Naomi Oldenburg
Senior Manager at the National Europass Centre for Ireland in Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI)
Edel Sheerin
Senior Executive Officer at the National Europass Centre for Ireland in Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI)
A free online platform makes it easy for people to find learning and job opportunities in countries across Europe — which helps boost competitiveness across the continent.
Today’s learners and jobseekers live in a world of immense choice. That’s exciting because study and employment opportunities are available anywhere and everywhere — both in Ireland and across Europe.
Yet it’s a challenge, because when education, training and work options are so wide-ranging, it can be difficult to know where to start. How do candidates find courses and careers in countries they might not be familiar with? And how do they showcase themselves in the best way?
“This issue is particularly apt because Ireland currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union and has pledged to play a leading role in advancing the EU’s competitiveness and productivity agenda,” explains Naomi Oldenburg, Senior Manager at the National Europass Centre for Ireland in Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI). “Part of that is about helping skilled people seize the best opportunities in the right places.”
employers are increasingly looking for people with transferable skills
Tools and resources that support European competitiveness
Europass — a multilingual online platform developed by the European Commission — aims to support EU competitiveness by making tools, resources and information available to those interested in working and learning across Europe. Users can sign up for free, create customised CVs and cover letters and present their skills and qualifications in a standardised format that can be easily understood by any institution or employer across Europe. All documents are stored securely in a user’s personal folder.
“One of the platform’s strengths is that it doesn’t just focus on ‘paper’ qualifications,” says Edel Sheerin, Senior Executive Officer at the National Europass Centre for Ireland in QQI. “It also showcases skills and experience gained in other ways — for example through volunteering schemes or exchange programmes. That’s important for European competitiveness, because employers are increasingly looking for people with transferable skills. ”
Other features include a job and skill trends tool that explores labour market trends, an online digital skills test that assesses the level of an individual’s digital skills and suggests where improvements can be made and a search function that identifies course and career opportunities across Europe. Users can also receive relevant job suggestions based on their profile information.
Anyone can use it, too — not just EU nationals. “Accessibility is very important to the Commission,” says Oldenburg. “The platform’s functionality and user-friendliness are continually being improved to help people explore lifelong learning and career opportunities across Europe more easily.”
