Developments at EU level related to quality assurance

EQAVET NRP meeting

Brussels, 26 November 2013

The Survey of Adult Skills: Some interesting results

• 20% EU working age population: low literacy & numeracy skills

• 25% adults lack digital skills needed to effectively use ICT

• striking differences: recent school leavers with upper secondary qualification in some MS ≥ skills than HE graduates in others

• LLL policies sustaining skills over time given the gaps between generations and the significant economic and social benefits of higher skills.

Opening up education

• Challenges

• Teachers digital skills

• Training institutions infrastructures – poor ICT developed

• Digital content elaborated mostly outside Europe

• Opportunities

• Broadening access to education

• Lower costs for students and institutions

• Fuel innovation

Next steps

Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020:

•Financial support for elaboration of tools, partnerships, teachers

Structural funds

•To be used by member States

•Renewal of IT infrastructures in schools

•Revision of assessments

Education and Culture

ECTS – 25 years on

Club members

1988: European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) to transfer achievements of Erasmus students

2013: > 75% HEI in EHEA use ECTS for transfer accumulation (learning outcomes and student workload approach)

2009: latest ECTS Users' Guide: guidance to HEIs on ECTS

Education and Culture

ECTS Users' Guide revision

Club members

Promoting student-centred learning

Ensuring meaningful implementation of learning outcomes (teaching, learning and assessment)

Encompassing LLL and reflecting the state of on-going work on recognition of prior learning

Catering for new ways of delivering programmes (OER, MOOCs)

Helping reduce obstacles to mobility/recognition

Strengthening links to other transparency tools

Education and Culture

Club members

Ad-hoc Working Group :

Representatives from 14 countries: AM, BE-nl, DE, FR, HU, IT, LT, MD, NL, NO, SE, UA and UK

4 organisations: ENQA, ESU, EUA and EURASHE

Chair: European Commission

Timing:

The revised Guide will be finalized in advance of the Yerevan Ministerial Conference in 2015

ECTS Users' Guide revision

Education and Culture

2013 ECVET evaluation:

-ECVET to increase synergies with other transparency instruments;

or die

2013-14 ECVET evaluation:

Next on your screen:

-Interviews Q4 2013

-Final report Q2 2014

-Commission report to the EP and Council mid-2014 (ECVET to increase synergies with other transparency

instruments ?)

and live

Club members

Education and Culture

-To what extent does ECVET contribute to ET2020, EU2020, Copenhagen Process?

-To what extent is ECVET compatible with other transparency tools? Are there synergies, namely with national qualification frameworks?

-What are the benefits of ECVET for the learners – and for other stakeholders?

-Why didn't all countries set up necessary conditions? How can they be supported?

ECVET evaluation questionsClub members

Education and Culture

-How is ECVET used and how can it be used within mobility projects?

-To what extent do ECVET credit points reinforce geographical VET mobility?

-To what extent does ECVET support permeability between VET and HE?

-To what extent does ECVET support validation of prior learning?

ECVET evaluation questionsClub members

Education and Culture

-Is the governance structure adequate?

ECVET evaluation questionsClub members

Education and Culture

Validation of non-formal and informal learning

By 2018: National arrangements for validation for NFIL

Validation systems should include:Support for identification of learning outcomes Documentation of learning outcomesAssessment of learning outcomesCertification of learning outcomes (e.g. credits or a full qualification)

Close to the club

Education and Culture

Validation of non-formal and informal learning

Principles for national arrangements:Linked to the NQF and in line with the EQFInformation and guidance to be widely availableSpecific targeting of disadvantaged groupsAudit of skills and competences within 6 months Transparent quality assurance measuresProfessional development of validation staffQualifications obtained via NFIL: agreed standardsUse of European transparency toolsSynergies with credit systems (e.g. ECTS, ECVET)

Close to the club

• Quality and Efficiency in Adult Learning

• High-level meeting between Commissioner Vassiliou and the European Social Partners; The European Education, Training and Youth Forum 2013

• Quality Framework for Traineeships• European Alliance for apprenticeships• EURES Working Group on inclusion of Apprenticeships and

Traineeships• https://www.facebook.com/EUErasmusPlusProgramme 

Education and Culture

European area of skills and qualifications

Club reunion

- Stakeholders consultation(policy developers, practitioners, networks, social partners, civil society)

- General public consultation

- A study

- A conference

Dec 2013- Mar 2014

Feb – May 2014

By mid-2014

Begin 2014

Events

• ESCO Conference 24-25 October 2013 Esco portal

• ECVET conference 24-25 October 2013• European Business Forum on Vocational Training

2014 in Brussels in May-June 2014.

EQAVET

EQAVET mapping study on quality assurance instruments in CVET and comparing them with EQAVET

EQAVET external evaluation EQAVET report and Report on progress in QA in

HE