Mobility in Europe is increasing. Workers from EU member states have the right to take up employment in any European Union country and to reside there for that purpose.

Increasing numbers of pupils are spending part of their time at school abroad. Trainees have the opportunity to complete part of their apprenticeship training in other countries. Increasing numbers of students are completing their courses of study abroad. Companies are operating globally and providing their employees with the possibility of international careers. At the same time, differences in education systems which have evolved historically mean that qualifications are not understandable across Europe.

The purpose of the DQR is to make qualifications of the German education system more understandable and comparable, in Germany and in Europe. Learners, employees, employers as well as education and training institutions benefit from this.

For example, an employer in Germany might currently still hesitate to recruit an applicant – for example from Sweden – because he or she might not be familiar with the qualification level of the Swedish applicant. By indicating the EQF level on a certificate, the German employer gains a better idea of how the Swedish qualification compares with the German education system. Both the German employer as well as the Swedish applicant benefit from this.