Today, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has adopted the draft Law of Ukraine "On the National Qualifications System".

This bill was drafted by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine with the participation of a wide range of stakeholders to implement part two of Article 37 of the Law of Ukraine "On Education", subparagraph 1 of paragraph 56 of the Action Plan for the implementation of the recommendations of the European Commission presented in the Report on Ukraine's Progress under the EU Enlargement Package 2023 and step 137 of the Government's Priority Action Plan for 2024, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on 9 February 2024.

The Draft Law is designed to streamline the National Qualifications System and its legislative support, determine mechanisms for stakeholder interaction within the National Qualifications System, regulate the issues of awarding, confirming and recognising professional qualifications, and create conditions for maximum involvement of employers in the process of training specialists in educational institutions and other educational entities. 

The Draft Law defines the purpose, structure and principles of organisation and functioning of the National Qualifications System, the principles of development of qualification frameworks, professional standards, formation and maintenance of the Unified Register of Qualifications. 

It also defines the powers of state governing bodies in the field of qualifications, in particular, specifies the peculiarities of the status, tasks and powers of the National Qualifications Agency. It also defines the tasks and rights of sectoral councils for the development of professional qualifications, accreditation procedures and activities of qualification centres, general principles of awarding, confirming, recognising professional qualifications, including those obtained through non-formal and informal education, as well as awarding and confirming educational qualifications, including partial ones. 

In accordance with the Council of Europe's recommendation (COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION of 16 June 2022 on a European approach to micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability (2022/C 243/02)), the concept of micro-qualifications, the specifics of their acquisition and award are being introduced.