Quality Assurance in VET: Recent national initiatives
date: 20/09/2023
Joint project across NRPs: Transnational Peer Review as an excellent quality tool for VET providers
A joint EQAVET project involving Croatia, Estonia, Finland, and Slovenia promotes transnational Peer Reviews among VET providers. “European Peer Review Quality Areas and criteria for Vocational Education and Training (VET)” aims at enriching quality development and foster cross-border cooperation. The transnational Peer Review tool has proven to be an excellent quality development tool for VET providers that supports self-evaluation. In this joint EQAVET project, the participating NRPs have promoted awareness of the Peer Review method and, in particular, the use of transnational Peer Reviews among VET providers. The group conducting a transnational Peer Review consisted of national and international reviewers, and the project provided training in the method and coordinated transnational Peer Reviews of VET providers, online and onsite.
The benefits and challenges as well as good practices of transnational Peer Reviews were discussed and shared at an international Peer Learning Activity (PLA) webinar on April 21, 2023. The event was attended by representatives of educational institutions and educational administrations from 16 different countries, as well as experts from the EQAVET Secretariat. The keynote speaker, Keith Brumfitt from the EQAVET Secretariat, highlighted the fact that the importance of an objective external perspective is increasing as VET providers are becoming larger organisations due to mergers, and national or regional policies. Transnational cooperation and the experience of participating VET providers brings added value and enriches quality development, particularly as countries are at different stages of introducing national Peer Reviews. Peer Reviews are an opportunity to find out about another country's quality culture, practices and learning environments and to get to know colleagues.
Based on the experiences gained from the project, two practical challenges were identified that need to be solved in order for international Peer Reviews of vocational educational institutions to be equally possible for all educational institutions in Europe and for its use to expand. Firstly, the educational institution must find a vocational educational institution in another country that is familiar with the method and interested in cooperation. Secondly, VET providers must have the possibility to travel to onsite Peer Review events, as getting to know the learning environment brings added value.
Transnational Peer Reviews at VET provider level can be part of a national, system-wide approach to external Quality Assurance. When a country is taking its first steps towards using the method, the support of the NRP or another national organisation is needed to ensure the success of the transnational Peer Review at VET provider level. When the Peer Review method becomes more common as part of national quality management, it improves VET providers’ ability to organise these events themselves, thus making transnational Peer Reviews part of their quality management toolbox.
Croatia organises the second National Conference on Quality Assurance in VET
The Croatian Agency for Vocational Education and Training and Adult Education (AVETAE) hosted the second national conference on quality assurance in VET in May. The event, which took place on-site in Zagreb, brought together over 100 participants, including Croatian VET school principals and self-evaluation coordinators, along with international keynote speakers. The conference aimed at strengthening quality assurance systems in Croatian vocational high schools in order to build strong and reliable quality assurance systems. Attendees engaged in workshops related to internal quality assurance, VET graduate tracking, Peer Reviews and classroom observation. The event facilitated networking and sharing of best practices, including the results from the EQAVET NRP HR project. Participants found value in peer learning and sharing of good practices and looked forward to more events such as conferences, future platforms for networking and introductions to contemporary methodologies and instruments in quality assurance.
Italy hosted the international conference on Quality Assurance in VET
As part of the European Year of Skills, the Italian EQAVET NRP organised the international conference ‘Quality Assurance in VET for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness, and resilience: three years after the EU Recommendation 2020’, in Rome, Italy, on 6 July. The aim of the conference was to disseminate the experiences and projects related to Quality Assurance in VET, including sharing national initiatives and promoting activities implemented at the European level. The event gathered participants from Inapp, Cedefop, the ETF, and the EQAVET Secretariat, as well as representatives from NRPs from Greece, Slovakia, Austria and the Netherlands.
After sharing the country practices, an in-depth workshop clarified how the priorities in the VET Recommendation 2020 were included and elaborated in EU projects, presenting best practices implemented through the Erasmus+ programme concerning Quality Assurance measures and tools. Best practice projects presented included DITOGA, ECOLHE, VET21002 and the ONE project. The conference closed with a discussion to collect further reflections.
Link (IT)
Dutch NRP publishes a research paper on graduate tracking and organises workshop with Dutch VET stakeholders
The Dutch EQAVET NRP has published a research report on graduate tracking, which describes three case studies on different ways in which alumni – graduates and early school leavers – are tracked. The report provides guidelines, best practices and lessons learnt at national, provider and programme level. After the publication of the report, a workshop was organised with Dutch VET stakeholders, where participants were briefed on the design and outcomes of the three case studies, discussed the lessons learned, and collectively examined how these case studies align with participants' practical experiences. The valuable mix of roles and responsibilities among participants facilitated the exchange of different perspectives and led to a meaningful dialogue on graduate tracking.
The Netherlands strengthens the quality of VET education through student involvement.
In November 2023, the Dutch NRP will kick off a developmental programme for secondary vocational education (VET) schools with a focus on student involvement in quality assurance. The Dutch NRP aims to getting more involved in secondary VET, which will lead to students increasing and strengthen the quality of education, while positively affecting their own learning outcomes. During September, all interested VET schools had the chance of applying to participate in the programme, with a limited number of spaces available. Participating VET schools need to be able to commit to the programme with a ‘student involvement task force’, consisting of students and members of staff from different layers of the school.
During the programme, the NRP will focus on the current situation with regards to student involvement in the participating schools, and the programme will also include homework assignments for participants. The programme will interactively involve students until the final session in April 2024. By summer 2024, the NRP will come together with participants to share achievements and the progress against the initial situation. With the agreement of the participating parties, the overall programme will be compiled and shared with the Dutch Ministry of Education and on the platforms of the Dutch EQAVET NRP and partners.
Slovakia supporting the European Year of Skills 2023
The State Vocational Education Institute with the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic organised the Festival of Skills 2023. The festival was launched on 25 September 2023 with the conference ‘Skills for our Future’, featuring experts in the field of education, innovation, digitalisation, and others.
The conference gave space for many organisations and institutions to present their activities in the field of skills development in line with the objectives of the European Year of Skills 2023. Throughout the week of 25 – 29 September 2023, various thematic events took place focusing on promoting skills and lifelong learning. Other seminar topics covered green and digital transformations as well as the quality of VET.
As part of the Skills Festival, the Slovakian EQAVET NRP organised two seminars for Slovakian secondary school management and VET teachers’ staff on 26 September 2023. One seminar was dedicated to the culture of quality and the second focused on the development of the Peer Review method.
Poland organised a series of three industry conferences fostering collaboration between Vocational Schools and employers
The Centre for Educational Development in Warsaw, Poland, organised a series of three industry online conferences titled ‘Collaboration between Vocational Schools and Employers’ during June and July 2023. In total, 344 individuals were trained. The objectives of the conferences were to promote vocational education, enhance knowledge in the principles of organising practical vocational training, and delve into the organisational conditions for employer-school collaboration.
During the events, presenters showcased best practices in regard to establishing collaboration. The conferences were aimed at professionals from teacher training institutions, methodological advisors; school directors and vice directors; vocational training centre teachers; centres for continuing education and vocational training; and other practitioners. The topics of the conferences targeted representatives from different industries, such as mechanics, transportation, woodwork and agriculture.
Links (PL):
- https://www.ore.edu.pl/2023/06/konferencja-online-wspolpraca-szkol-branzowych-z-pracodawcami-7-czerwca-2023-roku/
- https://www.ore.edu.pl/2023/06/ii-konferencja-online-wspolpraca-szkol-branzowych-z-pracodawcami-13-czerwca-2023-roku/
- https://www.ore.edu.pl/2023/06/iii-konferencja-branzowa-online-wspolpraca-szkol-branzowych-z-pracodawcami-5-lipca-2023-roku/
Greece hosted an international webinar on the development of Quality Assurance Methodology for Initial Vocational Training Study Programmes and Pilot Implementation Results
On July 27 2023, the National Organisation for the Certification of Qualifications and Vocational Guidance (EOPPEP), Greek EQAVET NRP, implemented a successful international webinar. The webinar introduced the ‘Development of Quality Assurance Methodology for Initial Vocational Training Study Programmes and Pilot Implementation Results’, within the context of the ‘ERASMUS+ EQAVET NRPs 2021-2023’ programme. During the webinar, a general overview of the activities of EOPPEP was presented, as well as the new QAM and its implementation manual, together with the results of the pilot carried out in IVET institutes. These sessions envisaged the outcomes of the piloting of the new QAM. Participants included representatives of the Greek Ministry of Education, the European Commission, the EQAVET Secretariat, the Hungarian and the Italian NRPs, and directors, trainers and students of the two public IVET institutes where the field research took place.
- Link to Quality Assurance Methodology for IVET Study Programs (EL)
- Link to Implementation Manual for IVET Study Programs (EN)
Latvian NRP continues to support VET institutions in quality improvement
The State Education Quality Service, which acts as the Latvian EQAVET NRP, has successfully finalised another period of their EQAVET project by achieving its goal – developing an online handbook to support VET providers in the development and introduction of a quality system in their schools. Quality system is a new introduction in the Latvian education system and, thus, it is essential to provide a common understanding on the system and to provide practical support for VET providers on how to develop and implement the system. The handbook is in Latvian and online, a format chosen due to the possibility for constantly updating the information regarding quality assurance in the Latvian VET system. In September, the State Education Quality Service will initiate the next period in their EQAVET project, which will be closely related to the previous, but this time, it will focus on the practical activity. Consequently, the next period of the project will be organised in workshops with three main thematic groups which will cover all fields of food governance. These workshops will complement the content of the handbook, as VET providers will gain practical experience on the implementation, bringing Latvian quality assurance at the VET provider closer toward the European direction.