Announced aim of the European Commission is an area of comparable education and transparent qualification in the EU countries. Many efforts have been started in the recent years but the developed instruments like modules, credit points, EQF or ECVET can’t hide that they will be implemented in a top-down way. By this most of the relevant persons and groups consequently hesitate or make use of the new instruments without any enthusiasm – practitioners in universities, schools and companies experience (almost) no added value. In the symposium core occupational profiles as innovative work process oriented curricula aswell as bottom-up approaches for sector oriented comparability, transparency and recognition of qualifications are discussed. The possiblities of core occupational profiles for a European vocational education and training (VET) concept way was first shown with the European occupational profile of a „Car Mechatronic“ which was implemented in four countries. It was followed by a project on the closed loop and waste economy. The occupational profile resulting thereof was implemented in seven countries. Another project (Aeronet) is currently being carried through in the European aerospace industry. Further experiences are made with a “Sustainable Professionalisation Approach”. In these approaches an uncoupling of occupational requirements from formalised instruments –a feature of qualification frameworks – could not take place. Furthermore those competencies could be measured which are concretely developed within the framework of training, e.g. by dealing with work processes. The methods and instruments for sector-related research of core tasks and structuring of a work related curriculum with work related categories is discussed. The following further questions will be deepened: •Does the approach of European core occupational profiles safeguards that transnational work and work process orientations are in the centre of interest? •How are European occupational core occupational profiles implemented in different national structures? Which role should and could the social partners play within the process? •Are core occupational profiles an alternative to actual ECVET approaches and the European Qualification Framework (EQF)? •Do the core profiles promoting flexibility, permeability and comparability? •Do they strengthen VET knowledge transfer between European countries?

As methods for the core profile development sector related research instruments are elaborated. The most important were sector analysis, case studies and “expert-workers workshops”. For the implementation of the core profiles the important work steps at the backdrop of national and regional sector conditions and country specific educational systems were the following: •Interviews with key persons from trade unions, associations, institutes. •Identification of national framework conditions in the sector in general and in individual enterprises. •Coordination of the European core profile with national needs in all partner countries. •Strengthening national implementation partnerships. •Leading the European Social Dialogue for the support of the transformations.

The possiblities of core occupational profiles as an answer to the current demands for comparability, transparency and recognition of different national vocational education graduations in Europe are discussed. One focus will be to elaborate the “Bottom-Up-approaches” at a national and on a European level. The decisive role of the Social Partners for these approaches will be underlined. In terms of contents the sector oriented comparability, transparency and recognition on the level of the work processes will be stressed. The comparability with national structures is always present as the structuring takes place on the work process level rather than on the level of the vocational training systems.