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EBTN ACCREDITED QUALITY STANDARD

EBTN Accredited is a unique quality standard for professional qualifications in the banking and financial services sector. Through EBTN Accredited, EBTN aims to contribute to a sound financial industry and to endorse organisations that are offering the very best in educational training standards and practice in the sector across Europe and beyond.

EBTN Accredited:

  • is an accreditation proposal for institutions seeking recognition of the quality of the qualifications they provide
  • facilitates life-long learning and flexible accumulation and transferability of qualifications, including transferability between EU systems of qualifications
  • encompasses core existing good practices for professional qualifications
  • is flexible and allows for the recognition of existing national good practices

EBTN follows current developments, trends, and changes in Vocational Education in Europe and worldwide and responds adequately to current challenges. EBTN Accredited represents the evolution of EBTN’s Triple E Standard. It reaffirms the Standard’s strong foundations, its values, and the unique dynamic that safeguards its resilience and adaptability.

EBTN Accredited derives from the update and modernisation of the Triple E Accreditation which is based on the Triple E Standard. It is important to note that the Triple E Standard is referenced to the three EU lifelong learning instruments: the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), the system of European Credit points for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET), and the guidelines concerning European Quality Assurance for Vocational Education and Training (EQAVET)

By means of these frameworks, the standards contribute to greater transparency in the education systems of EU countries, thereby increasing the quality and international mobility of individuals and helping to restore trust and confidence in the people and organisations of the sector.

EBTN Accredited encompasses the Council of the European Union recommendations:

  • vocational education and training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience (2020/C 417/01)
  • upskilling Pathways: New Opportunities for Adults (2016/C 484/01)
  • individual learning accounts (2022/C 243/03)
  • a European approach to micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability (2022/C 243/02)

EBTN Accredited also incorporates:

  • the European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations – ESCO
  • International Standard Classification of Occupations – ISCO
  • International Standard Classification of Education: Fields of Education and Training – ISCED

EBTN Accredited aims to facilitate students by providing an insight into the quality, the level and substance of EBTN accredited qualifications recorded by EBTN in a register.

EBTN Acredited also provides transparency in that it facilitates a comparison of qualifications nationally and internationally. It recognises existing national good practices and recognises the levels and institutional accreditations awarded by national competent authorities.

EBTN Accreditation Committee’s main scope is to contribute to a sound financial industry through transparent professional qualifications. Thus, the Committees main tasks are to:

  • follow current developments, trends and changes in Vocational Education in Europe and worldwide,
  • encompass those changes in EBTN Accreditation Standard,
  • respond adequately to currents challenges, and
  • assess the applications for EBTN Accredited qualifications and the European foundation Certificate in Banking (EFCB).

The Accreditation Committee consists of 8 Members: 6 internal members (all members of BoD) and 2 external ones. The external members of the Committee are independent providers of training and/or qualifications and assist the Committee as Independent Experts for the Review of the EBTN Accreditation applications.

The Internal Members of the Accreditation Committee are:

  • Dr. Sophia Ziakou (Greece) – Chair
  • Dr. Sladjana Andrian Sredojevic (Serbia)
  • Ms. Fatma Dirkes (Germany)
  • Mr. Andreas Christou (Cyprus)
  • Mr. Peter Calleya (Malta)
  • Mr. Ferran Teixes Argilés (Spain)
  • Mr. Bart Corthouts (Belgium)
  • Mr. Jonathan McConnell (Ireland)

EBTN, through the Accreditation Committee, provides Accreditation to Institutions for the quality of the qualifications they provide. Based on Triple E standard that specified how a non-formal qualification should be designed and executed in reference to the EU lifelong learning instruments: the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), the system of European Credit points for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET) and the guidelines concerning European Quality Assurance for Vocational Education and Training (EQAVET), EBTN Accreditation Committee updated the Standard taking into consideration all recent and ongoing evolution in vocational education and training.

EBTN Accredited Standard encompasses the Council Recommendation of 24th November 2020 on VET for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness, and resilience (2020/C 417/01), which replaces the Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2009 on the establishment of a European Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training (EQAVET), and the Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18th June 2009 on establishment of a European Credit system for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET).

The following table provides an overview of the applications submitted for accreditation:

Status of Application Application Submitted Applicant Name Type of EBTN Membership Type of Application
Approved 04/2016 The Institute of Banking (Ireland) Full Triple E (Professional Diploma in Financial Advice-QFA)
Approved 05/2016 Hellenic Banking Institute of the Hellenic Bank Association (HBA, Greece) Full Triple E EFCB
Approved 11/2016 European Financial Planning Association (EFPA, Belgium) first external application Triple E (European Financial Advisor – EFA)
Approved 12/2016 Romanian Banking Institute (RBI, Romania) Full Triple E EFCB
Approved 12/2016 Warsaw Institute of Banking (WIB, Poland) Full Triple E EFCB Re-accreditation
Approved 12/2016 ABISERVIZI SpA – ABIFormazione (ABI, Italy) Full Triple E EFCB for the 21th Edition of the Banking and Financial Diploma
Approved 07/2017 Institute of Banking Education of the National Bank of Slovakia (IBE NBS, Slovakia) Full Triple E EFCB
Approved 10/2017 International Training Center for Bankers Ltd (ITCB) – Bankárképző, Hungary Full Triple E  (Asset, Fund, Portfolio – Investment Management)
Approved 10/2017 The Institute of Banking (Ireland) Full Triple E (Professional Diploma in Compliance (attaching designation is called LCOI – Licentiate of the Association of Compliance Officers in Ireland))
Approved 12/2017 Chartered Banker Institute (UK) Full Triple E (The Professional Banker Certificate)
Approved 12/2017 International Training Center for Bankers Ltd (ITCB) – Bankárképző, Hungary Full Triple E EFCB
Approved 12/2017 The Bank Association of Slovenia Full Triple E EFCB
Approved 06/2018 Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI, UK) Associate Triple E (International Introduction to Securities & Investment – IISI)
Approved 06/2018 Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI, UK) Associate Triple E (International Certificate in Wealth & Investment Management- ICWIM)
Approved 06/2019 Chartered Banker Institute (UK) Full Triple E (Green Finance Certificate)
Approved 01/2021 Institute for Training and Consulting in Banking Ltd (ITCB, Hungary)

 

Full Triple E Certified Retail and Lending Expert

 

Approved

 

12/2024 Union of banks of Armenia (UBA) Full Certificate in Banking

Adequately EBTN’s European Foundation Certification in Banking (EBTN), the first ever Triple E qualification which EBTN brought to market remains an EBTN professional qualification confirming fundamental knowledge and skills of bank employees with some experience but without professional banking education and new employees who start their career in banking.

2024 statistics:

Country Number
Poland 555
Romania 14
Slovenia 29
Poland – upgrade 9
Total  606

 

Sophia Ziakou

EBTN Accreditation Committee, Chair