EQUIP - European Framework for Qualifications in Home Care Services for Older People

EQUIP is a project (2007-2009) comprising of six EU countries. The project aims to develop a comparison of qualifications and education between different EU countries in relation to at-home care for older people. The project will assist with the implementation of the new EQF (European Qualification Framework) and ECVET (European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training) systems.

The project is supported by European Commission* and it is coordinated by Turku University of Applied Sciences. The partners of the EQUIP project are universities, universities of applied sciences, vocational institutes, educational authorities and trade unions in Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Great Britain, Netherlands and Spain.

Improvements in the quality of education and home care services are vital because

• The number of older citizens throughout Europe is increasing.
• Nine out of ten people over 75 would like to live in their own home instead of an institution.
• A lack of home care service workers is common in several European countries.

The Aims of EQUIP are to

• Compare education and training in different EU countries.
• Increase mobility of home care workers
• Improve the quality of home care services.

An Outcome of EQUIP will be a set of electronic tools:

• A form of e-portfolio that will show the users how their competence profile meets the requirements of qualifications in different countries.
• A tool to assist educators and policy makers to appraise and enhance vocational education.

Find out more about EQF and ECVET systems:

• EQF (European Qualification Framework)
• ECVET (European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training)