Achievements, needs and challenges of ECVET at

European level

MAS ECVET Ankara - 24 February 2014

Jeff BridgfordDepartment of Education and Professional Studies

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Background

European Credit system for Vocational

Education and Training (ECVET)

Recommendation – June 2009

What is ECVET’s objective?

‘ to facilitate the transfer, recognition and accumulation

of assessed learning outcomes of individuals who are

aiming to achieve a qualification’

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Background

ECVET Recommendation – June 2009

What are learning outcomes?

‘statements of what a learner knows, understands and

is able to do on completion of a learning process and

which are defined in terms of knowledge, skills and

competence’

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Background

ECVET Recommendation – June 2009

What is done with these learning outcomes?

They can be turned into credits

‘set of learning outcomes of an individual which have been

assessed and which can be accumulated towards a

qualification or transferred to other learning programmes or

qualifications’

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Background

ECVET Recommendation – June 2009

Who is responsible for designing and

awarding qualifications and credit

accumulation?

Competent institutions

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Background

ECVET Recommendation – June 2009

Who is responsible for credit transfer?

Competent institutions,

via a Memorandum of Understanding

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Benefits

For Employers

It should be easier to

•recruit trained workers, whether from home or abroad

•understand what workers, know, understand and can do, on the

basis of learning outcomes which are ideally related to real tasks at

work

•know that workers in supply chains have the appropriate skills

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Benefits

For Workers

It should be easier to

•recognise periods of informal learning in the workplace, and thus

shorten the period of further training

•return to education and training on the basis of professional

experience

•apply for jobs at home and abroad on the basis of knowledge,

skills and competence – what workers know, understand and can

do

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Challenges

Quantity of Initiatives

European Credit system for Vocational Education and

Training (ECVET)

European Qualifications Framework (EQF)

European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System

(ECTS)

European Quality Assurance Reference Framework

(EQARF)

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Challenges

Introduction and Application of Terminology

Learning outcomes, Qualifications, Credits,

(Units, Points)

Memorandum of Understanding

(Learning Agreements)

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Challenges

Identification of Competent Institutions

Authorities responsible for Qualifications?

Training providers?

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Challenges

Trust

Updated occupational profiles

Recognition of prior learning

Common training standards

Clear and full documentation, but simple

Quality of work-based training

Quality of assessment

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Challenges

Heterogeneity

Pilot projects have interpreted the Recommendation in

terms of their own needs, and so ECVET

implementation tend to suffer from a lack of consistency

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Next steps

Quality

Implementing the EU Recommendation on

European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for

Vocational Education and Training (2009)

The Framework has 10 Quality Indicators for assessing

Quality in Vocational Education and Training

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Next steps

Strategy I

Member States should create the necessary conditions and

adopt measures, so that it is possible for ECVET to be gradually

applied to VET qualifications (2012)

‘lack of readiness’, but

•designation of national contact points (26 out of 35 - 2012) that

coordinate ECVET implementation and provide information,

guidance and support

•creation of national teams of experts

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Next steps

Strategy II

The European Commission will report by 18 June

2014 on the experience gained and implications for

the future, including, if necessary, a review and

adaptation of the Recommendation (2014)