The European Credit system for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET)
The system aims to facilitate the validation, recognition and accumulation of work-related skills and knowledge acquired during a stay in another country or in different situations. It should ensure that these experiences contribute to vocational qualifications.
ECVET aims for better compatibility between the different vocational education and training (VET) systems in place across Europe and their qualifications.
By 2012, it should create a technical framework to describe qualifications in terms of units of learning outcomes, and it includes assessment, transfer, accumulation and recognition procedures.
Each of the units is associated with a certain number of ECVET points developed on the basis of common standards: 60 ECVET points are allocated to the learning outcomes achieved in a year of full-time VET.
Flexibility
In ECVET, an individual’s learning outcomes are assessed and validated in order to transfer credits from one qualification system to another, or from one learning "pathway" to another.br/>
According to this approach, learners can accumulate the required learning outcomes for a given qualification over time, in different countries or in different situations.
The system also allows the possibility to develop common references for VET qualifications and is fully compatible with the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS).
Developments across Europe
The European Commission is developing an ECVET users' guide, and is establishing a European ECVET users' group and a European ECVET network.
EU Members States should ensure that all relevant qualifications and related ‘Europass’ documents issued by national or regional authorities contain clear information related to the use of ECVET.
Several projects focusing on the development and promotion of ECVET are being developed in different sectors (including automobile service, chemistry, tourism, and international trade), funded by the EU’s Leonardo da Vinci Programme for vocational training.
More information on current ECVET projects can be found on the ECVET Pilot projects website and in the ECVET Projects bulletins.
Background
The development of ECVET began in 2002 after the Copenhagen Process emphasised the need for a credit transfer system for VET. National governments and the European Parliament gave their final approval to legislation in June 2009.
More information
- The basic principles of ECVET are summarised in this leaflet
- More detailed guidance, answers to frequently asked questions and examples of good practice can be found in the brochure "Get to know ECVET better – Questions and Answers"
- A conference on implementing ECVET was held November 2009 in Brussels. See material from the conference
- Legal text: Establishment of the European Credit system for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET)
Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council (June 2009)
- Establishment of the European Credit system for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET)
Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council - June 2009 (Brochure)
- Public consultation on ECVET (2006-2007)
- European Credit system for Vocational Education and Training
Commission staff working document (2006)
