DEVELOPMENTS AND APPLICATIONS OF SECTORAL
QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORKS
IN BORDER AND COAST GUARDING COURSE DESIGN

The surge of developing Sectoral Qualifications Frameworks and their use in vocational
training for the past few years can be illustrated by a Frontex2 initiative in the extensive area
of border and coast guarding. The EU authorities have tried to promote and model a
harmonised approach to course design and training based on the European Qualifications
Framework and Bologna and Copenhagen processes, matching the developments in general
education across Europe. The aim of this paper is to examine the particular case of Sectoral
Qualifications Framework for Border and Coast Guarding, focusing on vocational
specificities, recent developments and practical applications at the level of course design.
The corpus of the analysis consists of a specific training program in course design developed
by Frontex in the past 5 years. The content analysis focuses on two main tiers: recent
developments in SQF course design and applications of SQF in border and coast guarding
course design. Each of these levels has structural and functional features with direct and
critical implications onto national law enforcement curricula and training programs design,
such as consistent revision of job competences, recognition of non-formal and informal
learning and national accreditation and validation processes of qualifications and border
police training programmes.