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European Parliament voted for new tools for mobility and quality in vocational education and training

The new credit system, ECVET, will make it easier to transfer credits for learning outcomes from one training system to another, from one qualifications system to another, or from one learning pathway to another. It will support the possibility for learners – such as young people in initial training, apprentices or adults in continuing training – to choose their own path towards a particular qualification. The credit system will be compatible and complementary with the existing and successful European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) used in higher education and with the different national qualification systems existing in Europe.

The European Quality Assurance Reference Framework (EQARF) is a new reference instrument to help authorities in the Member States promote and monitor the improvement of their systems of vocational education and training. Quality assurance can be used as a systematic approach to modernising education systems by, notably, improving the effectiveness of training. It should therefore underpin every policy initiative in vocational education and training.

To know more:

• European Commission: The European Credit system for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET)
• European Commission: The European Quality Assurance Reference framework for Vocational Education and Training (EQARF)
• Press Release: "Commission welcomes European Parliament vote for new tools for mobility and quality in vocational education and training" [IP/08/2030 on Rapid, 18 December 2008]
• Press Release: "Commission launches initiative to facilitate mobility in vocational education and training" [IP/08/588 on Rapid, 10 April 2008]