The Europass
As part of our involvement in the Coimbra Employability Group, we were given a presentation on the redesigned Europass portal: The Europass Career and Application Portal, which was completely redesigned in July 2020, offers many helpful options for applying for jobs and further education in (almost) all of Europe. The free and ad-free portal allows users to present all their skills, qualifications and experience in their personal profile. Using tools such as a CV editor, you can also write CVs and application letters and collect them in your own library, along with certificates and statements on the comparability of training programmes. You can also use the Job and Training search to find suitable job vacancies or training opportunities. Europass is available in 29 different languages and links all EU Member States as well as Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. EU data protection standards apply throughout the portal.
The Europass portfolio consists of different documents for applicants to present their competences and qualifications in a professional, unified european layout. The Europass CV, at the center, is a format for CV, developed by the European Kommission. User-friendly, precise, professional - and unified for all of Europe.
The job market
EURES is the job market of the platform. Over 5000 employers regularly publish vacancies there. A registered member of Europass can easily upload their CV to the vacancy. Employers can view uploaded CV and qualification profiles, thereby screening candidates, and contact them. Registered employees can search vacancies by region and requirements, and find positions compatible with their profile.
Employees can find necessary information on life and work conditions in all member states using a filter and key words search on the information platform EURES.
The database Living and working conditions offers information and tipps on housing, schools, taxes, living costs, healthcare system, social law and comparion of qualifications. Furthermore, you can find information about the job market and current developments in specific countries and regions.
Learning programmes and qualifications
A database of training programmes linked to Europass can be used to find out about learning opportunities throughout the Europass area and to search for suitable programmes. The Europass website also provides information on the comparability of qualifications in different countries. In this way, individuals can find out about their own opportunities and companies can categorise the qualifications of foreign job applicants.
Europass-profile and tools
The e-portfolio is the place where you can manage your personal skills and interests. Once you have registered - free of charge - to use the full range of features, you can create your personal profile, including your educational qualifications and work experience, as well as your other skills, hobbies, language skills and other competences. The e-portfolio also includes a digital document centre. Users can upload their diplomas, certificates, work samples, etc. and store them permanently.
With a fully completed profile, you can also edit CVs and application letters. The CV editor gives you a choice of different designs, which you can use to present your skills and qualifications in a structured and clear way.
The Europass Mobility certifies the competences and skills acquired during a stay abroad. The organised presentation makes it possible to document and compare the knowledge and skills acquired in a meaningful way.
Currently, the Europass Mobility is still applied for by the sending institutions. In the future, however, this will be possible directly via the Europass portal.
Certificate explanations provide detailed explanations of a vocational qualification. In Germany, these statements are issued by the relevant competent authority. However, you can use the links to certificate supplements from other countries on the Europass website to compare and evaluate your qualifications.
A Diploma Supplement is the counterpart to certificate explinations. It has been issued together with academic degree certificates since 2005 and explains their contents.
In the future, digital capability certificates should standardise the different formats of certificates and references across Europe and make them easier to verify. The digital transfer is intended to make the recognition of qualifications and learning outcomes both more efficient and more secure and therefore simpler.
Links
You can find futher information on the website of the Nationalen Europass Centers Deutschland.
To assess your language skills, we recommend the Einstufungstests des Zentrums für Sprachen.
Information about Coimbra and the University of Würzburg's involvement in the various Coimbra Groups can be found here
