eduQua – the quality label for continuing education and training
eduQua is the best known and most widely used quality label for continuing education and training (CET) providers in Switzerland. It promotes transparency, comparability and quality of CET courses. Over 1000 schools, institutes and academies throughout Switzerland are eduQua-certified.
Certification not only improves credibility with customers, but is also an advantage with the authorities. In many cantons, the eduQua certificate is a prerequisite for receiving public funding.
At the end of 2021, the Swiss Federation for Adult Learning SVEB, as the owning body, introduced the revised eduQua:2021 standard. The eduQua label takes into account current developments in adult learning and CET as well as trends for the near future. Furthermore, the permeability between eduQua and other important labels is clearly regulated. The orientation and advantages of the eduQua:2021 standard and the certification procedure are presented below.
The eduQua quality standard
The eduQua label is awarded to CET providers who comply with the quality standard. The defined criteria specify the minimum requirements that must be fulfilled for the eduQua label to be awarded to an institution. Independent certification bodies in all regions of Switzerland review compliance with these minimum quality requirements.
Guidance on certification and other information about the requirements and the procedure can be found in the following documents:
Certification bodies
eduQua certification is not the responsibility of the eduQua office. The assessment and certification are carried out by independent, accredited certification bodies on behalf of eduQua in all regions of Switzerland.
They carry out the certification procedure with the institution, check the documentation, carry out an on-site audit and draw up a certification report. During the certification period, the certification bodies carry out annual interim audits. And every three years they carry out recertification to renew the certificate.
The benefits for certified institutions
Certification in accordance with the eduQua label is essentially open to any institution that offers adult education and CET, and wishes to develop and certify its quality assurance. In addition to state-funded CET institutions (public and private providers), providers in vocationally-oriented continuing education and training and in all other areas can also be certified.
eduQua is a certificate for CET institutions, not for individual courses, degrees or persons, which means it does not accredit or verify any type of qualification. The CET institution or a continuing education department in a company is considered a certification unit.
The eduQua label produces competitive advantages for a CET provider. Certification has a positive effect on quality management and improves the institution’s image in the eyes of its customers. Certification is also an advantage with regard to the authorities. Many cantons regard the eduQua certificate as pre-condition for CET providers to receive any public funding.
All institutions that have received a currently valid eduQua certificate are listed in the online register:
Responsibility
The Swiss Federation for Adult Learning SVEB is the owning body of the eduQua label. It runs the eduQua office and ensures that the system operates properly. The SVEB Board acts as its governing body. The development of the eduQua quality standard is the responsibility of the eduQua office and supported by the Advisory Group.