Certification and Qualification for Europe’s Job Brokers

The project recognized the changes in the labour market that leads to a changing role of labour market advisers and intermediaries, giving rise to an emerging occupational role of the ‘Job Broker’ – a professional who works in publicly-funded VET and labour market programmes that are aimed at unemployed, and typically disadvantaged, job seekers.

This occupational role extends beyond, for instance, employment counsellors in that it involves direct and sustained engagement with employers to achieve the required outcomes. It differs from the work of private employment agencies in that it is concerned with the provision of in-depth support to unemployed job-seeking clients who are being supported in publicly-funded active labour market, social inclusion and VET programmes.

The aim of CQJB is to develop, register and pilot a work-based, Job Broker qualification, aligned to EQF Level 6 and certificated to ISO 17024 (Certification of Persons) and ECTS (University professional certification) requirements.

There is presently no work-based professional certificate for Job Brokers. By rooting its reference points in Indicators 5 and 6 of EQAVET, the project provides a new evidence -based framework within which VET authorities can seek to demand new and relevant forms of accountability from VET providers.  An e-platform has been developed and consists of courses which then leads to the certification. A Trainer’s Guide has also been created to ensure that those who are guiding candidates towards the certification are provided with appropriate resources, methods and guidance.