit. As a guide you may be asked to send them:

a photocopy of the CPCAB certificate/diploma concerned
a photocopy of the relevant learning-record / mark-sheet, together with an official translation into the language of the country concerned
a covering letter written by yourself (giving your full contact details).

The 'NARIC' in that country should then - if they follow the pattern of UK NARIC - issue you with a Certificate of Comparability, a kind of official letter which should formally state the locally-equivalent qualification.