All your education questions answered by Brian Mooney.

I am a Polish national and have been working in the hotel industry since I arrived in Ireland in 2005. Before coming to Ireland, I completed a Magister qualification in Economics at the University of Warsaw in Poland. Now that my English has improved, I would like to try to find work in my profession in Ireland. As the education systems in Poland and Ireland are quite different, I have trouble explaining to potential Irish employers what qualification I hold. In addition, when I see job advertisements I am unsure as to whether I have the minimum educational requirements, as the advertisements always refer to Irish qualifications. How do I find out what is the equivalent of my Magister qualification in Ireland?

Not so long ago, it would have been very difficult for you to get any clear information as to the comparability of your qualification in Ireland. But recent developments in the qualifications system have improved the situation; all Irish qualifications can now be referenced to the National Framework of Qualifications, introduced by the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland in 2003. The Authority is also the Irish centre for the recognition of foreign qualifications, known as Qualifications Recognition - Ireland. The centre provides an advisory service on foreign qualifications and how they compare to Irish qualifications.

This information is useful to a number of parties. It helps holders of foreign qualifications like you to find out what Irish qualification their foreign qualification best compares to, so that they are in a better position to seek employment or undertake further study in Ireland. The information is also useful to potential employers or education institutions that are not familiar with the education system of a particular country, helping them to determine whether a person is qualified to undertake a specific role within an organisation or to gain entry to further education.

How does it work? Qualifications Recognition - Ireland has put in place a process that allows holders of foreign qualifications to find out the comparability of their qualification in Ireland. An applicant must submit the following documents to Qualifications Recognition - Ireland: completed application form (this can be downloaded from the website below or requested from Qualifications Recognition - Ireland); certified photocopy of the qualification in its original language; certified photocopy of the transcript/marks sheet/list of subjects studied in the original language; certified translation of the qualification into English or Irish (if applicable); and certified translation of the transcript/marks sheet/list of subjects studied into English or Irish (if applicable). On completion of the recognition process, the applicant receives a statement which provides information about their qualification and the institute where they studied. It compares the foreign qualification held by the applicant to an Irish qualification, which is placed on the Irish National Framework of Qualifications.

Applications generally take eight-12 weeks to process. The recognition service is free; however, any translation costs incurred are borne by the applicant.

The application form and further information can be downloaded from the website www.qualificationsrecognition.ie.

Qualifications Recognition - Ireland is also currently preparing country profiles, which describe the education and qualifications systems in specific countries.

These profiles are designed to help employers, institutions and individuals understand foreign qualifications and check their comparability in Ireland.

To ascertain the comparability of your Magister qualification, contact Qualifications Recognition - Ireland, National Qualifications Authority of Ireland, Fifth Floor, Jervis House, Jervis Street, Dublin 1. Tel: 01-8871500 Fax: 01-8871595 E-mail: info@qualificationsrecognition.ie.www.qualifications-recognition.ie

E-mail questions to bmooney@irish- times.ie