Why is the recognition of credentials not just a matter of good will? Five theories and the Austrian case

Figures & data

Figure 1. Permanent inflows by entry categories, 2005–2013 (OECD/EU, 2015, p. 57).

Table 1. Foreign-born population, 2000–2001 and 2011–2012, in percent of total population (OECD/EU, 2015, p. 41).

		2000–2001	2011–2012	Difference
Foreign-born	Austria	10	16	6
	EU (13)	8	12	4
	OECD (22)	9	13	4

Table 2. Indicators of labour market integration of immigrants in 2012–2013, in % of 15- to 64-year-olds (OECD/EU, 2015, pp. 83, 87, 89).

		Foreign-born	Native-born	Difference
Activity rates	Austria	73	77	−4
	EU (28)	73	72	1
	OECD (34)	74	70	4
Employment rates	Austria	67	74	−7
	EU (28)	62	65	−3
	OECD (34)	66	64	1
Unemployment rates	Austria	9	4	5
	EU (28)	16	10	6
	OECD (34)	11	8	3

Table 3. Institutions with responsibility for recognition and validation in Austria in 2012 (based on Biffl et al., 2012).

	School education	Higher education	Apprenticeship training	Regulated occupations
			EU countries	Non-EU countries
Recognition	BMBF BMWFW(NARIC) Schools	Universities, FHS BMWFW (NARIC)	BMWFW	Liberal professions (44)
				Professional chambers	Universities, FHS
				Regulated trades (98)
				BMWFW	Regional trade authorities
				Non-medical health professions (23)
				Midwifery council	FHS, Universities
				BMG	BMG
					State governments
				Pedagogical occupations and civil service (18)
				All federal ministries	Universities, FHS
				State education authority	Univ. college of education
				State governments	State governments
				Agricultural and silvicultural occupations (5)
				BMLFUW	University of agriculture
				State governments	BMLFUW
					State governments
				Accounting occupations (4)
				Chamber of certified public accountants	Universities, FHS
				Parity commission	Parity commission
				Other regulated professions (4)
				State governments	State governments
Validation	State education authority Upper Secondary Schools Lower Secondary Schools	Universities, FHS	Regional administrative authority	BMWFW BMLFUW Regional chambers of commerce

Table 4. Typology of institutionalised procedures for recognition and validation, following Pfeffer and Skrivanek (2013).

Recognition of qualifications (acquired in formal learning contexts)	Recognition, full full equivalency with domestic qualifications same entitlements (e.g. access to universities)
	Recognition, partial substitute for parts of a qualification, restricted to specific purposes (e.g. credit transfer for parts of domestic curriculum)
	Evaluation expert opinion without claim of equivalency or similarity, no formal entitlement
Validation of competences (acquired in non-formal or informal learning contexts)	Formal validation equivalency with qualifications of the formal education system, same entitlements
	Summative validation certificates outside the formal education system
	Formative validation identification and documentation of individual competences, no standardised assessment or certificate

Table 5. Official procedures for recognition and validation in Austria, based on Pfeffer and Skrivanek (2013).

	School education	Higher education	Apprenticeship training	Regulated occupations
				EU	Non-EU
Full recognition	Nostrification of foreign school and school-leaving certificates Equalisation of school-leaving certificates via treaties	Nostrification of foreign academic degrees Equalisation via treaties	Equalisation of foreign VET-degrees with final apprenticeship examination Equalisation via treaties	Declaration of cross-border provision of services Equalisation of qualifications Recognition of professional experience Automatic recognition based on coordination of minimum training conditions	Nostrification Equalisation
Partial recognition	Placement exams	Equalisation of school-leaving certificates via decision of university Recognition for study purposes	Recognition of school-leaving certificates as credit for final apprenticeship examination	Recognition of school-leaving certificates as credit for a trade authorisation
Evaluation	Evaluation of foreign certificates	Evaluation of foreign academic degrees
Formal validation	External school-leaving certificates School-leaving certificates as a comple­ment to apprenticeship External completion of compulsory school graduation	University entrance exam Occupational qualification as access criterion	Extraordinary admission to final apprenticeship examination
Summative validation				Professional title (e.g. engineer) Master’s degree – qualification examination – business-venture examination – trainer certificate
Formative validation	Competence Check for refugees

OECD/European Union. (2015). Indicators of immigrant integration 2015: Settling in. Paris: OECD Publishing.

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Biffl, G., Pfeffer, T., & Skrivanek, I. (2012). Anerkennung ausländischer Qualifikationen und informeller Kompetenzen in Österreich. Krems: Edition Donau-Universität Krems.

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Pfeffer, T., & Skrivanek, I. (2013). Institutionelle Verfahren zur Anerkennung ausländischer Qualifikationen und zur Validierung nicht formal oder informell erworbener Kompetenzen in Österreich. Zeitschrift für Bildungsforschung, 3(1), 63–78. doi: 10.1007/s35834-013-0058-4

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