providing clarity. releasing potential uk national contact point for professional qualifications
TRANSCRIPT
providing clarity. releasing potential
UK National Contact Point for
Professional Qualifications
UK National Contact Point (UK NCP)
Helping frustrated professionals* understand European professional recognition rules
* and their employers, professional bodies and other ‘competent authorities’
Signpost: advice and guidance
• UK NCP responds to enquiries from the public, competent authorities
(regulators/professional bodies/etc.)
and EU partner organisations
• Advise on UK regulatory environment, regulatory status of professions, issues with implementing the Directive
• Provide website www.ukncp.org.uk
which has information and a list of regulated professions
Background: Directive 2005/36/EC
Directive for professional qualifications• Sets out regulations governing professional recognition in the EU• Directive specifies each country must have a ‘Contact Point’
Professions are either:• Regulated: restriction on practice based on evidence of qualification
• Unregulated: no restriction on practice
• Regulated professional titles: “profession” is not regulated, but certain titles are protected and require registration
Regulated in the UK: Yes or No?
Background: Directive 2005/36/EC
• Basic principle: Is the person ‘qualified’ in their home state?
– Migrant professional must show they are qualified. – Evidence of qualification is based on the structure of the profession
(regulated/unregulated) in their home country
◦ If they had to register to be able to practice the profession in their home country, then registration ‘proves’ they are qualified
◦ If they did not have to register, then formal qualifications plus 2 years of work experience or special training can be used to ‘prove’ they are qualified
– Does not preclude the possibility of “compensation measures” if there are skills gaps that need to be addressed
Working with the public: How we help
1) Advise on whether or not a profession is regulated (also for overseas authorities)
2) Direct to competent authority for regulated professions in the UK
3) Liaise with applicant’s home state authorities to clarify qualifications
4) Provide information to outgoing UK professionals (e.g. details of overseas NCP)
5) Provide guidance on an individual’s rights under the Directive (e.g. what section of the regulations are they covered by?)
Looking at the numbers
Chart 1: Country of origin of incoming enquirers
Looking at the numbers
Chart 2: Destinations of outgoing enquiries
Enquiries up 55% in last 6 months
Common enquiries:
• EU to UK: – “I am a physiotherapist from Romania and I want to know if I can work in
the UK with my qualification”
• UK to EU:– “I am a beauty therapist and I want to work in Italy”
◦ Advised that the profession is regulated, so it is up to the competent authority to assess their qualifications
◦ Advised to contact Italian Contact Point to find out if the profession is regulated
◦ Advised that if it is regulated, they will need to show qualifications and 2 years of work experience (because it is not regulated in the UK, so the individual will not have professional registration) or they may be able to access the profession if they meet the ‘Automatic Recognition of Trades and Crafts’ criteria
Enquiry case study: UK to EU
“How many years of work experience do you have as an engineer in the UK?” [2 years of work experience plus ‘evidence of formal qualifications’ in the field meets the
criteria of Article 13(2)]
“Also, do have a UK degree in engineering?” [Certain qualifications are regarded as ‘regulated education and training’, and exempt the
person from the requirement to have 2 years of work experience]
“Good morning, UK NCP.”
“Good morning. I am an engineer in the UK, and I planning to move to Portugal. Will I be able to work as an engineer in Portugal since I have worked as an engineer here?”
“First, you will need to check with the Portuguese authorities to see if engineering is regulated. The Portuguese NCP can tell you whether it is regulated; if it is, you will need to register and go through the recognition process.”
“Are you a member of any of the professional engineering bodies?” [If so, the person is covered by the Directive under Article 3(2)]
“No, I haven’t taken up membership with an engineering body yet.”
Working with competent authorities
• Advise on the application of Directive 2005/36/EC and the implementation of various provisions
• Advise on whether individuals meet the criteria of the Directive
• Liaise with EU partner organisation to obtain information for competent authorities regarding EU qualifications
• Support statements made by competent authorities regarding their organisation’s professional qualifications with details from Directive 2005/36/EC
Case study: assisting authorities
• A teacher in further education is having difficulty being recognised in Belgium– Belgium has asked for details of her work experience, believing she
should be assessed under the criteria for individuals who have practiced an unregulated profession in their home state
– The teacher explains that she has shown that she has IfL registration, but the Belgium authority does not seem to understand
UK NCP contacts the Belgian authorities on behalf of the individual and the competent authority to confirm that IfL is the recognised competent authority for teachers in further education in the UK, citing relevant legislation.UK NCP also explains the UK definition of ‘further education’
Therefore the teacher’s application should be processed under the rules of Article 13(1); the clarification helps the Belgian authorities correctly handle the teacher’s application for recognition
