Europass

Europass is an application portfolio of five documents with an identical structure and layout across all European Union member countries. This portfolio contains a description of all learning achievements, qualifications, work experience, skills and competencies of the participating individual.

Europass aims to enhance mobility, comprehension and comparability across the European countries. Therefore, Europass supports both learners and workers to make their qualifications and competences clearly, transparency and easily understood for employers in Europe. It enables people with diverse backgrounds and experiences to gain access to learning and employment opportunities across boarders.

The Europass is realized through the National Europass Centre in every participating country. The National Europass Centre coordinates all activities related to the five Europass documents, for example to manage the Europass documents, ensure its availability in the internet and in print versions, ensure information and guidance, and promote Europass and Europass documents.

Portfolio

The Europass portfolio includes the following five documents:

Europass Curriculum Vitae (ECV)

Anyone can enter the individual educational background, qualifications, occupational experiences, skills and competences online in the internet, with help of an online tutorial and online examples. An update of the ECV is possible every time. (See an example of an ECV)

Europass Language Passport (ELP)

Anyone can enter the individual language competencies online in the internet. The individual can rate the language competencies on a European self assessment grid, adopted by the European Council. An update of the ELP is possible every time. (See an example of an ELP)

Europass Mobility

“A record of any organised period of time that a person spends in another European country for the purpose of learning or training”^[1]. The Europass Mobility is monitored by the partner organisation (e.g. schools, training centres, companies, NGOs, Universities, etc.) in the country of origin and the host country. The award of the Europass Mobility is bounded to the quality criteria of the European Council. (See an example of an Europass Mobility)

Certificate Supplement

This is additional to the original vocational certificate with further and more detailed explications. “It adds information to that which is already included in the official certificate, making it more easily understood, especially by employers or institutions outside the issuing country”^[2]. The Europass certificate is provided by the authorities that awards the original certificate. This is not a substitute for the original certificate. (See an example of a Certificate Supplement)

Diploma Supplement

This is also a further explication of the original diploma or degree.^[3] It is delivered to graduates of higher education institutions along with their degree or diploma and is issued by the higher education institution awarding the original diploma or degree. (See an example of a Diploma Supplement)