Estonian Qualifications Authority

The Estonian Qualification Authority (trademark - Kutsekoda) was established in August 2001 in order to continue developing the professional qualifications system launched by the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 1997. The Professions Chamber was established by the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Estonian Employers' Confederation, Ministry of Social Affairs, Estonian Employees' Unions' Confederation (TALO) and the Confederation of Estonian Trade Unions. In addition to the founders of the Professions Chamber, the Supervisory Board of the Professions Chamber includes a representative of the Ministry of Education.

Objectives of the Estonian Qualifications Authority:

• Facilitating the establishment and development of an integrated and organised professional qualifications system, and
• Establishing prerequisites for achieving comparability of the qualifications of Estonian employees as well as acknowledgement of other countries.

To achieve these objectives, the Estonian Qualifications Authority shall:

• organise the activities of professional councils as well as the development, supplementing and improvement of the professional standard, and establishment of evaluation criteria;
• work out methods for developing and implementing the employees' qualifications system, and the qualification evaluation system;
• organise performance of tasks given by professional councils, and
• manage the state register of professions as an authorised processor of the register.